Kitty compassion: Stray cat saves homeless baby’s life

One small feline is being hailed a hero for her extraordinary kitty compassion.

Masha, a stray tabby cat from the town of Obninsk near Moscow, Russia, happened upon an abandoned baby on the night of January 10. The night, reportedly several degrees below zero, was no place for an infant. Masha crawled into the box, snuggled the child, and meowed until help arrived.

The baby, only a few months old, was left outside of the entrance to an apartment building, bundled in a jumpsuit with a box of diapers and baby food. Local resident Irina Lavrova, 68, was bringing the trash outside when she heard Masha meowing loudly. Ms. Lavrova said the tabby cat was a friend of all the residents and typically greeted them when they came outside. Her unusual behavior prompted Lavrova to check on Masha, and she never could have guessed what she was about to discover.

“You can imagine my shock when I saw [Masha] lying in a box next to a baby,” told Central European News. “Clearly her mothering instincts had taken over and she wanted to protect the child.”

The baby was immediately taken to a local hospital, where doctors concluded the baby to be safe and in good health. Doctors believe the child was only in the cold for a few hours, so with the layer of clothing and Masha’s warmth, he miraculously survived the cold Russian night. Police are currently trying to locate the baby’s parents.

So how do you show gratitude to a cat for a job well done? With food, of course.

“Everyone in the block is very proud of her,” Lavrova said. “We have all spoiled her rotten by giving her her favorite food.”