Pets with Tourette’s – A Feline Perspective - Tourettes Action

Tourettes Action

1,277 members680 posts

Pets with Tourette’s – A Feline Perspective

catherinem profile image
7 Replies

Last Friday my humans went off on their two wheeled noisy thing, I think they call it a bike, and my female human came back with this - amazon.co.uk/Pets-Tourettes... She said she found it in a charity shop and bought because she was worried about it falling into the “wrong hands” to be honest I couldn’t imagine anybody wanting to buy it or even swap it for a bowl of tuna! Although I did like the hamster pictures, I wouldn’t mind a hamster of my own to play with, but I don’t think my humans would agree. The first thing I don’t get about this book is that animals don’t get Tourette’s syndrome, only humans do, my female human has Tourette’s, it was a bit strange getting used to her at first and her clapping still startles me, it makes me feel paranoid, as though I’ve done something like sharpen my claws on her favourite rug or jumped onto where the humans make their food. CLAP, CLAP, I haven’t done anything; I’m just using your computer to tell the other humans that have Tourette’s syndrome about that stupid book! Well, back to my female human when she bought the book ( 50p from the Sense shop) she said to the shop human “Do you think it’s appropriate to sell this book which pokes fun at people with Tourette’s syndrome” the shop human said “I couldn’t possibly comment”, my human then said “would you sell a book that poked fun at deaf blind people?” the shop lady said “probably not”, “so it’s ok to sell a book making fun of TS but not deaf blind people?” the shop human didn’t answer, my human left feeling angry.

The next day my female human went to meet some other humans with Tourette’s syndrome and they all thought the book was awful, one human said that she should throw it away. I showed the book to some of the other cats that visit my garden in-between doing a bit of bird watching; first I asked Ginger Balls what he thought of it “What a rubbish book, maybe I might find it funny if I’ve had too much catnip!” I asked Selina, “It might be good to line my litter tray, the kitten pictures are cute though” and Kevin said “A dog might find it funny” .So there you go the cats thought the book was rubbish and the humans did too. Here’s a book that the cats like and the humans too - amazon.co.uk/Pussy-Cats-Tha... the humans laughed so hard they got stomach aches.

Back to the “Pets with Tourette’s” book, or rather Selina’s litter tray liner, those poor humans with Tourette’s get it all the time, if it isn’t people staring and whispering there’s those humans who think that it’s ok to make fun of other humans with disabilities and are allowed to go on the talking picture box thing or make books. Do cats do that? No way, we like to help those less fortunate than ourselves, I caught a bird the other day for Tripod, he isn’t very good at catching birds due to his disability, and I don’t like to see him go without. As well as other humans looking at her when she goes shopping for my food. My human has been trying to get a job, where humans go away for a while then come back again, she thinks that when people make books like “Pets with Tourette’s” it makes other humans think that all that people with TS do is swear, when in fact people with TS are really clever, nice (she’d buy me more ping-pong balls if she had a job) and would be good at doing a job. I think she’s feeling sad about not having a job, I think she might like a mouse to cheer her up. I wonder what the boss human of Tourette’s Action thinks of this book?

Love and Kisses Sasha xx

Written by
catherinem profile image
catherinem
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
7 Replies
Suz13 profile image
Suz13Volunteer

How sensible of the feline world to find this book useful only for lining the litter tray! Quite why everyone finds Tourette's so funny I have no idea. I can only assume it is because they don't have the imagination or intellect to empathise with people who are living with a condition which limits their lives and in many cases causes physical pain. I couldn't ever imagine burning a book but this one comes pretty close. We have tried to ask Amazon not to sell this book and indeed for the publishers to withdraw it but all to no avail. So Sasha give it to Selina and let her use it for the appropriate purpose.

With love and strokes from the TA human

LittleClapham profile image
LittleClapham

Hello, My name is Jenifer. I am an 8 year old rabbit that has learnt to type. Don't ask how I am typing, I am a very clever rabbit. I haven't seen this book but my Mummy has. She says it's a stupid book. I think it sounds stupid. If people actually bothered getting to know people like my Mummy without judging them and making silly books about them, then maybe they would realise how wonderful my Mummy and her friends really are. Me and my boyfriend (toyboy says Mummy!) Ralph think that the book would be very good to eat and wee on. Ralph especially likes the weeing part but that's because he's a boy.

twitch1 profile image
twitch1

I've come across this on amazon,ebay etc when I was looking for books about how to deal with TS - it definitely doesn't do that. I found it very offensive but haven't done anything about it, mabe it's worth a snotty letter to the author?

catherinem profile image
catherinem

Suzanne, the TA Human (cheif exec above) has already been in touch with both Amazon and the publishers without much success. :(

Bootgates profile image
Bootgates

Hi Just wondered when peeps contact(ed ) publishers.amazon/author if it was mentioned about the Equality Act October 2010 (which came into force April 2011) as I feel it's time these 'so called tossers' were held to account for their offensive behaviour. I'm fed up being made to feel the 'oddity'. What do the rest of you feel about taking it further? These people need to be held to account & forced to comply. That's how other 'ists' & 'isms' have been dealt with over the years & we all know how that works. What do you all think?

Bee73 profile image
Bee73

We complained directly to the head of HMV a couple of years ago after going in to one of their stores and finding a huge display of this disgusting book right by the entrance. We had just been to a rather traumatic psychiatrist appointment with our then 10 year old son (TS/OCD) and took him to HMV to get him a treat to calm him before taking him back to school - lovely welcome smack bang in our face as we walked in. The response from HMV? Oh sorry it caused offence but we have no plans to remove it from our stores, or words to that effect. Shameful.

Laurakaren profile image
Laurakaren

I love this blog post >>>and my cat so gets my tics