‘Mr Miffy helped calm Jess down’

Tracy Read, 40, is a volunteer for Cats Protection. She lives in Worthing, West Sussex, with Peter and her children, Katie, 21, Samuel, 17, Jess (above), 13, and Freya, 10.

‘Watching my daughter Jess stroke our cat, Mr Miffy, never fails to put a smile on my face. It’s thanks to our wonderful pet that our daughter is the person she is today.

Jess has been different to my other children since she was six months old. Whenever someone she didn’t know went near her, she’d scream and wriggle Louise Parker, 36, a housekeeper, lives with her partner, Steve, in Gillingham, Kent.

‘At 6am on a bitter January morning in 2014, I found a scrawny black and white cat outside my house as I left to go to work. As I bent down to stoke her, I could hear wheezing beneath the purring, and through her balding fur I could feel ribs jutting out. She was frail, but desperate for affection, and as I went about my day, I couldn’t get her out of my head.

By the time I came home that evening to find the same bony little cat waiting for me, she had already stolen my heart.

I phoned local vets and put her picture up around the neighbourhood in case she was missing, but nobody came forward. The following night, I put out food for her and then I let her into the house.

I named her Gemini, after my mum’s star sign and, as it turned out, she had been lucky to come into my life when she did. She had a ruptured diaphragm and a in my arms. As she grew older, she began to lash out at me, too – kicking and biting.

By 18 months, her temper was so bad that she threw a chair across the room, and by the time she was four, her outbursts were increasing. She once had a meltdown because our hall floor was brown – it hadn’t changed colour, she just couldn’t deal with it that morning. Another time she refused to leave the house until she’d sung a song 100 times.

To see my little girl so angry broke my heart. I was terrified Jess was going to do something to hurt herself or her siblings, and felt endlessly guilty about what her behaviour was doing to our family.

By the time Jess was diagnosed with autism, aged seven, I’d read enough to know what it meant. I felt like I’d tried everything, so when I saw an article about how pets could calm children with autism, I knew I had to give it a try.

In April 2010, we scanned newspaper ads and, staring out at us, was Mr Miffy – the owner’s last kitten. We decided to adopt this black and white bundle of fur. collapsed lung – injuries consistent with being kicked. The vet said the operation would cost £1,000, but he couldn’t guarantee she’d recover. I’d fallen in love with her, so I told him to go ahead. Thankfully, she survived surgery, and I took her home to nurse her back to health.

But Gemini wasn’t the only one who was poorly. While she was recovering, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, having suffered from depression and anxiety for years. With Gemini now in my life, however, I had a renewed sense of purpose. She needed me and, in helping her, I found a way to help myself.

The love seemed mutual. Shortly after her operation, I had a particularly bad day. I sat on my sofa at a loss to how I could pull myself out of my slump. But at that moment, Gemini rubbed her head on my arm and began miaowing. She then watched me until I stopped crying. It was what I needed, exactly when I needed it.

It’s now two and a half years since she first came into my life. I’ve also met a partner, Steve, and he’s moved

Jess and Freya couldn’t contain their excitement as I brought him out to the car. Back home, I told Jess to be quiet so that she wouldn’t scare him. And what happened next left me amazed. Jess sat next to the cat carrier in silence. When Mr Miffy poked his nose out to investigate, she sat in the same spot for an hour, just letting the cat get used to her, and talking to him gently. I’d never seen her be so patient before.

As the bond between the two of them grew, Jess became a different person. Her outbursts became less frequent and, on the occasions when she did lose control, seeing Mr Miffy staring up at her was enough to make the anger drain away. A wave of calm would wash over her, and she’d look back at him with love.

I can barely reconcile one version of my daughter with the other. Jess now has a better understanding of her autism, but it is Mr Miffy who has helped her to handle life in a whole new way. Our cat gave me back my daughter and, for that, I will always be grateful.’

‘I saved Gemini’s life, then she saved mine’

in, too. Luckily, Gemini also approves!

I’ll always suffer with bipolar disorder, but with the help of medication, there are more good days than bad. When I think of the way Gemini and I met, I can’t help but feel fate brought us together to heal each other. In my darkest moments, I know that she is there for me. I may have saved her life first, but it’s no exaggeration to say she has also saved mine.’ • To find out more information about Cats Protection, visit cats.org.uk