Five-year-old Iris Grace Halmshaw of Market Harborough, Leicestershire was diagnosed with autism in December 2011. Since that time, her parents, Arabella Carter-Johnson and Peter-Jon Halmshaw, have been navigating the process of helping their daughter flourish and live her life to the fullest. One of the more remarkable discoveries in this journey has been the blossoming friendship between Iris and her cat, Thula. Arabella tells The Dodo that she and her husband had been considering a therapy animal for Iris after reading several articles about animals having positive effects on children with autism. After an unsuccessful look at Equine Therapy (Iris had little interest in horses), the family thought about a therapy dog. However, Iris and the prospective therapy dog didn't really click, as Iris didn't enjoy being licked and found the dog's hyperactivity to be upsetting. The family even spoke to various cat rehoming centers and tried out a therapy cat instead, but Iris didn't have much interest in any of the cats.

Arabella says that "By this point I was getting sick of the idea, I couldn't carry on with trying out different animals, it wasn't fair on anyone and not helping Iris at all." During Christmas of 2013, however, everything changed. A family member's Siberian cat was in need of temporary boarding while her owners were abroad, and Arabella and Peter-Jon opened their home to the furry guest. Arabella noticed that Iris and the cat immediately connected with one another. "It was then I realized that I just hadn't found the right animal yet."The search for the right cat continued in January 2014, and the family found their feline match soon after: a Maine Coon kitten they named Thula. The kitten was just the right temperament and personality for sensitive Iris. When the two met, it was love at first sight. "Thula just settled right in and it was as if she was always here at home with us." Thula has since become Iris' close companion, serving as a wonderful partner for snuggling and naps.

The fluffy feline is also Iris' "faithful assistant" when it comes to painting, one of the five-year-old's favorite pastimes. Cats For Sale GatineauIris' parents initially encouraged her to paint as a way of assisting with her "speech therapy, joint attention and turn taking." How To Make Silicone Light Bulbs YoutubeHowever, Arabella and Peter-Jon soon discovered that Iris had an amazing natural ability for painting, as well as an "incredible" two-hour concentration span when she worked.House For Sale On Chilliwack Lake RoadSince Thula came into Iris' life, Arabella says that Iris' paintings have indeed altered a bit. "We do see cat faces, imagery of cats in her paintings now, it is subtle but noticeable." Below is one of many dreamy,

impressionistic pieces painted by Iris. When the two aren't painting, Thula and Iris enjoy spending time together playing on the family iPad ... ... relaxing during car rides ...... and even taking the occasional bubble bath! But Thula is more than just a playmate. The cat is a source of stability and comfort for Iris during some of her darker moods. An excerpt from Arabella's blog describes one touching instance where Iris, a bit gloomy about practicing her speech, found comfort in Thula's presence: It is clear that the relationship between Thula and Iris is based on mutual respect and empathy. Says Arabella, "Unlike most children of Iris's age, she doesn't maul, stroke or pick up the kitten constantly. Their relationship is based upon companionship. If Iris wakes during the night, Thula is there to settle her. It's as though she instinctively knows what to do." Though Thula and Iris have received considerable internet notoriety, Arabella is adamant that she doesn't want Iris' life to be affected by the newfound popularity.

"For Iris nothing has changed, we are working very hard to keep it that way," she says. "There have been so many requests from news networks, film and chat shows to come and report on Iris, her paintings, and now Thula ... but I know how much it would upset Iris, and she is making such progress at the moment with her speech, so we just want to keep things as they are."It's pretty clear that, regardless of what new skills Iris may acquire (she has recently taken interest in the violin), Thula will be there as a comforting presence, offering the silent understanding that Iris needs. Here's to the dynamic duo's future adventures — there will surely be many. You can read more about Iris' life on her website and Facebook page, and can view and purchase prints of her unique artwork here. See the latest photos of Thula and Iris on Instagram.MASSACHUSETTS MISSING PET NETWORK How to report a MISSING or FOUND PET MISPLACED PETS OF MASSACHUSETTS [Sorted by date last seen.]

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Laura DiSilverio (aka Ella Barrick) writes A Book Club Mystery series which started in April 2015 and is set in Colorado. It features Amy-Faye Johnson who owns an event planning business and is a member of her beloved book club, the Readaholics. Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Series This series started in 2012 and is set in Alabama. It features Lizzie Turner and her two cats, Edam and Brie. Lizzie is a Reading Specialist and is a member of the Five Mystery Book Club. Lizzie and her friends solve murders. This series takes place in San Francisco and started in 2009. It features Brooklyn Wainwright who is a San Francisco bookbinder specializing in rare book restoration. Black Cat Bookshop Mystery Series This series started in 2011 and is set in New York. It features Darla Pettistone who has just inherited her late aunt's bookstore, Pettistone's Fine Books. She has also inherited Hamlet her aunt's black cat. Book Collectors Mystery Series Victoria Abbott are mother and daughter authors Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini.

Mary Jane Maffini's latest Charlotte Adams book The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder won the 2012 RT Award for Best Amateur Sleuth. Together they write the Book Collectors Mystery series which starts in March... Book Group Mystery Series Maggie King writes the Book Group Mystery series which started in December 2014 and is set in Virginia. It features 'Murder on Tour' Book Group member Hazel Rose. She never dreamed that the murder mystery book group she and her friend Carlene started would stage a real murder. Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series Alex Erickson writes the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series which started in May 2015 and is set in Ohio. It features bookstore/cafe owners Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki. Together they solve murders. Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series This series started in 2010 and takes place in Mississippi. It features widow and kind librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine coon cat named Diesel. Charlie brings Diesel almost everywhere he goes in a halter with a leash.

