After being rescued by an optician, this cat now helps kids get comfortable wearing glasses

Truffles is not your typical cat.

Danielle Crull rescued Truffles in 2016, and with the help of treats, she taught Truffles how to sit and give high fives. After seeing how quickly the cat picked up these tricks, an idea came to Crull.

An optician, Crull owns a glasses dispensary for children in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Most of her patients are between two and five years old, and many are scared or worried during their visits, as they are not used to eye exams or wearing glasses. Crull decided to teach Truffles how to wear glasses so she could bring her into the office and see if it made the kids feel more comfortable.

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Crull's idea has been a hit. Kids go from crying over trying on glasses to laughing hysterically when Truffles comes out wearing frames. "It's just like magic," Crull told Today. "As soon as the kids see her, they're like, 'Okay, glasses are amazing.'" Truffles — who has about 20 pairs of glasses (without lenses) and sunglasses (with lenses) — also wears eyepatches, to show solidarity with kids who need to use them to treat the eye condition amblyopia, and stars in videos on how to prepare for eye exams and care for eyewear.

"I think animals are healing in so many different ways," Crull told Today. "I can tell Truffles really feels like, 'This is what I do. This is me.'" Catherine Garcia