A Curious Cat
Masha is the name of the cat that heard a strange noise in the distance. Instead of looking the other way and going back home, she knew she had to so something.
Masha knew that she had to helpin one way or another. This is the story of a cat hero and the instinctive bond between animals and humans.
A Friendly Neighbor
In order to understand this story, we need to know where it took place and the persons involved. This story takes us to Obninsk, Russia and a neighbor called Irina Lavrova.
Irina spent most of her life living in a large apartment block surrounded by friends and acquaintances. Although not all of her neighbors are human, Masha the cat takes residence in the entrance hall of the apartment block.
Long-term Resident
Nobody knows with certainty when Masha got to the apartment building, but it seems that she made her home there around 2012, and the residents welcomed her with open arms, as they knew how cold it could get out there.
All the residents in the apartment block made sure that Masha was given food and water, and always petted her when they walked past. It was perfect for Masha as she didn’t want to leave the place.
A Horrific Noise
For around three years, Masha lived quite a peaceful life in the apartment building, until one fateful day in 2015. As Masha was a relatively quiet cat, the majority of the residents were surprised to hear her crying and meowing.
One particular resident, hearing Masha cry, thought she was in some kind of danger, so she left her apartment in a hurry to see what was really going on! After she ran down the stairs, she found herself with Masha and something incredible.
Joining Ranks
Irina Lavrova also heard Masha’s cries, and knew she had to help in some way. She couldn’t live without Masha as she was a huge part of her life. So, Irina followed the other resident downstairs and found that Masha was not alone.
When Irina and the other resident got to Masha’s usual spot, she found her in perfect health state and, inside the box where Masha slept, there was a baby. It seemed to the residents that Masha was protecting the baby.
Keeping it warm
For some reason, Masha had decided to take responsibility for the abandoned child. Not only did she lay down next to her to keep it warm, but her presence instilled peace and the baby stopped crying.
After the event, Irina Lavrova was interviewed by a Russian television network, and was asked what her initial reaction was. She confessed that she was incredibly shocked but, after careful consideration of the situation, she knew that Masha had been trying to get the attention of all the residents.
A Young Child
Masha had been able to save the young child’s life by protecting him from the harsh Russian winter. Although the residents were amazed by Masha’s life saving techniques, they were worried about the baby. How long had it been there? Where were his parents?
Nonetheless, the baby had not been abandoned by itself, as there were some supplies beside the young boy: there were diapers, a bottle of milk and a bag full of clothes. It seemed that the person who abandoned the baby had put sufficient thought to do it.
Calling For Help
After Lavrova and the other resident understood what was really going on, they knew they needed help and called the police and the paramedics. They both were sure that the authorities would be able to help and they wanted to make sure the baby was okay.
Masha had grown very fond of the baby and wanted to make sure that he wasn’t harmed in any way. When the paramedics took the baby to the ambulance, Masha followed closely behind, and meowed to the ambulance until she saw the baby with her own eyes again.
Ready To Go
As Masha was very protective of the baby, when the ambulance decided that it would be best to take the baby to the hospital for a complete check-up, she started running after it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t maintain the same speed. She had to stop her pursuit.
When the baby got to the hospital, he was immediately taken to the children’s ward. The doctors wanted to see if the baby had been affected by the cold weather, but Masha had been able to keep him as warm as possible. The spokesperson for the hospital confirmed that the baby was going to be fine.
A Motherly Instinct
When the residents knew that the baby was going to be okay, they started to wonder why the baby had been abandoned in the first place. The person who abandoned the baby was lucky that Masha was there to look after him with her motherly instinct. If Masha had not been there, the baby would have been left in the cold.
Immediately after, both the hospital staff and Lavrova started to look for the baby’s parents, or someone who had any idea of where he came from. The authorities did everything they could to try and track down his biological parents, but struggled to find any clues of the baby’s past.
A Spoiled Cat
After saving the baby, Masha has been treated like a celebrity, and the residents of the apartment block are really proud of her. Because of this, the residents decided to spoil her and pay her even more attention than before.
The residents also wanted to help the baby that Masha had saved, so they got together and decided to lend a helping hand. They offered food, clothes and toys that their own children did not use anymore, to make sure that the baby had a great second chance.
An Incredible Story
Although there is still no news of the baby’s parents or if the baby had been adopted, it is impossible to deny that this is an incredible story. Masha did everything she could to protect the little baby.
Although Masha found herself in a new and scary circumstance, she didn’t run away, and neither did she fight back. She saved the baby’s life and gave him a new chance at happiness.
Hailed As A Hero
Everyone agrees that if Masha hadn’t been there, the baby would have been killed by the harsh Russian winter. After all, babies, in particular, need warmth to stay healthy, and Masha was the one providing that warmth.
Even the doctors said that the baby wouldn’t have stood a chance. Everyone who heard the story, from locals to foreigners, have hailed Masha as a hero for the way in which she kept the baby safe.
Instincts
What drove Masha to act the way she did? Most of the people wonder how Masha knew what to do, but most believe that it must have been her maternal instincts, as cats are known to have strong maternal instincts to their kittens.
There have been several stories of cats that nurse other baby animals who had been abandoned, and some studies even suggest that even after time has passed since a cat gave birth, a cat still retains her maternal instincts. Such wonderful animals!