Video shows autistic girl's remarkable bond with her cat who helped her overcome her fear of water

A heartwarming video has revealed the remarkable bond between an autistic girl and her cat.

Six-year-old Iris Grace Halmshaw bathes, plays and sleeps with her cat Thula.

The Maine Coon has helped Iris come out of her shell and overcome her fear of water.

Iris, from Leicestershire, was diagnosed with severe autism in 2011, at just two-years-old.

Her parents decided to get Thula after hearing of the benefits of how interaction with animals can help autistic children.

Since the family got Thula in 2014, the pair have become inseparable. They take baths together, play together, and sleep together.

Iris also began to speak after Thula's arrival, giving her instructions like "more cat" or "sit cat".

Iris is an internationally acclaimed child artist and has been producing art since the age of three.

Iris's astonishing tale is told by her mother Arabella in her book, Iris Grace, released last month.

In the book, Arabella writes: "Thula was at Iris’s side from the moment she saw her and slept in her arms during her first night like a guardian angel.

"When Iris was looking at her books, she would delicately feel Thula’s ears and her long whiskers, or hold her tail at the tip, casually twiddling with the fur as if it were her own."