An 8-year-old female kitten was found on the streets earlier this year in Perth, Western Australia. The calico was in need of a lot of help, she had lost a lot of weight and was in poor health.

She was incredibly shy, cowering in a litter box, avoiding eye contact and trying to make herself invisible to everyone. Volunteers reached out on social media, hoping to give the shy kitten a chance at a better life.

Stressed and very afraid, Simba wanted to disappear and would not leave the litter box.

Cat Haven WA (in Shenton Park, Western Australia) heard about her plight and immediately responded.

At first they thought she was a stray kitten, but she was microchipped. They tried to locate her family but were unable to reach them.

The kitten (who they named Simba) had the saddest eyes you can imagine in a small animal. She was confused and just wanted to hide, refusing to come out of her litter box.

She couldn’t cope with the shelter environment and stress, and continued to take refuge in the litter box. She had known the worst side of humanity and could not trust just anyone even though she needed to be helped and cared for.

Simba, the sad looking kitten, was ready for a second chance at life.

After a few days when no one came to the shelter to claim her, a foster volunteer from Cat Haven stepped in to help her.

They took her home so she could begin to calm down and try to gain some trust with people.

The kitten was moved to a home where she could feel comfortable to begin to bond with people.

Slowly but surely, the sad-eyed girl came out of her shell. She warmed up to her loving foster family when she realized she was in a safe home.

The once shy cat began to seek affection from people and other pets. She had regained hope and finally felt safe in the environment where she was surrounded by people willing to look out for her well-being.

There is no record of how long Simba wandered the streets, but she did not go feral at all and quickly found herself back in the comfort of a loving home.

That’s when they knew the kitten was ready to find a place of her own.

Around that time, Chelsea and her family came across Simba’s story and instantly fell in love. They saw through those sad eyes and knew exactly what the kitten needed.

After weeks of being cared for, the sweet kitty finally had her dream come true.

The kitten enjoys the warmth of the family she had longed for.

Chelsea is very happy to say that she has adopted Simba to give him a forever home. They hope that even though she looks sad, deep down in her heart she feels the happiness she has been missing so much.

It didn’t take long for Simba, who went by the name Molly, to start looking for his new family members to snuggle with. They won her heart with all the love they gave her from the very first moment.

The kitty likes to follow her humans around the house, rubbing her face against them. This kitten is very happy, a new opportunity is opening for her.

Now the kitten receives, every day, all the love from her new family.

Her destiny changed forever and now she has all the love and protection she needed so much. Behind the expression on her face, which still has a connotation of sadness, there is infinite joy.