Cat Sees Little Boy Having A Meltdown -- And Knows Exactly What To Do
"This cat has changed everything."BY STEPHEN MESSENGER
Everyone needs someone in their lives who truly understands them — a friend through thick and thin, a partner who'll be there when they're needed most.
Jayden Denton found such a friend in this sweet gray cat named Kitty.
Being a boy with special needs, Jayden is prone to feeling overwhelmed at times, leading him to have occasional sensory meltdowns. It can sometimes make it difficult for Jayden to relate with others.
"My son has sensory processing disorder, and other issues," Tonya Denton, Jayden's mom, told The Dodo. "When he gets overloaded, or doesn't understand, he has outbursts of crying and is inconsolable."
That is, until his family rescued Kitty.
Most of the time, Kitty appears to be very much a typical sort of cat — playful and curious, and no stranger to bouts of rambunctious rebellion. But Jayden's mom soon discovered a whole new side to Kitty.
Turns out, the cat was exactly what Jayden needed when times for him are toughest. Rather than be scared away when Jayden's emotions spike, Kitty is quite the opposite.
"We started seeing Kitty always running over to him during breakdowns," Tonya said. "During his breakdowns, Kitty licks his head until he gets Jayden to calm down. This has been the only way to calm Jayden."
Recently, Jayden's mom caught this incredibly touching behavior on video:
https://www.facebook.com/tonya.denton.96/videos/2150631001639564/?t=82
Jayden's family had tried everything to help put him at ease in moments like those. But nothing ever worked quite like Kitty.
"This cat has changed everything," Tonya said. "To see their bond, as his mother, is not just amazing, but special to see such a crazy cat come to him in his times of need."
It's like it was meant to be.
The cat's presence in Jayden's life isn't only helpful during those most stressful times. Simply having Kitty around seems to help anchor him in a world that might otherwise feel isolating.
"Kitty makes my son happy, and it’s like they understand each other," Tonya said. "It’s just a happy feeling knowing my son has a best friend."
https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-comforts-boy-during-sensory-meltdown
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The video really is remarkable.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Cats can be so calming. So can dogs (depends on the dog). But both make me happy.
I also have high sensory processing sensitivity but never knew it or that it is a known normal genetic variation until way up into my 60s. Others call it Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and to some degree is probably more common that red hair.
It's good that Jayden and his family is aware of this condition at his young age which can make living in this modern era tough at times. Although we don't know much about Jayden, I hate to see them use the term "disorder" unless his condition is extreme. Even when we're ignorant of it, we simply go through life training ourselves to deal with it and to appear to not be odd.
I'm also glad he has a great companion to help him make it through the rough days!.........
otherwise he's a rebellious teenage cat who doesn't listen to his mom.
