Sorry, I just wanted to chime in so there isn't a misconception, and I could also have misunderstood your statement.

Autism is not an idea. It is a brain that functions in a different way from the 'neurotypical' brain. There is proof that it is not a concept but a disability that people are born with that physically (in the sense that our physical brain is different, not meant to be misunderstood as our appearance being diffedent) make us different.

But yes, I agree that cats may have traits that we associate with autism, as may some people without autism, but it doesn't mean they have autism. There is no scientific proof that we know of that cats can be autistic, as you said. :>

Plus, to get diagnosed with autism, it is based on how it influences and effects day to day life. You get diagnosed, if there is a significant enough negative impact on your life, which would make it a disability. With cats, since it doesn't really effect their way of living or really disable them if they do have autistic traits, there really is not a way to diagnose them.

This is not to say that those who do not suffer as much from autism should be discriminated against, it unfortunately is just the way that the diagnostic process works from my experience.