McGee, a Siamese Cat with ADHD; Implications for Barkley

• ADHD, Nintendo, and Evolutionary Psychology (1) by Jim Brody, 2/26/97
  
  

He's about 6 years old, originally part of a litter of seven Siamese kittens. In comparison with littermates and with other cats I have known, he shows an unusual degree of the following traits. He has done so since birth in the closet behind my office sofa.

Difficulty Waiting: As a kitten, was in front when the seven climbed up the back of the washer; had to be in front at the food dish, still has trouble waiting for me to put out his food or to scratch him

Is easily distracted, especially by noises. Cocks his head and leaps immediately from my lap to investigate small sounds from the kitchen . The other cats cock their ears but don't leap.

Is more active than his six litter mates were and more than my other three cats now. McGee is always into something. I say "McGee" more by a factor of 10 than any other word I know. He pulls paper out of the trash, bats small objects around, and steals small shiny things from my desktop. He races at track speed several times per day, far more often and faster than the other cats.

Pushes other cats aside who are already on my lap or at the food dish

Ignores the word "no" to a greater extent than the other cats. Needs manual prompts to get off my desk or off the kitchen table. The others do not.

Climbs to excess ... often climbed up the rear of my washer when a small kitten. Now, often bounds from my mattress, to the canopy rail, to the top of the headboard, onto the beams crossing the bedroom ceiling. No one else, human or feline, has ever done that. He once leaped from the top of the fridge to the molding just below the kitchen beams. He had to hang there & call for help because there were no toe holds.

Clumsy ... regularly breaks all kinds of objects because he doesn't seem to look before leaping

Like his owner, seems to have an exaggerated startle response. McGee is the only one to leave, through jeans, claw tracks on my legs whenever there is a sudden crash and he achieves escape velocity before clearing my lap.

Meows far more than his mother or sisters. Whines at me for food, scratches, or just out of apparent boredom.

Bangs doors and rattles objects as he races about.

Seems to need more physical contact than the other cats; acts less mature

Appears to have superior manipulation skills. He opens doors (his mother hasn't figured that one out). He will sit in front of the bathroom cabinet, lean back on his haunches, put one forepaw to either side of the cabinet knob, and pull sharply backward. He can then get under the sink to inspect the cleansers and soaps.

He showed early signs of oppositional behavior which diminished when he was neutered. His self esteem, however, still seems pretty good. His tail is always straight up in the air and he will try anything. He ignores "no" rather than getting angry or slinking away. His self esteem seems a bit low when I pet another cat; he generally nudges his way onto the remaining four square inches on my lap. He is large; the other cat leaves.

Oh yes, the implications for Barkley-Bronowski & the orbital theories of ADHD. Do cats have frontal, orbital areas? I hope so, otherwise Russ could be in a little trouble. My other cats do appear to wait, to remember where I hid things, and have no problem with word retrieval. Their emotionality seems highly responsive to habituation (except McGee who still fights hardest and cries the loudest during a flea bath). I guess the possible theoretical resolution could involve:

Cats have other inhibitory systems

We, too, have other inhibitory systems

We are nothing like cats.

• Probing Parallels by John Fentress, 3/8/98
  • Reading McGee's Mind by James Brody, 3/18/98