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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Students identifying as Cats

132 replies

Pussinskool · 14/03/2023 20:25

m.sundayworld.com/news/northern-ireland-news/school-hit-by-bizarre-claims-students-that-identifying-as-cats-refused-to-use-toilets/2032958934.html

In a nutshell:

A group of students identifying as Cats

Demanding litter trays be placed in the school and smearing poo over the walls & toilet seats.

Restricted toilets access to the rest of the students due to this. Parents going batshit on social media about it, the school having to cut the phones because they're getting hounded.

The school is now apparently having to seek legal advice, as this new territory.

Stop here world, I want to get off!

AIBU that this 'identifying as' has gone too far?

OP posts:
knittingaddict · 14/03/2023 21:08

This was doing the rounds a while ago but in US schools. Wasn't real then apparently, so either completely untrue now or a wind up by some bored student.

Mathsisfun · 14/03/2023 21:10

I’ve heard of this happening in schools in central Scotland. Both dogs and cats apparently…

knittingaddict · 14/03/2023 21:10

It was covered (the US schools thing) on the Blocked and Reported podcast and I respect their reporting, so immediately assumed this was also a fantasy.
.

knittingaddict · 14/03/2023 21:11

Mathsisfun · 14/03/2023 21:10

I’ve heard of this happening in schools in central Scotland. Both dogs and cats apparently…

I doubt it.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 14/03/2023 21:13

Blimey - whatever happened to good old Satanic panic? The good old days when you played your heavy metal backwards and daubed pentagrams on the walls?

I appreciate this is a hoax but my thoughts would be to microchip them all, give them collars with bells on and install scratching posts at strategic intervals. And if they get out of hand, lace their snacks with catnip. Also encourage them to catch and devour insects and small rodents as community service. I bet they'd identify as humans again pretty damn sharpish.....

OlympicProcrastinator · 14/03/2023 21:14

I actually have direct experience of this although the example you gave may well be a hoax. My daughter really does have a friend at school who identifies as a car. Wears cat ears, licks her hands and tells everyone she’s a cat. Apparently the teachers ‘sort of’ indulge her by using her ‘cat name’ but otherwise expect her to crack on with her work.

Pootles34 · 14/03/2023 21:17

OlympicProcrastinator · 14/03/2023 21:14

I actually have direct experience of this although the example you gave may well be a hoax. My daughter really does have a friend at school who identifies as a car. Wears cat ears, licks her hands and tells everyone she’s a cat. Apparently the teachers ‘sort of’ indulge her by using her ‘cat name’ but otherwise expect her to crack on with her work.

I told everyone at school I was Mark Owens cousin, teenage girls have always been full of shite.

WandaWonder · 14/03/2023 21:19

I identify as a Nobel prize winning supermodel whose hobbies include cooking and gardening and solving world peace issues

Yeah nah

WandaWonder · 14/03/2023 21:20

Mathsisfun · 14/03/2023 21:10

I’ve heard of this happening in schools in central Scotland. Both dogs and cats apparently…

West side story?

SandyY2K · 14/03/2023 21:21

OP it's fake.

Justalittlebitduckling · 14/03/2023 21:24

Someone identified as a cat when I was at uni in 2009. Cat boy. Wonder what happened to him.

Mathsisfun · 14/03/2023 21:33

No, seriously, apparently there are groups of people who identify as animals. Mainly dogs I think but I’ve heard of cats too.

Some of them went to ikea in Edinburgh, much to the outrage of the people there!

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-ikea-shoppers-left-confused-28960135.amp

Superunknown1 · 14/03/2023 21:33

Don’t know how anyone can have opened that article and thought it seemed legit! It even says in the write up that it’s a hoax 🤦🏻‍♀️

MargaretThursday · 14/03/2023 21:35

Cats don't go to school. Easy.

MeinKraft · 14/03/2023 21:38

OlympicProcrastinator · 14/03/2023 21:14

I actually have direct experience of this although the example you gave may well be a hoax. My daughter really does have a friend at school who identifies as a car. Wears cat ears, licks her hands and tells everyone she’s a cat. Apparently the teachers ‘sort of’ indulge her by using her ‘cat name’ but otherwise expect her to crack on with her work.

Bet she doesn't eat Whiskas for her dinner.

Mysnowmanhasmelted1 · 14/03/2023 21:38

Such a weird coincidence that you posted this. I've just visited my friend and was chatting to her and her 12 year DD. Her DD was telling me that two people in her school identify as animals; one a fox and and a dog. They walk into classroom on all fours!
I was literally in complete shock and can't believe what the world has become.

Tabitha005 · 14/03/2023 21:42

A teacher friend of mine had a student in her class who 'identified as a cat' and 'meowed' at her instead of speaking. She just went with the 'I don't speak cat' approach and largely ignored him.

There's plenty of kids who'll use any sort of fad as an excuse to wind their teachers up.

KindergartenKop · 14/03/2023 21:42

Miaow

Ludo19 · 14/03/2023 21:43

My friend and I used to turn our fur lined coats inside out and pretend we were horses when we were 5. At no time did we eat out a nose bag and answer to Dobbin.

But if identifying with a cat is a thing then I'll do that.....I'd struggle to lick my own arse but happy to lie and sleep for the best part of the day while someone runs about waiting on me hand and foot/paw.

Manybeards · 14/03/2023 21:43

I once knew someone who thought they were a werewolf

davegrohll · 14/03/2023 21:44

🤣🤣🤣 wtaf ??? Alll I can say is cats wouldn't smear their shit over the walls... they are much cleaner than that !!

MistressoftheDarkSide · 14/03/2023 21:45

Purrrrp.

Thought I'd try it out myself.

Considering sleeping for the next 22 hours and hissing at anyone who disturbs me. Oh, wait, I'm post menopause, bereaved last year, and nobody would notice any difference 🤣

Florenz · 14/03/2023 21:48

People are getting more and more stupid.

timetorefresh · 14/03/2023 21:49

I once taught a girl who thought she was a dragon. She'd hiss at teachers (in dragonese) if they said something she didn't like. Her mum also spoke dragon Hmm

FusionChefGeoff · 14/03/2023 21:52

Please God tell me this is a bunch of gender critical teens making an ironic protest?!

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