Burcu Emel, an animal rescuer from Turkey, is dedicated to caring for local animals in the garden of her apartment.

"In the garden of our apartment, there is food and water containers for cats. For that reason, the garden is a popular place for local cats," Burcu said.

Leo is one of those cats. He first started coming around the garden in 2016, but he was very timid.

"He was looking at the open buffet in our garden from the neighboring building's wire," said Burcu.

Eventually, poor Leo got so hungry he couldn't resist going to get the food. The other cats in the garden were very encouraging and welcoming to their new friend, and from that day forward Leo started to open up.

"When I came out from the door in the morning, he greeted me with a smile. He was an extremely soft-tempered male. He did not fight, he did not swat," Burcu said.

Along with other volunteers at the apartment, Burcu works to get all the cats spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and treated for any illnesses before releasing them back out. Leo, however, decided he wanted something a little more permanent.

Leo figured out that Burcu keeps cat food in her car, so he would find ways to slip in there and take a nap. Leo made himself a little home in Burcu's car with the hope that she would eventually let him stay.

It was clear to Burcu that Leo was not happy on the streets and needed a place to stay forever. She found a young woman named YaÄŸmur who was thrilled to take little Leo in.

Now, Leo and YaÄŸmur are as happy as ever and Leo no longer has to worry about where and when his next meal will come from. Plus, he's got better places to sleep than inside a car, now!

What a difference a little love can make!