Temple Grandin

by Annette Wood

  “These males are displaying to me as I walk through the barn,” she says. “They are obviously comfortable. Someone has been walking through all the time.” She explains that good management does this.

  The turkeys move in small groups on a conveyor to ride in a truck. The conveyor has been a big improvement for the turkey industry. The birds are heavy. People get tired. Equipment doesn’t.

  The truck has fiberglass panels in it, which are removed in summer for ventilation and put back in for cold winter temperatures. The birds always have access to water. The truck is weighed with all the birds on it, then weighed again after all the birds are off.

  Unloading is done in near darkness. Comfortable and quiet holding conditions reduce stress.

  The birds are stunned unconscious in their cages before they are removed. They are bled and their heads taken off before they hit the scalder. Then most of the feathers are removed. Rubber fingers take off the pin feathers. In turkeys the innards are taken out by hand. A hose removes the feces.

  Through her writing and speaking, Temple brings attention to the welfare of animals to corporations and, more importantly, the public. During the last thirty-five years, Temple has visited over five hundred farms and slaughter plants in thirty-five countries. In 2015 she spoke at approximately thirty animal welfare and animal behavior conferences in the United States. In 2016 she is traveling to England, Australia, and New Zealand for conferences.

  “Temple landed at Colorado State University just as the stirrings of concern for animal welfare were beginning. They’ve been greatly accelerated by Temple,” Bernard Rollin said. “She’s brought a combination of thought and practicality, devotion to animals, and relationship to the industry unlike anybody else in the world.”

  PART IV

  AUTISM AND ANIMALS

  CHAPTER 17

  DO ANIMALS THINK?

  When I was a child, my great-aunt Myrtle, a petite woman with gray hair piled on her head, lived next door to us in a huge house in the country. On the occasions she hosted family dinners, my brother, my cousin, and I delighted in sliding down the long oak stairway railing in the middle of her home. Of course, we only did it when the adults weren’t watching.

  Aunt Myrtle lived alone because Uncle Bill had died of a heart attack only eighteen months after their marriage. Her first husband had also passed away shortly after they wed.

  Living by herself terrified my great-aunt. Our family frequently took her home from church activities at night. Daddy walked her up to the door. Then Aunt Myrtle looked under every piece of furniture in the house while we waited in the car for what seemed like hours. At last she came out and waved us on.

  Fortunately, she had a dog for protection and, more importantly, companionship. Her dogs were always black Scotties and always called “Babs.” She insisted they could think and feel. Researchers have decided she was right.

  Today many researchers admit that evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of those who contend that animals can think. Now the question is, “How and what do they think?”

  Animals do not necessarily have language. Some scientists speculate that animals may think in images. Animals have sensory-based communication. They don’t think with words as we do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t think. “Animals notice small sensory details that people often fail to notice. Since animals do not have verbal language, they are much more aware of tiny visual details in their environment people often fail to notice,” Temple says.1

  “Many or even most autistic people experience the world a lot [in] the way animals experience the world: as a swirling mass of tiny details,” she says. “We’re seeing, hearing, and feeling all the things no one else can.”2

  Some researchers believe human communication and animal communication are on the same spectrum. These researchers believe “animal language might turn out to be simpler than human language, the way a two-year-old’s language is simpler than an adult’s, but it’s still language. The difference is quantitative, not qualitative,” Temple notes.3

  Some scientists don’t want to admit that animals can have emotions. Temple disagrees. “The fact animals have emotions is well-documented,” she says. “Their nervous systems are about the same as ours. They have the same chemicals in the brain.”4 Temple points out, “That’s why your vet can prescribe the same antianxiety drug for your dog as he does for you.” Not all vets know or at least admit this, but many do. “Animals and people have different brains, so they experience the world in different ways, but animals and people have an awful lot in common,” she concludes.5

