Truffles the Kitty Encourages Kids to Wear Their Glasses
One smart and sassy cat helps children feel good about wearing eyeglasses. Truffles, an adorable black and white Maine Coon is a star employee at an optician’s office in Pennsylvania. She models glasses, offers children encouragement, and boosts their confidence. Truffles is also a media star, offering “Pawsativity” to children around the world!
When Danielle Crull adopted a stray kitten back in 2016, she had no idea that she found a treasure, according to Today. After taking the kitty home, she soon realized that Truffles was not only cute, she was highly intelligent. Crull taught her the command sit, as well as tricks including doing a high-five and a fist pump. An optician specializing in children, Crull wondered whether Truffles could also be taught to wear eyeglasses.
Truffles’ human mommy waited until her kitten was six months old, then found the tiniest preemie glasses around, according to Daily Mail. The glasses were pink, had no lenses in them, and were readily welcomed by this cool cat. There were, of course, treats of encouragement involved in the learning process!
Truffles was so happy wearing the glasses, she would sometimes run over and ask to have them put on. Crull started to bring Truffles to work at her optical store and soon, Truffles was modeling 20 pairs of glasses, as well as an eyepatch, becoming a star employee at A Child’s Eyes in Mechanicsburg.
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Sunglasses are Truffles’ favorites. She can sit for hours at the office wearing her shades while watching the birds outside the window. On breaks, she even takes cat naps with her glasses on, however she is happiest when children come in for their appointments.
“She’s a very sociable cat and likes to visit people in the shop, when I would start asking ‘do you want to show them your glasses?’ she would sit ready to have them put on. People love seeing her with them on,” Crull told the Daily Mail.
When Truffles shows off her glasses, the children want to wear glasses too. Even children who are anxious will calm down when they see Truffles parading around in glasses.
Crull told Today about a three-year-old girl who came in crying. She was prescribed glasses but was afraid since her parents did not have them. However, as soon as she saw Truffles strutting around in cool pink shades, the little girl excitedly started to try on many pairs.
Please forget all the bad things in the world for 20 seconds and look at this cat wearing glasses. pic.twitter.com/CRldukcHhz
— Ꮍᴀᴇʟ (@elle91) September 25, 2019
“It’s just like magic,” Crull told Today. “As soon as the kids see her, they’re like, ‘OK, glasses are amazing.’” Crull says Truffles is voted Employee of the Month every month!
Truffles’ healing magic is especially helpful to those diagnosed with amblyopia, a condition which affects two percent of children, according to Truffles the Kitty site. Children with amblyopia must wear an eyepatch for up to six hours a day. Many find this distressing and embarrassing, yet when they see Truffles proudly wearing her own pink eyepatch, the children grin from ear to ear.
Called a “champion of vision” on Truffles’ personal Facebook page, this feisty furball has gained quite a following. Truffles now has a website, an Instagram account, and her own YouTube channel.
This cool cat is loved by everyone who comes into the shop and by those who see Truffles bird watching from the window. Making children and adults smile around the world, as swell as building the self-esteem of many kids, Truffles is truly the cat’s meow.
