A woman in Obninsk, Russia named Irina Lavrova feeds a stray cat named Masha that sleeps in the hallway of her apartment complex.  (Obninsk is about 60 miles southwest of Moscow.)

Earlier this month, she heard Masha meowing like crazy, and thought she might be hurt.  So she went to check on her . . . looked in the cardboard box she sleeps in . . . and found a 12-week-old BABY.  Masha was lying next to him, keeping him warm.

It turned out someone abandoned the kid, and left a bag with food and diapers.  But it could have ended tragically, because the hallway was right next to the front door, and it was below FREEZING outside.

According to paramedics, Masha is the only reason the kid didn’t freeze to death.  And she ended up being PROTECTIVE of him.  When they took him away, she tried to jump in the ambulance.  Then she stood on the side of the road for several HOURS, waiting for them to bring him back.

The kid is fine, by the way.  Doctors at the E.R. said he’s in perfect health.  And Masha has been getting a lot of extra treats since then.  (Huffington Post)