Earned Respect
Lawrence exhaled in exasperation as his children bombarded Shasta with a mix of questions and mostly compliments. Them leading off with, "Pretty Kitty Lady!" nearly made his heart stop. He was going to say something, but Shasta laughed at their innocent enthusiasm instead. They weren't the first little ones to call her that.
Shasta found children far easier to deal with than adults. They rarely had filters, but were always honest. Very few children had gile at a young age. That was more of an adult trait. And even when kids did lie, it was generally pretty easy to tell when; at least with young ones.
Relating to children was always easier for her. Once they got over the initial hurrah of her being an overgrown cat, kids treated Shasta like a person. Most adults treated her with respect, but only because she'd earned it. If she wasn't a Pillar, Shasta would be treated the same as Alfred and the other Fae classified as beast men.