Cat lends blood to save ailing sister's life in western Turkey

AYDIN, Turkey

An adopted street cat in western Turkey was able to cling to life thanks to a veterinarian who refused to give up on the feline as it lost dangerous amounts of blood through the night.

Ailurophile and cat mother Fatiye Kibar took Nazli, one of her three cats she adopted years ago in the Aegean province of Aydin, to the vet at night after noticing her blood loss.

Veterinarian Burak Antakyalioglu did not leave Kibar's call for help unanswered and admitted Nazli, suffering from an undiagnosed disease, to his clinic regardless of the hour.

Detecting internal bleeding in Nazli's uterus, Antakyalioglu said the cat needed an urgent blood transfusion -- something he had never conducted before.

Kibar rushed home and brought Nazli's sibling Cakil to the rescue, as the two cats' blood type were found to be compatible.

However, Antakyalioglu warned, transfusion in cats is highly risky, and the success of the operation would depend on both of their stress level.

After a successful transfusion, he surgically removed Nazli's uterus.

"I'm over the moon. We saved both cats," Kibar told Anadolu Agency after the operation's success. "I won't worry whether Nazli will fall ill again."

Antakyalioglu said that while blood transfusion between dogs is relatively common, it is rare for cats.

"It could have resulted in the death of the donor cat, as well. Their calmness was crucial. We told (Cakil): 'We're going to save your sister, stay calm.' And he did."

"We were successful thanks to their calm and our determination," he added.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara