All cats are special, but there are some cats out there with jobs to do that are happy to do them. And Truffles, a rescued tuxedo cat, is one of those cats. Truffles spends her days helping her cat mom at her office, and she has created quite a stir on social media not only for how beautiful and photogenic she is, but for the way she helps children to feel better about wearing glasses or patches. Truffles is a cat that wears glasses to support the little ones who come into her office, and from her photos, you can tell she doesn’t mind one bit. In fact, her human tells me that Truffles is really the one who calls the shots anyways!
How did you meet Truffles?
I met Truffles at a church camp that my family band was playing for. It’s an outside camping/building area where churches bring families for week-long trips. They often get many strays at the camp and of course, many of them also have kitties. Truffles was the last kitten from a recent litter still there hoping to find a home. While we were playing I met her strolling around outside. She was about 3 months old at the time. An adorable ball of fluff that growled when you held her. Lol, I had to bring her home! I decided to call her Truffles because her fur had brown on the tips of it. Her kitty mommy was a calico and Truffles, while she looks like a traditional black and white tuxedo, has a hint of brown on her still in certain lights. So she reminded me of a Truffles candy with the cocoa dusted on top.
What is her personality like?
Truffles is very independent, she’s very sweet and very polite about what she likes and doesn’t like…but she definitely has a strong will and knows what she wants. She does not like to be held too much or even pet too much. A few pets are ok, but more than that she will politely take her paw and hold your hand down. She follows me EVERYWHERE! Always wondering what WE are going to do.
How do the kids respond when they meet her at your office?
The kids love her! Truffles will put glasses on to help them feel at ease trying glasses on. She also greets them with a hearty wave and will do tricks with them. The kids LOVE paw bumps and high-fives. Families really enjoy how interactive she is. It’s clear that Truffles is the real owner of the office. Kids will laugh, smile, and giggle at Truffles. They often ask for her input when choosing glasses! Truffles will point to the glasses she likes best, or the case she likes best when kids shave a hard time choosing.
How did you discover that she didn’t mind wearing eyeglasses?
Truffles was so smart and so motivated that I decided to train her. She learned very quickly and I just wondered if she would also wear glasses for me. So I went through the process of fitting her glasses just like I would for any young child and turns out she didn’t mind wearing them at all. Honestly, I believe she really likes wearing them too. I figured that out when she starting running away from me when I tried to take them off of her. She can remove them anytime she wants, but sometimes she just likes having them on.
Tuxedo cats are typically known for their cattitude, how would you rate Truffles’ cattitude?
Truffles definitely has catitude! Because she is so communicative she does not hesitate to tell me what she wants and to let me know that she is expecting something or even that she may disapprove of what I am doing. She’s been known to tap me, sit right in front of me, sit on my computer keyboard, point to the bucket of treats, and show me where the laser pointer is…basically she wonders what I would do without her. Obviously, I’d be helpless on my own.
What’s something special you’d like for people to know about Truffles?
I’d like people to know that Truffles is really invested in everything that goes on. And when she makes a video or sends out care packages…she is literally right there in the middle of it all (she thinks she is supervising) Also, when I was teaching her the pictures on the eye chart to help her teach kids, I learned she does not like the word “no.” She’s just like most kids that way, lol. When she got it wrong, I’d say “no” and she would sit back and look at me with the face of “well then I’m not playing anymore” I had to find a way to positively reinforce her correct choices and I never use that word with her.
I want to give a special “thank you” to Truffles’ cat mom, Danielle, for allowing me to share her heartwarming story and images with all of the Cattitude Daily readers. For more on this precious kitty who is making a difference in kids’ lives, be sure to check out her website and social media accounts below.
All Images Courtesy of Truffles The Kitty on Facebook
