Stray cat saves abandoned baby

Perhaps you've already heard about the homeless cat in Russia who helped save the life of an abandoned baby boy? Masha is a stray who is looked after by some residents in the town of Obninsk, about 40 miles from Moscow. She's like an apartment building mascot.

Irna Lavora, who lives in the building, helps feed the stray cat. Last week she heard Masha whining loudly outside. "She is very placid and friendly," Lavora said, "so when I heard her meowing, I thought perhaps she had hurt herself."

Lavora found Masha in a cardboard box outside the front door, and beside her was a 12-week-old baby boy. Masha had climbed into the box when she found the abandoned baby and snuggled up against him to keep him warm, since Obninsk temperatures drop into the 20's at night. Then the cat whined to attract attention of passersby.

Reports say the baby was left with a pacifier, bottle and diapers and was dressed warmly, even wearing a little hat, but he would have had difficulty surviving an entire night outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures. An ambulance whisked the baby to a local hospital but not before Masha tried to ride along. "She ran right behind us, meowing. She seemed quite intelligent," said paramedic Vera Ivanina. The baby was well-fed, clean, and showed no signs of neglect, except being left out in the cold to be found by a concerned cat.

Neighbors say Masha lives in the hallway of their apartment building, where they give her food and water. Now a hero, Masha is being "spoiled rotten" with all of her favorite foods.