Cat saves abandoned baby from freezing to death
Masha the stray cat cuddled up next to a baby boy, left on his own in a stairwell in freezing temperatures
A stray cat called Masha has saved a baby's life. The 3-month-old Russian baby was abandoned, in freezing temperatures, in a box left on a stairwell. As snow fell on the city of Obninsk, the baby's chances of surviving were slim. Until a long-haired tabby cat climbed into the box to keep him warm...
The moggy then began to mew loudly – attracting the attention of local resident Irina Lavrova, 68 (pictured above, with Masha), who was taking her bins out. Going over to see if the cat had been hurt, the pensioner couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the baby snuggled close to the cat's fur.
"Masha is a communal cat whom everyone takes turns in looking after," Irina explained. "She is very placid and friendly, so, when I heard her mewing, I thought that perhaps she had injured herself. She normally she would have come and said hello to me.
"You can imagine my shock when I saw her lying in a box next to a baby! Clearly, her mothering instincts had taken over and she wanted to protect the child.
"He was well-dressed, with a little hat, and whoever left him here had even left a few nappies and some baby food."
Irina called an ambulance, and the 3-month-old (pictured above) was taken to hospital and found to be fit and healthy.
"The baby had only been outside for a few hours and, thanks to Masha and the child’s clothing, he was not damaged by the experience," a hospital spokesman said.
Now, local residents in the apartment block where the baby was abandoned have hailed Masha as a hero. "Everyone in the block is very proud of her and we have all spoilt her rotten by giving her her favourite food," Irina said.
A police spokesman said they were trying to find the baby’s mother.
What a purrfectly lovely story!
Photos: CEN
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