Hero helped me read When Fraser Met Billy. Complete with his plush Corgi (this is quite appropriate as Fraser and Billy grew up on the Queen's Balmoral estate). |
Companion animals are important to people in so many,
many ways. Take Billy Booth, a kitten who was rescued from a deceased estate
just in the nick of time (the house was to be boarded up but someone went in to
check). Thanks to Cats Protection in the UK, the grey-and-white moggy was
rehomed to the family of a three-year-old boy diagnosed with autism. Fraser,
born with a range of conditions, barely communicated with a soul, but he took
to Billy the moment he saw his photograph. And when the pair met in the flesh,
the connection was undeniable.
In When Fraser MetBilly, Fraser’s mum Louise Booth documented the incredible bond formed
between Billy and Fraser. And this is not a cutesy-lovey-dovey fairy-tale book
about how warm and friendly animals are. You can hear Louise talk about Fraser and Billy here.
In part, it’s a frank, honest and very brave discussion
about the impact of Fraser’s condition. Louise describes Fraser’s birth, her
experience of post-natal depression and learning to meet Fraser’s very
different needs by “trial and horror”.
“Now I was on my own with a baby that bellowed and vomited for twenty four-hours a day, seven days a week. Slowly but surely, my sense of isolation began to deepen.”
Fraser’s autism meant that he was hypersensitive to
noises, and prone to meltdowns at triggers that other children might not have
noticed. His hypotonia meant that he struggled with mobility and needed splints
to walk.
When we think of pets as therapy, we tend to think of dogs.
After all, cats tend to be more independent creatures, less sensitive to those
around them, limited in their ability to provide any physical form of aid and
keen to do their own thing. Certainly as a vet most of my experience of animals
in therapeutic roles relates to dogs – though I wonder having read When Fraser Met Billy whether some
people are self-conscious about sharing their own experiences with feline
friends.
Louise’s account of Billy brings into question all of the
above assumptions. At first she was a bit awkward raving about the impact of
Billy on Fraser’s world, but Cats Protection had no doubt this was not a
one-off. They alerted the Daily Mail,
resulting in this article (worth clicking this link for the photos alone).
While n undoubtedly equals one in this case, it’s impossible to doubt the positive impact Billy has
had on Fraser – despite one falling out between the pair when it appeared Billy
was favouring the kids next door. He sat through some of Fraser’s major
meltdowns. He was a calming presence during major life transitions. He allowed
himself (literally) to be leaned on by a toddler. Billy even encouraged Fraser
to walk up the stairs when no one else could convince him to.
The not-so-explicit storyline is the importance of Billy
to Fraser’s family – his parents Louise and Chris, and sister Pippa. One gets a
sense that the mere presence of Billy was a much-needed balm.
The photo on the cover of the book, by Daily Mail photographer Bruce Adams,
makes for one of my favourite book covers ever, and the story behind it is
beautiful. (Louise tells the story of the article, and the process of
organising the photographer, in the book. As with everything involving Fraser,
it wasn’t simply a matter of inviting a stranger over to take some happy snaps.
The idea had to be introduced slowly, repeated, and executed sensitively so as
not to trigger any sort of anxiety or meltdown).
This is a beautiful book for anyone with an interest in
animals, pets-as-therapy, kids, any parent that has ever had a toddler that has
had a meltdown, and anyone working with animals who seeks to better understand
the relationships we form with them.
You can see more photos of Billy and Fraser on their
facebook page.