A tiny motherless kitten was found under a wood pallet. When they petted her for the first time, the kitten showed her rescuers just how much she wanted to live.

Meet Leia!

The tiny calico kitten was terrified when Steff J, an experienced animal rescuer, found her under a wood pallet in a house being remodeled with a lot of construction material around.

"I don't know how long she was in there for. It could have been days," Steff said.

They put some canned food nearby to coax her out, but the kitten never had the confidence to fully come out. Once they tried to approach her, she hid even more in the wood pallet.

"She was definitely not used to human contact."

When the kitten got to the corner, Steff was able to finally reach her and grab her.

"She was terrified and filthy."

But as soon as they petted her, things began to change...

Before settling her in and feeding her, they decided to give her a very needed bath.

"She was truly infested with fleas. They were definitely making a meal out of her. She tinted the bath water very quickly… I can't believe she was like that for who knows how long," Steff said.

Little Leia was skin and bones, malnourished and extremely dehydrated. Steff let the water run down her body which helped rehydrate her skin.

"I wasn't even sure if I was able to save her. But after her bath, this very special moment happened… I was offering her some food to see if she would take it..."

Little Leia reached out her paw and grabbed the spoon. "That is the moment where I knew this baby wanted to live."

"She's a fighter. She's going to fight to stay here with us."

"She's so tiny but so strong. She had that will inside of her to live, and she did. She pulled through."

From that moment on, Leia just went uphill.

After the kitten was rehydrated and fed, Steff made it her number one priority to get her flea free.

She diluted flea treatment for the kitten before applying it on her. Later that night, she gave her a sweater to wear so the kitten wouldn't lick the flea treatment.

A couple days later, Leia discovered her new found energy and curiosity.

She began to eat and drink water like a champ!

"She is a lot better and has a lot more energy. Her playful side has really shown up. She plays all day long (with her new feline sibling and dogs)."

Leia and Steff really bonded.

"I have a very special connection with her."

Leia reminds Steff of a stray cat she rescued and grew very close to. The cat, Chloe, passed away last year.

"This little cutie that looks just like her and acts just like her, comes along and just comes into my life. I can't give her away."

Now Leia has a loving home right there with her rescuer, her forever human.

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