Furries.... Schools warned not to ridicule

I'm with you.
This whole cat thing is emboldening all the nasty little shits- not that piers morgan needed much emboldening.
Are people actually saying that teachers and parents should be told its fine to ridicule kids? That's what the OP says- not that they should say they're actually cats, just that it probably won't help to ridicule kids. Jesus.

Surely the school just sends them home. Schools don't cater for cats, dogs, horses etc. If they want identify as a cat they should be at home chasing birds, lying in the sun etc.

Can you imagine 'supporting' other mental health issues? Someone says they're anorexic and we hide the food so as not to offend them. Or give someone who's suicidal a rope. We can all march in a parade telling them where to buy the rope and we can all carry rope with us in case we offend them. This whole thing is ludicrous.

How does this work with school uniform? It’ll be much cheaper to give kids an animal dressing up outfit rather than uniform and school shoes. No detention or problems either for not following the official dress code.

I remember a boy being a tram. He became a C of E priest.

"Smelling of cats' piss" is another one.

No one wants a child to be bullied.

In reality though, some kids will bully. They will tease. They will ridicule. You don’t even need to be a cat.

I was ridiculed for being brown. I couldn’t help my skin but ridiculed I was.

I was ridiculed for not being able to run or climb a rope. Not just by kids. The teachers and headmaster joined in on that too.

I was stocky - not fat - just stocky. Guess what?

No one wants a kid to be ridiculed/bullied. I suspect pretending to be a cat or fish or whatever would attract exactly that.

It doesn’t make it right. It makes it all the more likely. And indulging it may set children down a path that will only bring them deep sadness.

Being a 'furry' or a 'cat' or whatever. It is what the kids have (kinda) had to resort to. Previously we could rebel by being a 'mod' or a 'rocker' - or a 'skinhead' etx etc (showing my age I guess) but teenagers need to rebel SO if everything is acceptable then they have to find something new.

It isn't healthy for us or FOR THEM for us to 'accept' it because if we do we are invalidating them as teenagers need to NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.

FFS. They 'are' furries or whatever in the same way kids were skinheads. It's a fucking fashion statement and a teenage stage.

AND reasonable adjustments shouldn't be made because that basically INVALIDATES them as teenagers. They don't want to be validated by adults

@Flickersy I'm glad you agree it's dumb shit. I don't know, being ridiculed by other children isn't nice which is why the grown ups need to be grown ups and stop playing along with all the batshittery. You also (should) have to expect some ridicule in life if you do dumb shit.

On the plus side, animal idioms will make a big comeback

on the hoof
a hoot
raining cats and dogs
crabs in a bucket
cat’s pyjamas
bees’ knees
fly in the ointment
elephant in the room
dog’s bollocks

The mental health crisis in young people today is beyond comprehension. This is a symptom of a complicated problem.

I've said it before here, I know quite a few trans young people and without exception they have all got complex difficult home lives and moderate mental health issues aside from announcing they are trans. This is obviously anecdotal as my personal experience is a limited pool but it's obvious to me that adopting another identity (whether trans or another creature) is an escape from the life they have and hate. I also know 3 who has de transitioned after leaving the family home (and discovered who they really are)

I'm not a psychiatrist or anything, just the keeper of young people who have friends, several have identity issues

You realise there's a rather large gap between "be a doormat" and "fuck them, the socially awkward kids deserve to be laughed at".

It's not one or the other.

Dreamies Pride

I'm beginning to think that actually, the totally never judge, never mock, never point out when someone's behaving like an absolute twit, #bekindbeadoormat thing is some of what got us into this mess of no boundaries. And some kids going to really quite extreme lengths to try and locate some.

Kids pretend to be animals all the time. It’s fine in the playground (where you play) but not in the classroom where you work.

Also, cats feel superior to absolutely everything so they would never feel ridiculed as they simply know they are the most important thing in the room/ house/universe

Are we taking The Sun and the Daily Mail as gospel now? 🙄

You're really trying to justify children bullying each other? Children do dumb shit (like pretend to be animals). That doesn't justify ridicule.

@Lightningstrikess Dreamies are cat treats, mini biscuit type things with a filling (chicken, fish cheese, even cat grass). Most cats love them. If you want to know more look on the Litter Tray section of Mumsnet!

@Flickersy if they're really a cat I think they'll be fine to be ridiculed as they won't understand what's being said. Cats can't talk. So as long as it's not physical it can't hurt them.

They are like the cat version of those cheese moment crisp /snack things you used to get.

Filled with cat yum.