  In graduate school at the University of Illinois, Temple dissected a human brain and a pig’s brain and was shocked. “When I compared the lower-level structure like the amygdala to the same structures in the human brain, I couldn’t see any difference at all. The pig brain and the human brain looked exactly alike.”6

  She had to look at the neocortex to see a difference. “The human neocortex is visibly bigger and more folded-up than the animal’s, and anyone can see it. You don’t need a microscope,” she said.7

  My husband Dave and I have lived with our cats, Chester and Dexter, long enough to see lots of evidence that they think and feel. Our certified vet-tech daughter, Lisa, gave them to me one year for Mother’s Day. She thought we needed to fill our empty nest. When they arrived at our house, they were about nine weeks old.

  Chester and Dexter are short-haired with white, gray, and black fur and heart-shaped faces like their mother. They both purr loudly and persistently. As kittens they sported extraordinarily long tails. “That means they’re going to be big boys,” Lisa told me. She was right.

  I’d asked for two. I’d read in Animals Make Us Human by Temple that two cats keep each other company and two kittens from the same litter are best. Dexter is the dominant cat. I named him after my maternal grandfather. He came out of the carrier first and he always eats first. “Usually the dominant cat is the biggest and the oldest and almost always male,” according to Temple. That definitely describes Dexter.

  Dave named Chester, the sweeter one, after his dad. He follows Dave around and sits in Dave’s lap. Chester runs to greet Dave when he comes home.

  Chester and Dexter enjoy each other enormously. They wrestle, play, and stalk each other. They’ll often curl up in the same chair to sleep. Frequently, one licks the other and his brother returns the favor.

  Our cats sit on a chair by a spacious window so they can look out into several lawns behind us. They have a stand in front of the fireplace downstairs so they can sit on it, watch the fire, and be warm. Usually just one of them sits on it, but occasionally they sit side by side, with their long, raccoon-like tails hanging down.

  Many times we are captivated by their antics. Dave often says, “Why do we need a television?” It takes little to entertain them. A string, a bag, or a box will do just fine. Chester finds his tail intriguing and will chase it round and round. Chester is fascinated by the cursor on the television and tries to attack it with his paw.

  The garage enchants Dexter and he spends many happy times exploring it. Dexter dotes on kitty treats. He quickly found them when I hid them in a drawer in the kitchen. I felt foolish when hiding them in a drawer in the bedroom, but I was almost certain he wouldn’t find them there. I was wrong. Dexter acts like he can tell time and frequently comes and sits in front of me when it’s time to eat.

  The “boys” sniff anything new brought into the house or even anything moved just a little. We understand the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat.”

  We are also convinced pets need human friendship. Dexter and Chester are usually in the same room with us, or nearby. Chester especially seems to need to be close to us. They enjoy each other’s company, but apparently they crave ours, too.

  Temple said, “People constantly underestimate domestic animals’ need for companionship. Most experts believe that the reason these animals became domesticated was that they were highly social. All domestic animals need co
mpanionship.”8

  Obviously, we are very connected to the boys. They’ve given us companionship, entertainment, and affection. They’re young now, but eventually one of them will pass on. Inevitably, we will grieve.

  There are support groups for people who’ve lost pets. When the time comes that we lose one of our boys, we’ll probably join one.

  I remember how I felt when Lisa and I took Smokey, our first cat, to the vet for the last time. He was gasping for air, but he seemed to be saying, “Thank you for a good life.” Lisa and I both had tears rolling down our faces when we left him. Magic, our second cat, mourned Smokey’s loss also. Magic never recovered and died shortly afterward.

  Pets feel sad when their owners die, too. Reader’s Digest gives an example: “In Montagnana, Italy, after Ilzzelli Renzo died, his cat placed items on his grave for months. Renzo had adopted the cat from a shelter when he was three months old and the two became inseparable. After Renzo passed away, the kitty followed the coffin to the cemetery. Now the cat guards the grave.”

  Sadness is not the only emotion that animals show. Another emotion animals demonstrate is compassion. Just like people, some animals are undoubtedly more empathetic than others, but a few have remarkable empathy.

