Masha, a stray tabby cat, just saved the life of an abandoned baby from freezing temperature by keeping him warm for several hours.

Masha lives in a community in Russia and is fed and cared for by the local residents. According to resident Irina Lavrova, Masha climbed into a box where the infant was dumped in and kept the baby warm for hours. (New York Post)

"She is very placid and friendly, so when I heard her meowing, I thought that perhaps she had injured herself," Lavrova said. "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," she added. "He was well-dressed with a little hat, and whoever left him here had even left a few nappies and some baby food."

They rushed the baby to a local hospital where he was given a clean bill of health.

The community is calling Masha a hero. "Everyone in the block is very proud of her," Lavrova said. "We have all spoiled her rotten by giving her her favorite food."

Masha the community cat saved the life of an abandoned baby from freezing temperature by keeping him warm for several hours.

She climbed into a box where the infant was dumped in and kept him warm. "Clearly her mothering instincts had taken over and she wanted to protect the child," said Irina Lavrova, one of the residents that feed and care for Masha.

The baby was rushed to a local hospital where he was given a clean bill of health.

Masha has been hailed as a hero by local residents. "Everyone in the block is very proud of her. We have all spoiled her rotten by giving her her favorite food."

Source: New York Post.