While on active duty in the Middle East, Sergeant Kelsey met a beautiful orange mama kitty and the two became fast friends. But Sgt. Kelsey knew this cat needed her help.

She was clearly malnourished. She also had wounds on her eyes and nose. Her tail was broken and in the sweltering 126-degree heat, she had very little access to water. Kelsey knew she would need help herself. Because service members are not allowed to bring the animals back with them, according to Newsweek.

So it was time to contact Guardians of Rescue, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to relocating animals to safe homes.

And according to Robert Misseri, the organization's president and co-founder, it was clear all three cats needed help, especially the poor mother.

"She was visibly malnourished, wounded, and so weak she could only walk a few steps at a time," Misseri says. "She desperately needed help. SGT. Kelsey began caring for the little cat and found her resilience and fight to survive inspiring; she gave her the name Sergeant Whiskers."