The cat has a genetic disease, no one has come into contact with it, and finally the joy is dreamily smiling at it.

Kittens born with generic conditions rarely live the life they deserve. They are either ignored or left to die outside, but there are still kind people in the world that make it their mission to help kittens in need. The poor kitty you can see in the pictures was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes fragile and painful skin. Named Appa, the kitten was discovered by Elise Hall, an Illinois vet that had previous experience with Porg, a kitten born with the same condition.

While Porg sadly passed away last year, Elise was determined to help Appa. She and her partner are on a mission to provide quality life for kittens born with EDS. They felt an immediate connection with Appa, and the kitten didn’t mind the attention. A 3-month old, Appa lost most of her long hair, with nothing but a few tufts on her back. Elise put a cute scarf on her neck to protect Appa from scratches.

She and her partner trimmed her nails and examined her skin day by day. The sweet kitten doesn’t know it’s suffering from EDS, so she just goes on living her life to the fullest. Appa is happy and cheerful and always purrs when Elise is around.

After a year spent with Elise, she blossomed into the cutest cat you’ll see. She’s just as cuddly as playful as she was when she was a kitten, and we hope she lives a happy and long life. Thanks to people like Elise, she’ll surely have it easy.