Maine Coon Calms Talented Autistic Girl

Thula is a one-year-old tabby Maine Coon who is an inseparable companion to Iris Grace, a cute four-year-old autistic girl who has not spoken and who lives in Leicestershire, England (in the middle of England). She likes to paint nature and she does it extremely well too, so much so she can sell her paintings for a sizeable sum of money (£295 plus P&P for the largest prints).

Iris loves nature. The beauty of this story is not only in Iris’s impressionistic paintings, à la Monet, but in the relationship between her and her cat. Thula reduces Iris’s anxieties and calms her.

http://youtu.be/Gl6yR8_Uvxc

Iris’s mum, Arabella Carter-Johnson, believes that Thula is helping Iris to become more social. Iris has great powers of concentration when painting. She loves nature and her cat.

Thula even takes a dip in the bath to encourage Iris to do likewise. Iris doesn’t like baths!

Here are some thumbnail pictures which take you to fully formatted versions if you click on them:

: Autistic girl Iris and her cat Thula

: Autistic girl Iris and her cat Thula sleeping together – inseparable

: Autistic girl Iris and her cat Thula painting together

The proceeds of sale of Iris’s paintings help in paying for therapy. This link takes you to her website.

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Comments

Maine Coon Calms Talented Autistic Girl — 12 Comments

Dan in Tempe on October 8, 2014 at 4:18 pm said:
Wow! I do not have personal experience with a lot of other breeds (as their human companion), but I did have a Maine Coon. They are perfect companion animals to a girl like this. I bet the Maine Coon could even look out for her. I bet they have their own way of communicating with each other. What a beautiful thing.
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- Michael Broad on October 8, 2014 at 7:13 pm said:
  Yes, Dan, I can imagine them communicating instinctively without words. I love that sort of thing.
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  - Dan in Tempe on October 8, 2014 at 10:54 pm said:
    I’m willing to wager that if their relationship was carefully studied over several decades (maybe even just a few years) we could learn so much about the way humans and cats could communicate with one another. I loved her painting “Raining Cats” (see the link above 9th from the bottom). I swear I see cat eyes in there. She feels-sees I think (does that make sense?). From the way she paints I can’t help but thing she will do amazing things as she matures.
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    - Michael Broad on October 9, 2014 at 8:05 am said:
      feels-sees
      Yes, it makes sense. I think she is very intuitive/instinctive which probably makes her an excellent cat communicator. She has no idea she is a great communicator with cats. When a person is very close to a cat there is no need for words. It is all understood clearly.
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      - kylee on October 9, 2014 at 9:03 am said:
        Exactly I agree. People with Autism usually have big Talents or Can be Classed as Genius, they have alot of talent in Art and other things of their Special Interest. One thing I know is that doing something that makes you happy and at peace gives total joy. Theres a Video on you tube of a boy who boy who was blind and autism but he could sing amazingly well. It was one thing he could do well. I know it wasn’t about Cats, but with Cats they give some of us that feeling and understanding to do lots of different things i.e Art. music, etc.
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Ruth aka Kattaddorra on October 7, 2014 at 10:54 am said:
What a lovely story. Iris seems to be an old soul locked in a child’s body and painting is how she expresses herself. Thula loves and understands her. No one seeing this can deny that cats have true empathy with people who connect with them spiritually as well as physically.
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- Michael Broad on October 7, 2014 at 12:18 pm said:
  Yes, Ruth, they do a lot for us. More than we think sometimes. Their companionship is special, different to human companionship. Whereas human companionship can bring pain and strife, cat companionship never does except when it is over.
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  - Ruth aka Kattaddorra on October 7, 2014 at 12:25 pm said:
    Yes it’s too painful when it’s over, we can only treasure every moment we have them with us so that we have no regrets that we could have made their lives happier.
    Charlie had a wonderful life with you and you must be missing him very much.
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Michele S. on October 6, 2014 at 9:31 pm said:
How heartwarming to read such a happy story for both child and cat. Pets can often reach out to autistic children in a way that humans never can.
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- Michael Broad on October 7, 2014 at 5:47 am said:
  There is a lot of hard evidence that informs us that animals help disadvantaged and sick children. Why? I am not sure I have seen a good explanation. It is probably because animals are truly a part of nature, unquestioning and accepting whereas people often cause the problems suffered by children. Nature is a great healer. We are often disconnected from it.
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  - kylee on October 7, 2014 at 10:30 am said:
    What it is Michael is when your disadvantaged as you say Animals reach where no human-can reach. I for one know the importance of Cats and Dogs. Their calming presence and total unconditional Love and peace really helps.Especially when everyone or everything else has failed us. My Ex has a Child who is Non- Verbal has full Classic Autism has been for 11 Years. His connection with his dog gives him a calming and less stressed. He feels good feelings and feels calmer.
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Leah on October 6, 2014 at 7:30 pm said:
How beautiful that this child so young adores nature and her cat if only more people would see the benefits that animals have for children (and I’m not talking about mauling them and treating them badly) if taught to respect them children can learn so much about animals and themselves and develop a beautiful, important lasting relationship
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