When Alex Thorne gets in from school, he meets up with his best pal, Mac.

The pair settle down on the sofa together and chill out after another busy day.

What’s different about this friendship is that Alex is a nine-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy and is registered blind – and Mac is a black and white rescue moggie.

The pair have formed an extraordinary bond and Alex’s feline friend has had a profound effect on his daily therapies. Alex, of Riddlesden, was born with spastic quadriplegia. He can’t stand or walk unaided and is dependent on others for dressing and feeding. Recently, Alex’s mum, Tracey, decided he was ready for a pet.

“Alex had progressed in confidence and physical ability and I thought he could cope with a pet, and see it as a friend,” says Tracey.

“I contacted Haworth Cat Rescue and explained the situation. I wanted a confident cat that wouldn’t be worried by Alex’s wheelchair, or the fact that he’s unco-ordinated and makes sudden movements. I also wanted a noisy cat, as Alex wouldn’t be able to see it so would need to hear it. Noisy cats put some people off, but a ‘chatty’ cat was exactly what we wanted.”

Tracey, her partner Julian, and Alex went to Haworth Cat Rescue to meet some suitable cats.

“The staff were kind, patient and full of advice,” says Tracey. “They’d picked a few cats to show us, but as soon as we reached Mac’s pen there was an instant attraction. She was pacing up and down and meowing nosily, she jumped on Alex’s knee and began purring while he stroked her. We fell in love with her immediately and knew she was the one – but really she chose us.”

Mac, aged nine, had been brought to the cat rescue centre suffering from stress. “Her owner had a new baby, leading to stress-induced behaviour in Mac that was making her pull out her fur,” says Tracey. “Her owner was heartbroken to give her up, and wrote four pages of notes about Mac’s likes and dislikes. I asked the cat rescue people to let her know Mac had gone to a good home.

“She settled in well and is now very much part of the family. Alex couldn’t be happier in her company; she’s had a wonderful effect on him.”

Tracey says Mac has a calming effect on Alex, who goes to Branshaw School in Keighley, and helps him with daily routines.

“As soon as he comes in from school, she jumps on his knee. He used to shout straight away, but now he listens out for Mac. He smiles when he hears her,” says Tracey.

“An aspect of Alex’s condition is hypertone, a result of too much muscle tone, which means he has muscle spasms and frequently reaches out. Mac is unfazed by this and has helped Alex relax. He listens out for her and his whole body relaxes when he’s with her.

“As soon as she sits on his lap, Alex stretches his arm out for her and gently strokes her. When she’s around, he vocalises his delight in a positive way.

“Mac even goes into Alex’s room to greet him in the morning and in the evening to say goodnight. She doesn’t seem fazed by his equipment and has learned his routine. She knows to disappear when he’s in his walking frame.”

Mac has become part of Alex’s daily therapy programme.

“Alex has physiotherapy designed to improve his tone and posture, and break up the hypertone, and Mac is helping with that,” says Tracey.

“He’s visibly relaxed when Mac is near him. When it’s time for tea he used to shout out, but now he knows that Mac meows and has her tea first, then it’s his turn. It’s established a routine. “Some parents of disabled children may think they can’t cope with a pet, but it can be beneficial, as we have found. When Mac is with Alex, helping him relax and making him smile, it’s respite for us.

“We’re so humbled by how they get on together and the therapeutic effect she has on Alex. We call her Super Mac.”

The ethos at Haworth Cat Rescue is ‘caring for cats, helping people’. The charity, which provides shelter and medical care for unwanted and abandoned cats and kittens, matches suitable cats to owners.

“We find as many details as we can about every cat’s history so we know about its temperament and behaviour, likes and dislikes and whether it gets on with children and dogs,” says centre manager Sara Atkinson.

“With strays, we observe behaviour and our volunteers identify various preferences as they build rapport.

“Mac’s owner was worried she wouldn’t find a new home because she was so noisy. But, knowing the needs of the Thorne household, this was an advantage. We introduced them, knowing that a sociable, talkative cat would be ideal for Alex.

“We’re delighted on all counts – it’s the purr-fect match!”

- For more about Haworth Cat Rescue, ring (01535) 647184 or visit haworthcatrescue.org.