Meet the adorable cat who helps put children at ease during their trip to the optician – by wearing her own pair of glasses.
Five-year-old Truffles was rescued from a church car park when she was just a few months old by optician Danielle Crull, 51, in November 2017.
Danielle noticed how quickly Truffles picked up tricks and was stunned when the cat sat patiently whilst donning a pair of child-sized glasses whilst they played dress up.
Now Truffles has dozens of pairs of glamorous specs that she models during appointments to help kids feel more confident in their glasses.
Danielle – who runs her own practice called A Child’s Eyes in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, US – specialise in eye care for children, including those who have undergone surgery.
The friendly feline will even wear an eye patch to help kids with more complex conditions feel more comfortable during check-ups.
Danielle, from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA: “Truffles is such a little superstar.
“I’ve never known such a calm and patient cat.
“It can take me a long time to build a child’s trust to get them trying on glasses.
“But in struts Truffles in her glasses and the children immediately feel at ease around her.”
Danielle spotted the cute stray outside of a church camping area where her family band were performing.
Truffles came home and quickly became a part of the family – and is loved by Danielle’s husband, Eric, 58, an optician, and their children, daughter Jax, 30, two sons Max, 28 and Carson, 25.
The couple own a family-run opticians and decided to take the kitten into work with them.
Danielle said: “She was a little ball of fluff.
“I noticed Truffles was very trainable early on – she would high five me and jump through my arms.
“I thought: ‘Would she wear glasses?’
“I couldn’t believe it when she sat their patiently and tried them on.”
Danielle’s practice specialises in eyewear for infants, and she found a lot of children were extremely nervous during their appointments.
But when she started bringing out Truffles in her trendy specs, she proved to be a big hit with the kids.
“Some of the children are very apprehensive, especially because they’ve undergone surgery,’ Danielle said.
“But Truffles has been an amazing help and the children love her.
“They feel so much more confident and comfortable trying on glasses with her there.
“She really likes wearing them and will keep on a pair of glasses for hours.”
Truffles now has dozens of cute specs that Danielle has fashioned out of glasses intended for infants.
The doting owner hand decorates each pair and even has matching sets with her feline friend.
Danielle said: “We have a leopard print pair, spotty, stripy and sparkly glasses.
“She’ll even wear and eye patch which amazing – she’s very dedicated to the cause.
“Truffles is such a spunky little cat – we love having her here each day.
“She really brings a smile to the children’s faces, and I love having her as my little colleague.”
