Six-year-old girl Iris was born with autism (自闭症). She doesn't like to talk or be with others and she often feels nervous. When Iris was three years old, her mother gave her some art lessons. There she found Iris had great talent for painting. From then on, Iris often spends her day painting.
However, Iris still felt lonely. Iris' parents learned that animals were good for children with autism, so they introduced some animals to Iris. Before Thula, they introduced horses, dogs and other cats to Iris, but that didn't help. Until the cat Thula arrived, they got along very well in just a few weeks. Iris often draws about the cat's eyes and nose in her paintings.
Iris' mother said, "When Iris is painting, she tells Thula to sit if she jumps up onto the table. Thula stays there watching Iris with great interest."
Iris and Thula are always together, eating, sleeping, playing…Iris' mother found that it was easier to make Iris speak with others when Thula was around. "Thanks to Thula, Iris found a way to show her feelings and communicate with the world. She is happier than ever before."
