Earlier this month, Sandy, a resident from Arizona, spotted a neighborhood stray in her backyard. The cat who had been living outside, roaming the streets, decided to stop at this house to beg for food on that fateful day.

Sandy happily obliged and offered the sweet cat a full meal and fresh water. While she was feeding the cat, she noticed the bulge around her belly and thought the cat might be pregnant.

After cleaning up the plate, the friendly feline walked up to Sandy for pets, and followed her around the porch as if she wanted to stay. The cat needed a place for her kittens, and Sandy couldn’t leave her out to fend for herself and the babies.

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She brought the friendly tabby inside to a spare bedroom, so her kittens would never have to spend a day outside.

The lovable cat felt right at home as she lied down on the floor and laid her head on a soft blanket. She stretched her paws and toes while she rumbled with her adorable purrs. It was as if she knew that she was in good hands.

The expectant mom was so happy to be inside. She rolled around on every blanket she was given, showing off her belly for rubs.

Hoping to get the cat and her kittens the best care and good homes, Sandy reached out to Jen, a foster volunteer of Jin’s Bottle Babies, for assistance. “She messaged asking what to do and the timing worked out pretty perfectly,” Jen told Love Meow.

A few days later, Sandy came home to quite the surprise — five healthy babies were already there, all cleaned up, and nursing on their doting mom.

“She gave birth on St. Patrick’s Day, so we named them after shades of green (Momma Jade, Hunter, Emerald, Kelly, Olive and Forest).”

Jin’s Bottle Babies was able to take the whole family of six into their care later that Friday. “Mama is extremely sweet and outgoing. The day I went to pick them up, she walked right up to me after I sat down on the floor, to get chin scratches,” Jen shared with Love Meow.

After exploring around her new digs, Jade rubbed up against her foster mom for more pets and love. She was so pleased to have the all-you-can-eat buffet and a mountain of blankets at her disposal.

“She’s settled in here so fast and when I come into the room if the babies aren’t nursing, she gets up and follows me around chirping. She’s super curious. If I open the closet, she wants to scope it out.”

Jade quickly got used to the sounds and smells of indoor life, and became very comfortable with Jen’s presence. She let her human weigh her babies and change and clean up the beddings with so much gratitude.

“The babies are growing so fast, gaining weight as they should be. Jade purrs while the kittens are eating and they all cuddle up and fall asleep,” Jen added.

“She chirps when following me around and when I ask her questions. She meows back sometimes and it sounds like ‘no’.”

While the cat family is thriving in foster care, the rescue is working on getting the neighborhood strays spayed and neutered.

Momma Jade is eager to be loved but completely devoted to her kittens. She hasn’t had the chance to enjoy lap time yet, but when the kittens are bigger and more independent, Jen expects to see her blossom into a full-fledged cuddle-bug.

“When the kittens are older and I move the comfy chair in here, she will (climb in my lap). She loves chin rubs and winds between my legs when I’m dishing up snacks,” Jen told Love Meow.

The kittens are one week old, and their eyes are starting to open. Momma Jade showers them with hugs and keeps them immaculately clean.

Jade found the perfect family for help that day when she needed a safe place for her babies.

“She knew exactly who to go to when she found herself pregnant. I love that they open up to let humans help them. It’s really special.”

This story originally appeared on lovemeow.com

Cats are good at self-maintenance. But even your fastidious feline can't prevent some of these more common cat diseases and health issues.

1. Vomiting

Vomiting is a very common problem with cats with a multitude of causes. They range from eating something poisonous or inedible (like string), to infection, urinary tract disease, or diabetes to hairballs.

Symptoms are usually obvious, and include drooling and abdominal heaving. Vomiting can quickly leave your cat dehydrated, so if kitty continues vomiting or acts ill, call your vet right away. It may help to collect a sample of your cat's vomit and take it with you to the vet.

2. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (FLUTD)

Some estimates say as many as 3% of cats seen by vets have feline lower urinary tract disease ( FLUTD), which is actually a group of feline diseases with multiple causes.

Female and male cats can get FLUTD, and it often occurs in cats that are overweight or unfit or who eat dry food. Stress, a multi-cat household, and sudden changes can all raise a cat's risk of FLUTD, and treatment depends on the type of FLUTD your cat has.

FLUTD symptoms include:

• Straining to urinate
• Bloody urine
• Urinating in unusual places
• Crying when urinating
• Licking around the urinary area (often because of pain)
• Depression
• Dehydration
• Lack of appetite
• Vomiting

It's always an emergency if your cat can't urinate. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your cat has a urinary tract problem.

3. Fleas

Fleas are a very common external feline health problem. But it's one you can easily treat. Signs your cat has fleas include:

• Flea dirt on its skin (they look like tiny black dots)
• Constant scratching
• Frequent licking
• Red or irritated skin
• Hair loss
• Skin infections or hot spots

Fleas can live for more than a year, and your cat risks anemia if the problem becomes serious, so be sure to treat your cat's flea problem and prevent future infestations.

Talk to your vet about which flea control would be best for your cat. Treatments include oral medication, powders, foams, and topical medication. Fleas are uncommon in Utah. If you adopt a pet from a region outside of Utah or are housing a pet that recently came from another state, please be aware of fleas.

4. Tapeworms

One of the most common feline health problems inside your cat, tapeworms live in kitty's small intestine and sometimes grow as long as 2 feet.

Symptoms of a tapeworm infection can be subtle but may include vomiting and weight loss. The easiest way to tell if your cat has tapeworms is to look at its feces and around its anus. If you see small white worms or what look like grains of rice or sesame seeds, your cat likely has tapeworms.

Treatment options include injection, oral, or topical medication. But because cats almost always get tapeworms as a result of swallowing a flea, be sure to handle any flea problems your cat has before tackling tapeworms.

5. Diarrhea

Many things can cause diarrhea in cats, including spoiled food, allergies, infection, liver disease, cancer, and more.

Symptoms of diarrhea are loose, watery, or liquid stool. Depending on its cause, diarrhea can last for a day, a week, or months.

If your cat has diarrhea, offer kitty plenty of fresh, clean water to prevent  dehydration. Then remove kitty's food for no more than 12 to 24 hours. Take your cat to the vet if he or she still has diarrhea after a day or immediately if you notice vomiting, dark, or bloody stools, fever, lethargy, or loss of appetite or if your cat is straining to defecate.

6. Eye Problems

Eye problems in cats can be caused by a number of things, including  conjunctivitis, cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, viruses, inflammation, and retinal disease.

A few symptoms that may mean your cat has eye problems include watery eyes, tear-stained fur, cloudiness, red or white eyelid linings, gunk in the corners of the eye, squinting, pawing at the eye, or a visible third eyelid.

Unless you know what's causing your cat's eye problems, there isn't much you can do other than wipe away any gunk with a damp cotton ball. After that, call your vet.