Veterinarians in Florida created a genuine CatDog when they gave a dying kitty a life-saving transfusion using dog blood.
Buttercup is the lucky feline who needed a rare xenotransfusion at Marathon Veterinary Hospital in South Keys, Caters News Agency reports.
This is a type of blood transfusion that involves cats receiving dog blood in order to continue producing new red blood cells. Buttercup had an extremely low red blood cell count in the range of 7% before the procedure.
The orange tabby’s count has now reached 22% and vets say the kitty is doing perfectly fine.
“The procedure was extremely successful,” said Dr. Sean Perry, the veterinarian in charge of the surgery. “Upon receiving the blood Buttercup was much more active, alert, his vitals improved and he started eating again.”
Only 62 other cats are know to have had a xenotransfusion, according to Caters. Cats have two types of blood — Type A and Type B.
Type B is extremely rare and cats who do have this blood type often have to receive a dog blood transfusion because it is safer for cell-building.