The little cat, now named Freya, was hanging out in the parking lot of a school when she spotted a woman, Susannah Nevison, a doctoral student at the University of Utah, walking toward her car.

“When I got to my car, I opened the door and climbed in,” Nevison told The Dodo. “While I was putting my purse in the passenger seat, the little cat jumped right up in my lap!”

Nevison was shocked and allergic, but even though she couldn’t take the cat home, she felt she had to do something to rescue the animal. She ultimately crawled up on my shoulder while purring and nuzzling on my lap, according to Nevison.

While tapping into her network of friends and acquaintances to see who could give this sweetest cat the home she deserves, Nevison took Freya to Salt Lake County Animal Services (SLCAS) to get her help for her left eye, which seemed to be bothering her.

At SLCAS, the staff gave Freya an exam. The 1-year-old cat didn’t have a microchip and had likely been fending for herself on the streets. Amazingly enough, that rough kind of life didn’t diminish how affectionate she was.

After having her left eye surgically removed because it was bothering her and posed a major infection risk, Freya is now a little lighter. She is still looking for a home despite the fact that a lot of people read and shared her story when The Dodo published it on November 1.