So far, I've pretty much guessed that Nekota was her only childhood friend etc., and after...

So far, I've pretty much guessed that Nekota was her only childhood friend etc., and after she moved, she only thought of the cat as her friend, and eventually associated her only friend (younger Nekota) with cats, so when she saw Nekota now, her mind made her see him as a cat! Now, the moment she realizes that she no longer sees him as a friend, but a love interest, she will stop seeing him as cat! (This is my attempt to logic this hilarious story XD)