A private school in Melbourne is reportedly supporting a year eight, non-verbal student in identifying as a cat.
The Herald Sun reports the “phenomenally bright” child has been allowed to assume the identity, with the behaviour linked to the ‘furries’ subculture that has been adopted by some teen circles.
“No one seems to have a protocol for students identifying as animals, but the approach has been that if it doesn’t disrupt the school, everyone is being supportive,” said a source close the family.
“The behaviour is being normalised. Now more and more people are identifying as whatever they want to identify with, including ‘furries’.”
Although the school didn’t confirm the girl’s attendance they said that their approach to mental health “is always unique to the student and will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student”.
Earlier this year in Michigan, a state in the US’ midwest, a school was forced to debunk claims that it had implemented a “litter box for the kids that identify as cats”. This was in response to a concerned parent who blasted the school at a school forum.
“I’m all for creativity and imagination, but when someone lives in a fantasy world and expects other people to go along with it, I have a problem with that,” said a concerned parent at the time, who defined “furry” as someone who identifies as a “cat or a dog, whatever”.
In response, the superintendent for Midland Public Schools, near Detroit, Michael E. Sharrow said there was “no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation!”.
“It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, however, our Midland PS stakeholders may be confused about a false message/accusation that has resurfaced this week and is gaining traction in the social media realm,” he wrote.
The above incidents come as some Gen Z teens have adopted the furries subculture, in which people anthropomorphise animals, and begin to give them human characteristics.
While some members choose to adopt a “fursona”, the ABC reports only “20 to 25 per cent of furries have fur suits”. The subculture is also removed from sexual fetish.
On TikTok, the #furry hashtag features people wearing elaborate, cartoon animal costumes, dubbed ‘fursuits’. In some cases, participants may wear the entire fursuit which covers their entire body, while others just opt in for the head of the animal.
In a Rolling Stone feature from 2019, the director of communications of Anthrocon (an annual furry convention that takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) said there are a range of reasons why someone may want to explore the furries subculture.
“Some of them like the aesthetic, they like the idea of creating somebody, and they like the idea of being someone other than who they are.”
