Save the worms

Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans.

I relate to that kind of empathy towards animals rather than humans. I sometimes wonder if autists relate to animals so much because we are both mistreated and misunderstood by much of humanity.

One of the greatest examples of autistic hyper empathy towards animals is the work of Temple Grandin. She was able to recognise how farmed animals were suffering and achieve changes to make their treatment more humane.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/15/autistic-scholar-temple-grandin-the-education-system-is-screening-out-visual-thinkers

Autonomistic said:

I sometimes wonder if autists relate to animals so much because we are both mistreated and misunderstood by much of humanity.

It could be that but I also think it's the lack of a communal language.

We can communicate with them in other ways and I think that suits us as does the fact that they don't make verbal demands of us.

We can pick up on their needs.

Autonomistic said:

he was able to recognise how farmed animals were suffering and achieve changes to make their treatment more humane.

A superb organisation in this country that works to help farmed animals is Compassion in World Farming:

https://www.ciwf.org.uk/

It's one of the organisations I held the leaflets for when I used to collect for animal charities, but could never read.

Autonomistic said:

I sometimes wonder if autists relate to animals so much because we are both mistreated and misunderstood by much of humanity.

It could be that but I also think it's the lack of a communal language.

We can communicate with them in other ways and I think that suits us as does the fact that they don't make verbal demands of us.

We can pick up on their needs.

Autonomistic said:

he was able to recognise how farmed animals were suffering and achieve changes to make their treatment more humane.

A superb organisation in this country that works to help farmed animals is Compassion in World Farming:

https://www.ciwf.org.uk/

It's one of the organisations I held the leaflets for when I used to collect for animal charities, but could never read.

" As a youth i used to weep in Butchers shops." - Montague Withnail.

When I was a kid I used to always hold my breath when I walked past the butchers. I'm lifelong vegetarian and can't stand the smell or the thought that I'm breathing in... dead animal particles.

Shudder 

Autonomistic said:

Good luck with the cheese resolve

Thank you 

Pubs too to soak up any fluid that might end up on the floor.

Shardovan said:

Ah yes, I remember the sawdust floor well. They also had that in one especially rough night club in Belfast.

I did used to go out to nightclubs as a young person + there was a famous club in Southsea called Joanna's.

It was a sailors haunt in the days when many a ship would be docked there.

Your feet stuck to the floor - sawdust would have been useful.

I've never been able to tolerate going anywhere near the inside of a butchers due to the smell 

Good luck with the cheese resolve.

Ah yes, I remember the sawdust floor well. They also had that in one especially rough night club in Belfast. Thankfully I was only in it once. On one of my extremely rare nights out even as a younger person. 

Autonomistic said:

I never liked the taste or texture of meat and as soon as I was old enough to understand what I was eating I stopped

Similar to you, my mum always moaned about how little food types I would eat as a child.

I wouldn't eat meat.

She would take me into butchers which in those days weren't as cosmetically 'attractive' as nowadays.

Horror shows actually with sawdust on the floor to soak up blood.

The smell was horrific.

I used to stand outside in the end, when I was old enough.

I remember our market had rabbits hanging down and one day I walked into one.

Ugh.

Autonomistic said:

However cheese is a different matter. I've tried so many vegan alternatives but none of them come close to real cheese. Every time I've experimented with going completely vegan it's been cheese that has been my downfall.

Cheese is my downfall too but I just removed it from my food delivery tomorrow.

How long my cheese resolve will last is unknown.

As long as you're aware what you're eating that's all that matters. You can make an informed decision. I'm in no position to preach as I still eat dairy cheese 

I've been vegetarian for most of my life. I never liked the taste or texture of meat and as soon as I was old enough to understand what I was eating I stopped. I happily gave up dairy milk too, even though the only alternative back then was soya milk which wasn't great. Now thankfully there are loads of great alternatives to dairy for milk, cream and yoghurt.

However cheese is a different matter. I've tried so many vegan alternatives but none of them come close to real cheese. Every time I've experimented with going completely vegan it's been cheese that has been my downfall. Progress is being made though and vegan alternatives are improving all the time.

Autonomistic said:

recently watched the film 'Cow' about the life of a dairy cow. It was so upsetting and should be compulsory viewing for everyone who consumes dairy products. To understand what suffering a typical dairy cow has to endure in order to produce that milk.

I remember this from the leaflets.  This was probably about a decade ago I did the volunteering.

I think actually it was reading the one about dairy farming in this country that resolved me to read no more.

However, what I did learn is that most of Europe, if not all, is far worse than we are.

What this thread has achieved for me is resolving to become veganish.

I have been vegetarianish most of my life, and just eat minced beef from free range cows, when it's beneficial to anyone cooking for me + guests (so rarely) and just to please them and the occasional sinful fish.

I'm now going to cut out as much dairy as is feasible.

I can't go 'the whole hog'  anyway as I'd have to look at every ingredient and be very careful about everything I buy.

I don't think I could be that extreme.

Dairy: milk and milk products, eggs etc etc is a good start though 

Yes those reasons apply too. I am much happier stopping to say hello to a sheep than another human. The sheep don't make verbal demands of me 

It is good that such charities exist but the problem is huge. I recently watched the film 'Cow' about the life of a dairy cow. It was so upsetting and should be compulsory viewing for everyone who consumes dairy products. To understand what suffering a typical dairy cow has to endure in order to produce that milk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkCXJfdJE5A