On Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:41:08 -0500 in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Stan
Brown wrote,
I was watching /Rain man/ for the first time in many years, and I
realized: cats are autistic. They are concerned only with what they
want when they want it (though fortunately that usually includes
giving and receiving affection), and they have lots of little rituals
that they follow, especially when nervous.

I never saw Rain Man, but a couple of months ago I attended a
presentation for a volunteer group I am a member of, on how to help
autistic people in a disaster. I noticed the same thing. Very much
like trying to communicate with the cat.