School reportedly allows teen girl to identify as a cat in class: 'No one seems to have a protocol for students identifying as animals'

Australian education has gone to the dogs, errr, cats.

An unidentified private school in Melbourne, Australia, has supposedly permitted a teen girl to identify as a cat. Several outlets report that the school will permit the girl to "act like a feline," though what this phrase means is unclear. In addition to allowing her to "act like a feline," the school will also allow the unnamed girl to avoid at least one behavior which is distinctly human: talking. The school will reportedly allow the girl to remain "nonverbal" while in class, so long as her behavior does not disturb others.

The school has not confirmed that one of its students has elected to identify as a cat. However, it did issue a statement, claiming that students there have manifested "a range of issues, from mental health, anxiety or identity issues."

"Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student," the school added.

The school likewise described the young lady in question as "phenomenally bright."

An unnamed person said to be close to the girl's family stated, "No one seems to have a protocol for students identifying as animals, but the approach has been that if it doesn't disrupt the school, everyone is being supportive."

The girl seems to be just one of a handful of Australian teenage girls who have recently publicly identified as a feline. The Mirror reports that four other female teens 18 hours away in Brisbane, Australia, have allegedly taken to walking on all fours and cutting holes in their clothing to accommodate a tail, though whether the girls identify as cats or foxes is unclear.

A parent at the school allegedly told reporters that one of the girls had even screamed at another for "sitting on her tail."

Many of the outlets reporting on these stories have wondered whether these relatively isolated cases are part of a larger so-called "furry" subculture in which people adopt a "fursona" and perform the traits often associated with a particular animal. The most popular animals adopted by these "furries" include dogs, cats, foxes, lions, tigers, and wolves. However, there is no indication that the "phenomenally bright" young lady in Melbourne or the four four-legged walkers in Brisbane have associated themselves with furry subculture.