In one of the world's first cross-species blood transfusions, veterinarians near Tauranga on New Zealand's north island have successfully transfused a dog's blood to save a cat.

A cat fell ill because it accidentally ate rat poison. Its owner then called a friend who volunteered her own dog for a blood transfusion.

With Rory (the cat) fading fast, Ms Heller (his owner) realised there wasn’t enough time to send a sample of his blood for analysis and find a suitable blood donor for the transfusion he so desperately needed.

She instead decided the best course of action would be to contact her friend Michele Whitmore, who volunteered her black labrador Macy as a doggie blood donor.

According to The Independent, the owners' and vets' decision was a "potentially fatal move" for the cat because there was no guarantee that the animals were a blood match. But they decided to go ahead with it, and now the cat is "back to normal."