The taxonomic tree of life is apparently too complicated for the average person, who simplifies it into: "actual animals" (basically just vertebrates), "slippery slope" (those weird sea creatures that look vaguely animal-ish), "mental illness" (anything with more than 4 legs or no obvious face), and "plant" (if it doesn't move and you can't tell which end is which).
Biologists spent centuries meticulously classifying millions of species, and the public's response is essentially "weird bug = crazy talk." Next time you meet a tardigrade enthusiast, maybe don't tell them their passion is a psychiatric condition.
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