Tulip had to overcome many obstacles in her short life, but the 10-month-old kitten greeted each new day with a grin.

She was found on the streets of Ontario, Canada, at the age of two weeks, and was rescued by a local animal rights activist. Tulip had an eye infection but smiled brightly for the camera as her lifeguard took a photo for the website. She had no idea that this photograph would aid her in finding a permanent family…

Jen and Chris had been looking for a friend for their cat, Pinecon, for months when baby Tulip’s grin appeared on their computer screens. Jen says, “Her grin in the tiny ad immediately attracted us in.”

The couple applied for adoption right away and were accepted. They couldn’t believe Tulip was still smiling even at the shelter when they went to see her. They had an instant connection with her. “We fell in love with her beauty and demeanor the instant we met her in person,” Jen said.

When they brought Tulip home, she continued to show off her wonderful smile.

“At first we thought the ad was just using a lucky random shot, but when we got her home and started taking a bunch of pictures of her, we realized it was a constant thing,” Jen adds. “Her smile is always there and never gets bored.”

Despite his health issues, the tuxedo kitten grins and assures the adoptive parents that everything will be great.

“The realist in me loves to assume that her perpetual smile is due to her face’s distinctive tint,” Jen explains. “At the same time, another part of my thinking thinks she’s constantly smiling because she recognizes how far she’s gone since she was 10 months old.”

Tulip now likes playing give and take, dragging toys around the house, hanging out in the aquarium, and trying the patience of her big brother Pinecon, with whom she refuses to separate.

“No matter how tough the situation is, it acts as a continual reminder that things are changing for the better,” Jen adds. “It’s difficult to picture our lives without her grin now.” She filled our hearts and our house with so much joy.”

“She is very tulip-like,” the child continues. “She’s always blossoming, no matter what, and I think she realizes it.”