Together they solve murders in their small Mississippi town. Chocolate Covered Mystery Series Kathy Aarons writes the Chocolate Covered Mystery series which started in September 2014 and is set in Maryland. It features best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell who own a combined bookstore and chocolate shop. Whether it’s to satisfy a craving for chocolate or pick up the hottest... Claire Malloy Mystery Series This series started in 1986 and is set in Arkansas. It features Claire Malloy who owns a small bookstore in a university town. Cozy Librarian Mystery Series This series started in November 2012 and takes place in Minnesota. It features Karen Nash, a librarian who in the first book in this series is off to London only to find that a dead body shows up at the B&B where she is staying. Custer's Mill Mystery Series Mary Fulk Larson is... * Mary M. Smith, Ed.D., who enjoyed a thirty-year career as a public school teacher, university professor, and curriculum developer, and now offers her services to community and church organizations;

* Tammy Fulk Cullers, M.A. Ed., who teaches middle school... Death on Demand Series Carolyn Hart writes the Death on Demand mystery series which started in 1987 and is set in South Carolina. It features Annie Laurance who sells books and solves murders with equal flair at her small town bookstore. Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Series Marilyn Levinson writes the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series which started in 2014 and is set in New York. It features Professor Lexie Driscoll has taken on the role of leader of the Golden Age of Mystery book club. In the first book, the first author that the group will discuss is Agatha... Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series This series takes place in Rhode Island and features Penelope Thornton-McClure and the ghost of Jack Sheppard. Penelope moves to Rhode Island with her son from New York after her husband commits suicide. Jack Sheppard helps Penelope solve murders. She co-owns the bookshop with her Aunt Sadie... Highland Bookshop Mystery Series

Molly MacRae writes the Highland Bookshop Mystery Series which starts in December 2016 and is set in Scotland. It features Janet Marsh who is one of four new owners of the Highland Bookshop in Scotland. India Hayes Mystery Series The India Hayes Mystery Series started in 2010 and is set in Ohio. It features India Hayes who is a starving artist and works as a college librarian. Her parents are liberal activists from the sixties and her sister is an emotional mathematician. To top it all off her zany landlady has kissed... League of Literary Ladies Mystery Series Kylie Logan (aka Casey Daniels, Miranda Bliss, Constance Laux) writes the League of Literary Ladies Mystery series which started in June 2013 and takes place in Ohio. It features B&B owner Bea Cartwright, hippy cat lover Chandra Morrisey, and winery owner Kate Wilder. They live on an... Lindsey, the main character moves to Briar Creek, CT after graduating. She becomes the director of the local library and solves murders in her small town.

Lighthouse Library Mystery Series Eva Gates writes the Lighthouse Library Mystery series which started in February 2015 and is set in North Carolina. It features ex-Harvard Librarian Lucy who moves to the Outer Banks after her engagement comes to an end. Lucy moves in with her aunt Ellen and is thrilled to get a librarian job... Little Library Mystery Series Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (aka Elizabeth Lee) writes the Little Library Mystery Series which starts in July 2016 and is set in Michigan. It features Jenny Weston who moves home to Bear Falls, Michigan to nurse her bruised ego back to health after a bitter divorce. But the idyllic vision of her... Magical Bookshop Mystery Series Amanda Flowers writes the Magical Bookshop Mystery Series which starts in April 2016. It features Violet Waverly who rushes back home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside. She is shocked to find that Grandma Daisy is the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the...

Magical Cats Mystery Series Sofie Kelly aka Darlene Ryan writes the Magical Cats Mystery Series which is set in Minnesota and started in 2011. It features librarian Kathleen Paulson who has moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota. Kathleen takes in two stray cats-- Owen a tabby and Hercules a tuxedo cat. Jess Lourey writes the Murder-by-Month mystery series which started in 2006 and is set in Minnesota. It features Mira James who has been taking it easy since college graduation--too easy. Due to a dead-end job and a cheating boyfriend, the Twin Cities have lost their charm, and Mira decides to... Portland Bookmobile Mystery Series B.B. Cantwell writes the Portland Bookmobile Mystery series which started in 2013 and is set in 1990s Portland, Oregon. It features female sleuth and librarian Hester Freelove McGarrigle, her fuzzy Maine Coon cat, and her neighbor, Detective Nate Darrow. You'll find a cast of quirky bookmobile... Laura writes the PTA Mystery Series which takes place in Wisconsin and started in 2010.

Her first book in this series was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The PTA Mystery Series features Beth Kennedy who is single with two young children. She owns a children's bookstore and... Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery Series Cousins and best friends, Clara and Stephanie Quinn run The Raven's Nest Bookstore, where people go to find their most coveted reads. But they have no idea it's the psychically-gifted Clara who's reading them... Set in Finn's Harbor, Maine, Stephanie Quinn Dowd owns The Raven's Nest Bookstore.... Read Em' and Eat Mystery Series Terrie Farley Moran writes the Read Em' and Eat Mystery series which started in August 2014 and is set in Fort Myers, Florida. It features Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget Mayfield—owners of the bookstore café, Read ’Em and Eat. But when they’re not dishing about books or serving up scones, Sassy... Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series Paige Shelton writes the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series which starts in March 2016 and is set in Scotland.