Tara Triantafilo

Autism Light #435 is Tara Triantafilo.

Tara is a family cat who lives in Bakersfield, California. She is owned by the Roger and Erica Triantafilo family. In May of 2014 a dog attacked the family's then 4 year old son Jeremy, who has autism. Tara is an Autism Light because she saw the attack and fought off the dog, saving Jeremy from more serious physical harm.

In May of 2014 a Labrador-Chow mix named Scrappy who lived next door to Jeremy Triantafilo grabbed the boy's leg and started shaking the boy back and forth. Tara ran outside and used her feline body to literally push Scrappy off of Jeremy.  Video surveillance of the confrontation showed the determination of Tara to intervene when the dog was attacking her family.

Here is a news story on Tara the Cat being proclaimed a hero on the Today Show that aired May 15, 2014.

A clip of the encounter between Tara and Scrappy on YouTube went viral and was viewed more than 24 million times (Cat Tara gets Award for Saving 6-year-old Autistic Boy from being attacked by a Dog, Daily Mail, June 19, 2015).

Here is a video of a news story that an ABC News affiliate in Bakersfield, California did with Jeremy Triantafilo about his cat Tara.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: In 2015, Tara, a cat, received the annual "Hero Dog" award from The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles.

Since the attack Tara and Jeremy have developed a closes bond as one can imagine. Special thanks to Tara for helping save Jeremy from a vicious dog. Tara is representative of the many cats around the world who have been an extraordinary shining light for humans with autism. Tara will be the 4th Cat and the 20th Animal added today to the Autism Light Animal Page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Thula the Cat

Autism Light #358 is Thula the Cat.

Thula is a one year old Maine Coon Cat who lives in Market Horborough, England in the United Kingdom. Thula is a therapy cat to a 5 year old girl with autism named Iris Grace Halmshaw. The story of Iris Grace Halmshaw was originally featured at Autism Light in July of 2013 when she was named Autism Light #285.  Thula is an Autism Light for the way in which she helps serve as an autism therapy cat to Iris Grace. Thula helps young Iris Grace to overcome anxiety in social situations and cope with everyday routines such as getting her hair washed.

Puss in Boots :-) Thula to Iris - ''See Iris, if I can wear them, you can too'' pic.twitter.com/JKkNtJ1uYm
— Iris Grace Painting (@IrisPainting) July 26, 2014

Petango writes this about the Maine Coon Cat breed, which is the official cat of the State of Maine in the United States.

Unlike some other people-oriented cat breeds, Maine coon cats are not overly dependent on their human family. Instead of pestering you for attention, they will remain close by for companionship. Not usually “lap cats,” they prefer to sit beside you instead of on top of you. Maine coon cats make great buddies for kids and generally socialize well with other pets (Petango).

Arbella Carter-Johnson, Iris' mother, told Bored Panda, "Thula has lowered [Iris'] daily anxieties in life and keeps Iris calm, but equally has the effect of encouraging her to be more social. She will talk more to Thula, saying little phrases like 'sit cat (Bored Panda).'"

Online Resources: You can read more about the heartwarming friendship between Thula the cat and Iris Grace in these online articles.

• Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks did a feature about the special bond between Thula and Iris.
• Bored Panda.  There are many beautiful pictures of Thula and Iris Grace in this Bored Panda article on Thula the cat that you will enjoy.
• Buzz Feed. Buzz Feed explains in their article on Thula that she is more than a therapy cat but a best friend to Iris Grace. 

Special thanks to Thula for being an Autism Light and helping Iris Grace Halmshaw in her life with autism. Without a doubt some of the amazing things that Iris Grace Halmshaw is able to do with her painting would not be possible without the devotion of her therapy cat Thula on her side. If you want to read about other cats at Autism Light you can search for them with the label "Cat".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Billy Booth

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on June 18, 2014. 

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Autism Light #241 is Billy Booth. 

Billy is a cat who lives with the Booth family at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Billy was a stray and abandoned cat that was taken in by the charity Cat's Protection and then subsequently adopted by the Booth family. Billy is an Autism Light because of the life-changing impact he has made in the life of Fraser Booth, a 6 year old boy with autism who is part of his adopted family. This post on Billy Booth was updated in honor of the book When Fraser Met Billy being published in February, 2014. The book was written by Louise Booth, Fraser's mother, and you can purchase it on Amazon.com.

Here is a video about when Fraser met Billy the cat.


When Fraser was 4, his mother Louise said:

"If Fraser is around or playing in the garden, Billy is never far away. It is like he is watching Fraser and calming his behaviour. He always appears when Fraser is getting upset and offfers his head close to Fraser's to reassure him and recently, when Fraser was poorly, Billy sat on his lap all day. They say animals can sense things, but Billy seems to know before anybody else if Fraser is going to get upset (DailyMail.com, Liz Hull, June 15, 2012)." 

Mrs. Booth added, "Bill has made a complete difference to our family life, he's taken away the stress, he's added happiness and an air of calm, he's just been amazing (DailyMail.com, Liz Hull, June 15, 2012)."

Autism Light first wrote about Billy the Cat in 2012, and now in 2014 their relationship is changing but still important. Fraser's mother says:

Fraser’s relationship with Billy, meanwhile, continues to evolve as he grows less dependent on his furry friend. “It’s a different relationship because Fraser isn’t as intense a person as he was,” says Booth. “Now they really are best buddies. Before, Billy was very much like a minder, looking out for Fraser all the time (Scotsman.com, Ruth Walker, 2/8/2014).

Social Media: You can follow Billy and Fraser on the Facebook Page for their book called When Fraser Met Billy.

Special thanks to Billy Booth for being a hero to a boy with autism named Fraser. Billy Booth is a wonderful representative for cats at Autism Light. If you want to read about other cats at Autism Light you can search for them with the label "Cat".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

J. Manerling

Autism Light #63 is J. Manerling.

J. Manerling works in the field of neuroscience. He is a father of a son with autism. J. Manerling is an Autism Light because he utilized a cat named Clover to help his son with autism. He also wrote an article about his families experience with the cat.

Richard was non-verbal at age 4.  His father wondered if a pet might help him. After bypassing a dog, Richard picked a cat out at the animal shelter. His choice was clear because his first spoken word was when he said, "Cat." The family decided on the name Clover for the cat because it was easy for Richard to say (no small feat for a boy with autism). Clover helped Richard grow by being there to listen to him in a non-judgmental manner. Richard grew so much in his life he went on to attend college as an art major.

J. Manerling tells the story of the miracle that Clover brought to his son in an cats.about.com article. For more information read the full article written by J. Manerling at this link.  J. Manerling's story of Clover was also highlighted on the blog called Your Cat Care Guide and the blog called Hemmingways Cat Adventures.

J. Manerling writes this disclaimer about pet therapy at the end of his article.

Courtesy of Grant Thompson

I would caution that I don't know if pets improve the life of all children with autism. However, there is a great deal of anectdotal material out there, including books of people with autism whose lives have been enriched by domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, and horses. I have known a little boy with autism who is a very different person when he is with his dog. I have a strong suspicion that there is some correlation. 

Sadly, the Manerling family cat named Clover has passed on but the true story of her ability to brighten the life of a boy with autism lives on. The story of Clover as shared by J. Manerling is a positive part of the history of cat therapy for people with autism.  Cats.about.com also has more stories on the subject of cat therapy for autistic children. If you want to read about other cats at Autism Light you can search for them with the label "Cat".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

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Photos:  The picture on the top of this post was taken by Alan Stokes of his autistic son Jonathan and their cat Misty sitting together.  The photo of the 3 cats is courtesy of Grant Thompson.