This adorable kitten has a rare spine condition called scoliosis, which makes her spine twisted. The cat was about to be euthanized when she was saved by the vet and given a forever home. A girl named Mari posted on Reddit (Reddit name MarieGotLost) about her grandparents’ adorable pet named Pitoe, writes boredpanda.

The images got tons of likes and comments. A lot of people sent love to Pitoe, however a lot of them expressed concern about Pitoe’s size and shape. Mari explained that she only looks fat because of her condition and that she lives a happy, healthy, and pain-free life.

Here’s the story of how the 4-year-old Pitoe joined Mari’s family: “So, Pitoe has severe scoliosis, which makes her body a lot shorter than any normal cat’s. (And because of that, she has grown a lot more in width.) She’s actually my grandparents’ cat. My parents are veterinarians and one day someone—who sells cats—brought in a ‘bad litter’ of cats and they had a lot of issues. Pitoe was one of them. The owner intended to have her put down because who would want a cat like this?”

“My grandparents—who adore animals—had wanted a cat for a while but were afraid to get one, as they feared it might jump over the balcony of their apartment and harm itself. My mom realized that Pitoe—due to her scoliosis—would probably be a very calm kitty and asked if we could give her to my grandparents. The owner happily agreed, and a match made in heaven was created!”

“My grandparents adore her, and she surprised all of us with how well she’s doing. She can’t jump, but she can waddle, run, play, and climb like a pro. All the veterinarians in my family take good care of her and she gets loads of checkups to ensure she remains as healthy as she can be!”

“Pitoe is doing amazingly well with my grandparents and seems right at home in their apartment. She’s absolutely spoiled rotten, to be honest, as most of the day they are at home, so most of their attention goes to little Pitoe (and she’ll gladly accept it.)”

We asked Mari to tell us more about Pitoe: “She’s just the sweetest Kitty. To be honest, she surprised all of us with how playful and active she can be, but around my grandparents, she’s pretty calm, as if she knows she needs to take it easy with them. She loves all attention and will come to ask it whenever there are visitors, so, all in all, she’s perfect! A bit of rebel though, as she loves to throw her water bowl around. (And never the food, which would be so much easier to clean up.)”

Mira shared some issues they run into because of Pitoes condition: “In all honesty, we expected Pitoe to do a lot worse, but she’s actually just fine part from being a crooked little thing. She is pain-free and active. The biggest issue she has is that she’s not as mobile as other cats, for example, she can’t jump at all. She does get loads of follow up to ensure she stays okay and is on a diet, to prevent her from getting overweight.”

“She’s absolutely fine! She’s crooked and one of her hind legs isn’t as functional, so she often drags. But she has no pain, which is the most important. We do need to keep a good eye out, to make sure it stays that way.” – said Mira when asked about the kittens health and well being.

Mira shared with us that Pitoe loves claiming all the attention, eating, and staring out the window, she also loves people: “The first thing she’ll do when someone knew comes around is waddle towards them and go lie on her back. No one can resist her after that.”

Mira’s grandparents gave the kitten this unique name because they used to have another cat named Pitoe. The grandmother wanted to honor the previous pet by giving this little ball of cuteness the same name.

“It’s crazy to think how close she was to being put down, and now she’s the love of my grandparents’ – and our entire family’s – life. It’s so worth it giving a special needs cat a chance!”

There you have it, the story of this amazing kitten. Pitoe lives her life because someone decided to give her a chance, thankfully she found a perfect match. If you’re ever adopting, why not consider giving an animal that wouldn’t normally get adopted a chance?

What do you think of this adorable kitten? Maybe you or someone you know adopted an animal with a rare condition? Share your stories on the comments!

This story originally appeared on boredpanda.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.