This 2016 tale is simply too sweet to keep to myself. In Thailand, a tiny newborn kitten was seen wandering the streets by itself. A neighboring family was out and about enjoying the evening when they caught sight of the small man on the street.

They saw that this was no ordinary cat upon closer examination because it didn’t like any of the other kittens they had seen. The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), an animal group, was contacted by the family and promptly dispatched a representative to inspect the animal.

The group determined after a thorough investigation that this animal was a fishing cat, a unique kind of cat that is in danger of going extinct.

This “wild cat” adores sea life and has the potential to grow to double the size of a typical cat. The cat is extremely fond of hunting and eating fish, hence its name.

The fishing cat, or Prionailurus viverrinus, is a medium-sized wild cat found in South and Southeast Asia, according to Wikipedia. It has been included in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable since 2016. The loss of wetlands is a threat to fishing cat populations, which have drastically decreased in the past ten years. Fishing cats are primarily found near wetlands, in swamps, mangroves, oxbow lakes, and along rivers and streams.

The kitten had only been out of the womb for a few hours when the family found him, WFFT found. The organization’s experts were perplexed as to how a mother could have abandoned her newborn in such a way—unusual for the breed.

The unique cat quickly won over the family, who were given permission to keep it for a trial period. They chose to refer to him as Simba. The cat clearly felt a strong bond with the household.

The kitten’s mother was always on the family’s radar, since they imagined she would return at any moment to look for her young.

Regretfully, it never took place.

Instead, the family breastfed Simba, who went on to grow into a stunning fisher cat.
Fortunately, Simba is still alive and well as of right now, but it is crucial that he keeps growing.

Poaching and retaliation killing were the main reasons behind Thailand’s high 84% Fishing Cat mortality rate, according to the WFFT.
Therefore, Simba’s survival and rescue are not only miraculous, but also essential to the survival of his breed.

A video featuring more rescued kitties may be found here. These cats may not be fishermen, but they are still really adorable: