The furry feline climbed inside the box the baby had been discarded in, kept him warm until help arrived

Jan 16, 2015 13:54 GMT  ·  By

Cats have a reputation for being egotistical creatures that cannot be bothered to give diddly-squat about anything and anyone. Leave it to a Russian feline to prove that cats too have a sensitive side and can even teach dogs a thing or two about how to be the best life companion anyone could ever hope for.

The cat we're talking about, featured in the photo accompanying this article, is a stray feline named Masha. Not to keep you in suspense any longer, word has it that, earlier this week, the long-haired tabby saved a baby from freezing to death after being abandoned.

Some say that the felines protected the child and kept him warm until help arrived because its maternal instinct took over. Whatever the reason behind Masha's rather odd behavior might have been, the fact remains that, had it not been for this tabby, the abandoned baby would have died.

How the cat saved the baby from freezing to death

Reports say that this peculiar incident occurred in the city of Obninsk in Russia's Kaluga Oblast. It is here that Masha has been living as a stray cat for several years now. Although it does not have a home of its own, the feline is well looked after by locals, who make sure that it doesn't go hungry.

Just days ago, somebody saw fit to abandon a baby on one of the streets Masha patrols on a daily basis. Apparently, they simply put the baby in a box together with some diapers and food, placed the box down on the ground and left. Luckily, it did not take the tabby all that long to find the child.

Rather than ignore the weird creature lying helpless on the ground, the feline climbed inside the box and cuddled him to make sure that it would not freeze to death. Later, when somebody chanced to pass by them, the cat meowed to get attention. Thus, it was thanks to Masha that the baby was found.

“She is very placid and friendly, so when I heard her meowing, I thought that perhaps she had injured herself. 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,” said Obninsk resident Irina Lavrova.

The baby is safe and sound, and so is Masha

Having been found, the baby was rushed to a local hospital. Authorities have not yet managed to find his parents. The good news is that, according to the doctors in charge of looking after him, the child is perfectly healthy and was not in any way injured while lying in a box on the ground, New York Post informs.

As far as Masha is concerned, it should come as no surprise that the tabby is now hailed as a hero. In fact, there are many who believe that the feline saved the abandoned child from a rather gruesome death. To show their appreciation, people living in the city of Obninsk are now offering the cat the best treats any feline could ever hope for.