Family seeking life-saving blood transfusion for beloved kitten

PITT COUNTY, N.C. -- A Pitt County family held a blood drive for their kitten, who is currently at NC State's Veterinary Hospital seeking treatment.

"I'm scared I'm going to lose him," said Kim Costakis, whose kitten Rudy is 8-and-a-half months old.

Costakis said she first noticed Rudy had a cut in his mouth on Sunday night but didn't realize how serious it was until she took him to the veterinarian. They then discovered the cut would not clot and he was anemic.

"It's very emotional. It's hard to watch. When you see a little sweet baby who's so innocent, and Sunday he was playing and jumping and today he's so anemic he can't hold his head up, it tugs at the heart," said Costakis.

Further complicating matters, Rudy, who is a rescue, has Type-B blood, a rare form.

"What worries me most is not getting a blood match. And that him falling downhill before we can get him to the top," said Costakis.

Costakis said she was unaware of any pre-existing blood issues when she rescued Rudy.

Wednesday, they held a blood drive in Greenville, searching for a match to help save Rudy's life.

"You never get over things like this. Because I'm just praying that we can find a resolution and we can have him on a road to recovery soon," said Costakis.

Veterinarians encourage pet owners to learn their pet's blood types.

According to The Ohio State University Veterinary School, dogs and cats can donate blood every three weeks, though they typically collect blood five to six times annually. Cats who donate must be indoor pets. They donate blood while under anesthesia, a process that lasts a few minutes.