He's been featured on CNN, appeared in the local papers and attracted more feedback than any other subject when his profile ran in Woman's World Magazine.

In a community with many noteworthy achievers, La Jolla has only one resident who can boast of his latest honor.

At a November New York City luncheon at the Hotel Pierre, La Jolla's own Henry JM (Just Me) was named the 2010 Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The three-legged cat received the award because of his healing work with disabled children, wounded veterans, Hurricane Katrina survivors and Haitian earthquake amputees.

Travel sickness prevents Henry from flying, but to accept his award Henry sent his "cat scribe," Mom Cathy Conheim, who over six years has worn out her paws answering over 45,000 emails in his voice. Before Henry took over her life, Conheim spent 35 years as "a sensible outcome-oriented psychotherapist," helping people process their family traumas, issues and anxieties.

The arrival of the courageous gray tabby kitten, his left front leg dangling dangerously from his shoulder and necessitating an emergency amputation, upended her life and moved her professional career in an unexpected direction. No one would have imagined the transformative effect he would have on so many lives.

Both committed dog people, Conheim and Dr. Donna Brooks, Henry's "Dr. Mom" and a retired OB/GYN, thought they disliked, even hated, cats until Henry wandered into their Julian weekend home. The La Jolla residents began to comprehend the power of Henry's story once they received an overwhelming response to Conheim's initial e-mail sent to 20 of their friends detailing the indomitable kitten's tale of survival and triumph. That e-mail boomeranged around the world and resulted in Henry's first book, Henry's World.

Henry, they realized, is a "therapet" and has many lessons to teach humans about healing trauma through storytelling as well as about transforming bias into tolerance and pain, grief and anger into healing and recovery.

"He's here to teach us how to deal with our misfortunes. All of us have problems, but Henry says you can't be defined by them. You're defined by your response to your problems. You play the paw that's dealt you, this cat says," Conheim says.

Conheim herself marvels at Henry's ability to transcend traditional therapeutic techniques to reach people who might not otherwise accept help. By overcoming adversity, Henry inspires others to share their challenges and problems.

"Henry's a cute kitty but even more an incredible teaching vehicle in the same way that animals relate on a heart level. What's fascinating to me as a therapist is what I can accomplish through Henry that I can't do in my office, because he has the voice of a child and the innocence of an animal," she explains.

"In this divisive world Henry belongs to everyone: he is neither black, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, white, Democrat, Republican, gay, straight, or the million other categories that separate humans," Conheim said in her acceptance speech at the ASPCA luncheon.

By modeling courage, resilience and survival, Henry has earned a reputation as a healer and is credited with saving and transforming many lives, as well as raising over $100,000 for needy animals and their humans through sales of 45,000 books.

Among the lives he's impacted is a 5-year-old girl born with a deformed hand, whose twin brother was born perfect. Thanks to Henry's example, "she learned to see herself as special rather than weird," Conheim says.

Henry also inspired courage in a Maryland child facing life-altering surgery.

"If you want to know why your life was saved, his name is Jorge. He held onto your book as he was rolled into surgery to amputate his leg for cancer. He wants to have a heart of a lion, just like you," Jorge's caretaker wrote to Henry.

Yet Henry, now 6, remains a modest fellow who enjoys normal feline pursuits including watching birds through the screen of his kitty condo, chasing and leaping after bugs and sunbeams invading his home. He also loves having his belly rubbed and ears scratched.

Both children and adults connect with Henry's story. Conheim saw the potential for a children's book teaching about "tolerance, survival, courage, perseverance and triumph over barriers and bias."

The national nonprofit First Book chose What's the Matter with Henry? to distribute to children in the Gulf Coast area displaced by Hurricane Katrina and to children of military families dealing with deployment-related emotional and physical trauma. This year it was translated into Creole for use with Haitian earthquake victims and amputees.

"Henry wants to help teach children how to express their emotions because he's learned from his moms that dangerous things can happen from unexpressed emotions—physical distress, depression, anger, violence, road rage. Henry legitimizes the conversation to open the door of how to deal with disappointments, tragedies, challenges, whatever life throws you," Conheim explains.

A companion children's book, What About Me? I'm Here Too!, the story of Henry's canine sister, Dolly, addresses the emotional issues experienced by healthy siblings of chronically ill children who often feel invisible and ignored and are more likely to develop behavioral problems.

"The Just Me Project (named for Henry's "JM" moniker) is about building resilience and creating a positive vocabulary about capability instead of disability. We know that reframing our perceptions is the first step towards building resilience," says Heather Wood Ion, the project's managing director.

Henry's evolving mission is two-fold, Conheim explains: to raise money for animals in need, while also teaching humans to turn obstacles into opportunities, bullies into buddies and to create an emotional vocabulary for health.

Each new foray produces more stories of lives transformed and lives saved.

And, Conheim marvels, it all started with a letter to 20 friends about a courageous little cat that wouldn't give up.

To learn more about Henry's early history and mission and to order books, dolls and cards, visit henrysworld.org.