Meet Iris Grace, a 7-year-old autistic child whose stunning artwork briefly shook the Internet. She attracted a lot of interest because to both her paintings and the tale of her rise to fame.
Iris, a little girl with a unique ailment, need a companion, at least in her early years. Though she had almost given up looking, one day her parents bought home an amiable kitten, and the two quickly became close. Thula, a Maine Coon who was approximately a year old at the time, was the little animal companion.
Maine Coon cats are known for their intelligence and gentle nature, and Thula differs in no way. She has been a great help for Iris: “Thula has lowered daily anxieties in life and keeps Iris calm,” said Iris’ mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson, “but equally has the effect of encouraging her to be more social. She will talk more to Thula, saying little phrases like ‘sit cat.’”
“What ever activity we are doing Thula is there and wants to help and be involved.”
She encourages Iris to engage in social interaction and offers her friendship to Iris.
“Iris has been through a stage over the last year of hating baths and having her hair washed. Thula has been getting in the bath tub with Iris and even letting me shampoo her as well to help Iris.”
Iris finds it simpler to get through her days because of Thula.
Thula keeps Iris accompanied in art sessions.
“We took Iris to Equine therapy but she didn’t seem very interested in horses at that time. Then I began to think about a therapy dog.”
Iris and the dog didn’t get along because she didn’t like having her licked and didn’t like the dog’s excessive energy.
Then Iris’s mother tried cat therapy, but the first attempt failed. Iris and the cat didn’t get along.
When she was about to give up, luck came to her door. Her brother’s girlfriend needed a place for her cat over Christmas holidays, and Iris connected immediately with the beautiful Siberian cat.
“It was then I realized that I just hadn’t found the right animal yet. So, it took us a long time and a lot of trial and error trying out different options but we got there in the end.”
Thula wasn’t a trained service or therapy cat, but I did some things, like train her to wear a harness when she was a kitten and ride in the vehicle and on the bike. It’s also possible that Maine Coon cats are just naturally healing. She does the rest on her own.
Wherever Iris goes, Thula is sure to follow. Let’s wish the two a good life together.
