But the desperate cat owner was running out of options.

By the time Rory made it to the vet, it was Friday night and the blood lab was closed. Rory would have died for certain if he didn’t undergo a transfusion.

If we didn’t do it, he would have died so we had nothing to lose by giving it a go. It was a `do or die’. I’ve never heard of it before, but the guy at the companion animal blood bank said he’s done it before with some success. People are going to think that it sounds pretty dodgy – and it is – but hey, we’ve been successful and it’s saved its life.”

Prior to the transfusion Rory was “really flat and gasping and howling”

One hour later he was sitting up, purring and “tucked into a bowl of biscuits,”Dr. Heller said.

He seemed to be a different cat.”

Ms Edwards said when she contacted a friend from her book club who had a pet Labrador, her friend initially didn’t believe her strange request.

The whole scenario was very dramatic, and Macy the black Labrador was rushed in for an emergency transfusion, Edwards said.

“The vets just went above and beyond … it’s incredible that it worked.  Rory is back to normal and we don’t have a cat that barks or fetch the paper.”