The artist is a very remarkable 5-year-old British boy who has been diagnosed with autism. Thula, a beautiful Main Coon cat, is her muse for her artwork. To say these two are inseparable would be an understatement.

She is a true artist, and her works are nothing short of masterpieces. In terms of tone and sequencing, her art is abstract, vibrant, and well-balanced. This demonstrates that nothing, including Autism, can or should prohibit a young person from aspiring and dreaming.

This young lady’s ambition of becoming an artist has come true, and the possibilities for her talent are limitless.

Individual art purchasers from all across the world have purchased Iris’ wonderful paintings. The revenues from her paintings are used to pay for therapy and art supplies, as well as to raise autism awareness.

One of Iris’ daily struggles with autism was anxiety. She felt awkward in social situations. As a result, her mother thought that having a caring animal companion would be therapeutic and relaxing for her.

Arabella, Iris’ mother, said she was warned not to have a therapy animal, but after doing some autism research, she discovered a plethora of information on the therapeutic effects that animals may have on autistic children. «We took Iris to equestrian therapy, but she didn’t seem particularly interested in horses at the time,» Arabella recalled, «so I considered getting a therapy dog.»

Thula, Maine Coon, was purchased by Iris’ parents two years ago. Since then, she has begun to speak, which the doctors predicted would never happen.

«Thula has lessened Iris’ everyday anxiety and kept her peaceful,» Arabella continued, «but it has also had the unintended consequence of pushing her to be more social.» «She’s been by Iris’ side since the day she arrived, sleeping in her arms the first night.» Thula’s frequent presence and kind demeanor have a big influence on Iris.» Thula will sit next to Iris every day and mimic her movements.

The link between Iris and Thula is based on companionship rather than the traditional child activity of picking up, stroking, or chasing cats. Thula has never been trained as a therapy or service animal.

However, because she was adopted at such a young age, she has become acclimated to many things that most cats would find repulsive. Thula, for example, uses a harness for the bulk of her activities, such as car and boat trips, as well as bike rides.

“When Iris was reading her books,” Arabella explains, “she would softly stroke Thula’s ears and long whiskers, or hold her tail at the tip, nonchalantly twiddling with the fur as if it were her own.”

Thula continues to have a strong influence on Iris’s work today. Because her paintings are critically appreciated, she sells them for several thousand dollars each.

In her book «Iris Grace,» her mother relates the incredible story of Iris’s talent and special bond with Thula. Here’s a link to further details: Iris Grace is a made-up character. Please forward this to your friends!