A cat in Nebraska in need of a life-saving blood transfusion found the donor he needed in a dog.
The Humane Society of Nebraska posted on Facebook that a trio of one-month-old kittens were brought in as strays Monday. They were dirty, cold and covered in fleas.
Two of the kittens were doing fine after a bath, but it was determined that a third had flea anemia. He was wobbly, weak and lethargic.
He needed blood immediately. Like humans, cats have blood types. And while humans with type O-negative blood are universal donors, cats have no universal donor.
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The Humane Society said the cat didn’t have time for testing to find a suitable feline donor.
But as it turns out, it can be safe to transfer blood from a canine to a feline. It’s called xenotransfusion.
The dog, a 6-year-old Husky named Bret Michaels, recently had has bloodwork done so the vets knew he would be a good candidate to donate.
Not long after the transfusion, the cat showed signs of improvement. And while the transfusion from Bret was not a permanent solution, it gave the little kitten some much needed time.
After a sleepover with one of the vets, the kitten is back with his siblings.
And the story doesn’t end there. The Humane Society says Bret Michaels — the lead singer for Poison — heard about the story and is planning to adopt Bret Michaels — the dog. That could happen next week.