  Charlie, a blind horse, and Jack, a goat, met at Wild Heart Ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma, owned by Annette Tucker. When Charlie lost his sight, Annette put him in a pen so he wouldn’t wander off and get lost. Then she telephoned the veterinarian to put him down. The vet was busy and took a few days to arrive. Jack started leading Charlie around.

  Annette called the vet and said, “We have a seeing-eye goat.” Jack led Charlie for sixteen years, even though Jack was a lazy goat and Charlie was an active horse. “Some animals have self-appointed jobs,” said Annette.

  Relationships make us healthier. Friendships help us survive. Tighter social bonds lower stress levels. Many people find deep friendship with animals.

  Most pet owners say companionship, love, company, and affection are the main benefits to owning a pet. If you live with animals, you know that the animals have many of the same attributes.

  Great-Aunt Myrtle was not alone.

  CHAPTER 18

  RABBITS AND AUTISM

  Seven-year-old Chris, who has autism, entered the room hesitantly. He appeared lost in his own world. Joyce Gedraitis, who has a bunny club, happened to be at the respite care center that night when his mother dropped him off. The rabbit fascinated Chris. He watched it quietly. Joyce read a book about bunnies to the group. Slowly, Chris reached out and touched the rabbit. He read the story about the bunny aloud to the group. As he interacted with the bunny, his attitude changed. When his mom came to pick up Chris, she was amazed at the change in him.

  There is nothing quite like a loving, trusting creature up against you. A rabbit seems to know when somebody needs him. Just the simple pleasure of having a bunny sit quietly in your lap is intensely soothing. A bunny’s unconditional acceptance makes the child—whether special needs or neurotypical—feel included and loved.

  A rabbit is safe and nonthreatening. Children who are afraid of dogs or horses often benefit from connecting with a rabbit. Interaction with a rabbit teaches empathy for living things, which children with autism lack. They can learn how to read body language. Animals do not mask feelings the way humans do, making it easy to read them. They give the child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) the opportunity to look outside himself and at the surrounding environment.

  Studies have shown that interaction with animals sparks social interaction and laughter. Studies have also shown that interaction with rabbits breaks down barriers. Children with ASD are more relaxed and willing to talk during or after animal visits.

  Therapy animals are a relatively new idea, and this is especially true with rabbits. Some kinds of rabbits are well-suited for therapy. “American Sable, Angora, and mini-Rex are docile and love human attention. Female Dutch rabbits are excellent mothers and this nurturing can extend to humans. American Chinchilla and Flemish Giant help people open up and interact with the world around them,” says Diana David in Rabbit Examiner.

  There are two types of placement for therapy rabbits. The first is when a team brings a rabbit to a facility such as a school, nursing home, or community group for hands-on learning and interaction. TenderLovingEars.webs.com also places a rabbit with an individual or family on a permanent basis.

  Rabbits have a long lifespan, more than ten years, and many specific requirements. If your family wants a rabbit, research rabbit care through books and websites. Rabbits need a bunny-savvy veterinarian. For behavioral and health reasons, they should be spayed or neutered.

  Our daughter Michelle loved the touch of soft things, especially fur. After I bought her a pink fur coat when she was in first grade, she slept with it for a week. We weren’t surprised when she asked for a pet bunny. We bought Midnight, a black and white rabbit from Michelle’s friend who was raising show rabbits for 4-H. We got a cage, rabbit pellets, and a water bottle, but had little understanding of the rabbit’s needs.

  “Pet rabbits need to be let out regularly to hop about, explore, and feel the ground under their feet, just as a wild rabbit does when it comes out of its burrow to forage for food. And they need company, because it is natural for rabbits to live in groups. A rabbit kept on its own will be lonely unless it gets a lot of human companionship,” writes Helen Piers in Taking Care of Your Rabbit.1

  “A pet rabbit’s food is brought to it, but it will get bored and even bad-tempered unless it is let out of its hutch often to run about and explore,” she continues.2 Midnight got grumpy because we did not let him out often enough. We also didn’t give him enough companionship, human or rabbit. According to experts, two sister rabbits from the same litter are best.

