Remember when we wrote about Iris Grace, the incredibly talented 5-year-old girl with autism who paints beautiful pictures? It turns out that she has a behind-the-scenes helper who\u2019s also worthy of praise \u201d\u201c that\u2019s Thula, her therapeutic cat.<\/p>\n
Thula, who is almost 1 year old, is a Maine Coon. This breed is known as the intelligent and gentle giant of the cat world and though she\u2019s still small and young, Thula does not disappoint. Her gentle and compassionate character is especially important for Iris, a young girl growing up with autism; \u201cThula has lowered [Iris\u2019] daily anxieties in life and keeps Iris calm,\u201d\u009d Iris\u2019 mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson, told Bored Panda, \u201cbut equally has the effect of encouraging her to be more social. She will talk more to Thula, saying little phrases like \u201d\u02dcsit cat.\u2019\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Carter-Johnson, had almost given up on the search for a therapeutic animal companion for her daughter. When Iris happened to connect with a Siberian cat that her family would up cat-sitting for Christmas, however, she realized that she \u201cjust hadn\u2019t found the right animal yet.\u201d\u009d For more info about Thula and Iris, read more of Carter-Johnson\u2019s interview with Bored Panda!<\/p>\n