If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to have a goofy little pet whose behavior sometimes makes you wonder if they have been afflicted with ADHD just like you, you might be on to something there. A new wave of research suggests that our pets may also be neurodivergent.

Writing in The Conversation, Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science at Nottingham Trent University, argues that scientists have long known that dogs, cats, rats, mice, and even primates individually have their own distinct personalities. Some may be more naturally energetic, while others are naturally more lethargic. But diagnosing something as nuanced as neurodiversity in animals gets a little tricky since it’s harder to tell why, exactly external stimuli are affecting an animal.

Boyd says genetic and behaviora

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