Cats keep lost boy warm

Published: Dec. 20, 2008 at 3:27 PM

MISIONES, Argentina, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Argentine police say a destitute 1-year-old boy was kept alive by a colony of stray cats who shared food scraps and kept him warm in the city of Misiones.

The boy, who had been missing for several days, was found by Police Officer Lorean Lindgvist, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday

"The boy was lying at the bottom of a gutter. There were all these cats on top of him licking him because he was really dirty," Lindgvist said. "When I walked over they became really protective and spat at me. They were keeping the boy warm while he slept."

Lindgvist said she noticed scraps of food near the boy and surmised "the cats knew he was fragile and needed protecting," the Telegraph reported, noting doctors said the warmth of the cats saved the boy during freezing nights that could have killed him.

The boy's father, who is homeless, said his son vanished several days ago and that cats had always been protective of the boy, Lindgvist said.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
EU warns more countries on rising debt (10 min)
Northwestern Univ. doctor to make history (17 min)
NASA prepares for Atlantis liftoff (32 min)
Foreclosure threat eases in Britain (45 min)
Crude oil prices slide Thursday morning
U.S. adviser to Kurds criticized
Woods leads at Masters in Australia
fark
Man-gagement rings, made of masculine materials like steel, tungsten and cobalt, are gaining popularity...
Health officials advising against kids sitting on Santa's lap this year because of swine flu
Now I'll turn this dial - let me know if your view of me masturbating gets more or less focused
100-year-old refuses to retire, signing five-year lawnmowing contract. So keep off it
Wife pulls knife on husband because he took her vodak away. He holds her at bay with a chair while...
Gallant parks his car in legally designated spaces and treats authority figures with respect. Goofus...