Final answer:
Charlotte's engagement in pretend play with her toy cat is a natural developmental milestone, reflecting cognitive growth and the development of theory-of-mind.
Step-by-step explanation:
Three-year-old Charlotte loves to pretend her toy cat is real. This behavior is an example of a natural developmental milestone, specifically within the realm of cognitive and psychosocial development. Around this age, children engage in pretend play and enact scenarios with invented characters, demonstrating their newfound ability to think symbolically and their burgeoning sense of self.
By the age of three, children like Charlotte have entered a stage where they begin to understand that people have thoughts, feelings, and beliefs different from their own, an understanding known as theory-of-mind (TOM). Pretend play is a reflection of this cognitive development. It shows that children can distinguish between the real and the pretend, a skill that helps in social interactions and self-concept development.