This Little Boy With Autism Has a Support Kitten Named Toilet Paper
This is the sweet story of a boy and his kitten.
Oscar is a 5-year-old with autism. His mother, Ambra King, writes eloquently about her journey raising him on a Facebook page and blog called “Letters From a Spectrum Mom.” Several of her posts have also been featured on The Mighty.
Recently, the Letters From a Spectrum Mom page added a new face to its frequent posts — a little furry face.
Oscar has a kitten named Toilet Paper.
On July 22, King called animal control about a cat that had been hit by a car and killed on a street near her home. As it turned out, she was a mother cat and animal control located some kittens not far from the body. One of those kittens was a scrawny, white “sickly looking” female kitten estimated to be about 5 weeks old, King told The Mighty.
Oscar chose her, and after she had been given a flea bath and dried off, he said she had beautiful white fur and named her Toilet Paper. The pair have been inseparable ever since.
When it came time to leave Toilet Paper’s side to go to therapy, Oscar was distraught. Now, King is working to get the kitten licensed as Oscar’s emotional support animal so he doesn’t have to leave her behind when he goes places.
An emotional support animal is a pet (typically a cat or a dog) that is part of the treatment program for a person with an emotional or psychological disability, according to the National Service Animal Registry. They are often prescribed by a doctor, a psychiatrist or some other mental health professional.
Oscar and Toilet Paper have sweet conversations, which Oscar’s mom sometimes posts, like this one that she overheard from outside Oscar and Toilet Paper’s blanket fort.
“‘And see? That’s my butt,’” Spectrum Mom transcribed. “‘It do not have a tail. That is your butt. It do have a tail. That is how you are a cat and I am a boy. God made you like that, sweet little tail-butt kitty cat.’”
“The calming effect on my son, who is a bolter and responds negatively to strangers speaking to him, has been amazing,” King told The Mighty. “When they ask about his kitten he lights up and speaks, which is a rare treat.”
Toilet Paper has quickly become a bit of a star — she already has her own Facebook fan page.
Check out more photos of Toilet Paper and Oscar below:
Check out the Letters From a Spectrum Mom Facebook page to keep up with Boy and Toilet Paper.
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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