  Other pet rabbit care information:

  1. A rabbit’s front teeth grow up to one-half inch a month. “Find a small tree branch for your rabbit to gnaw on. Gnawing keeps the teeth healthy. A branch from an untreated fruit tree is best,” says Mark Evans in A Practical Guide to Caring for Your Rabbit.3

  2. “Rabbits eat their own droppings so that they pass through their body a second time. This is to make sure they get all the good they can from their food,” writes Judith Heneghanin Love Your Rabbit (Your Perfect Pet).4

  3. A bunny can easily be litter box trained. Place the rabbit in a litter box, such as one used for cats, every few minutes. It won’t be long before the rabbit learns to go to the box on its own. Don’t expect a cat and a rabbit to share the same litter box. Give each a litter box of its own. Clay, straw, wood chips, and garden dirt can all be used for litter. Experiment to see which your rabbit prefers.

  4. Your rabbit should always have fresh hay and water available. Give him rabbit pellets twice a day. Spread out one-eighth to one-quarter cup for each five pounds of body weight.

  5. Variety is important. Feed your bunny fresh green vegetables such as collard greens, arugula, and endive. Note: pesticides shouldn’t be on dandelion greens or anything given to a rabbit to eat.

  6. Rabbits enjoy treats. Treats should be given occasionally and in moderation. Fresh carrots are a treat and so are apples, but no apple seeds.

  7. Rabbits don’t overeat. If food that will spoil is left over, just throw it away and give less next time.

  8. Rabbits need a warm, clean shelter either indoors or outdoors for sleeping and hiding. A rabbit’s cage should be thoroughly scrubbed every two weeks.

  9. Short-haired rabbits need to be brushed twice a week. Long-haired rabbits shed more hair and need to be brushed daily.

  10. “A rabbit should spend most of the day outside its cage. When your rabbit is in its cage, give it some toys to play with. Playing with toys will keep it from getting bored,” write Kelley MacAulay and Bobbie Kalman in Rabbits.5

  11. Change the toys often. Put empty cardboard toilet paper rolls and empty cardboard paper towel rolls in the cage to chew on. Sometimes add a treat in the middle of the e
mpty roll. Give your pet something new to investigate every week: logs to hop on, cardboard boxes to hide in, or balls to nudge.

  In the wild, rabbits are hunted by predators. Don’t be surprised when a domestic bunny is afraid. Let your rabbit get used to your smell before picking it up. “Practice picking up your rabbit while kneeling on the ground until you are confident. Then if you drop him, he won’t get hurt,” says one rabbit expert.

  “It is important to handle your rabbit for a short time every day if possible. Talk to him and call him by name. He will get to know his name and the sound of your voice.”6 Don’t overtire your rabbit by handling it too long.

  Joyce Gedraitis, who has owned rabbits for more than twenty years, started a bunny club called TNT in Wichita, Kansas. TNT stands for Training, Nurturing, Therapy. She hoped to inspire rabbit owners to train their pets as therapy animals. She also wanted bunny owners to have a chance to share with each other the joys and trials of owning a rabbit.

  Meetings were a time for bunnies to get together and enjoy the company of other furry friends. She planned events like a Birthday Bash, where members taught guests about bunnies. There were bunnies for petting and an art project for children.

  Joyce got her first rabbit when her daughter was fifteen. Now her husband, John, and daughter, Joan, and Joyce all have rabbits they have shared with other people in the community. Joan took her rabbit, Elizabeth, to a variety of groups in Kansas City. One of the places she visited was for visually impaired students. The soft fur of the rabbit, its long delicate ears, and its twitchy nose were all a rich palette of learning for visually impaired children.