Visit our page on what happens at a donation session to find out what happens when you bring your cat to donate.
As with our dog service, we aim to run donation sessions across the UK.
To make the best use of our resources and maximise the number of donations we can collect, we are unable to offer home donation appointments.
Yes, absolutely! Cats get a donation room to themselves, however, if you are bringing more than one cat, they can either share a room or have a room each, depending on what you feel would make them the most comfortable. If you would prefer them to have their own rooms, we recommend bringing someone else with you so one person can stay with each cat during their appointment. Reducing waiting time is very important for our cat donors, so having both cats in to donate at the same time, either in the same or different rooms, makes a big difference in keeping them calm and comfortable.
Taking our time and giving your cat plenty of time to feel settled and comfortable is so important, which is why we ask that you allow 2-2.5 hours for your appointment. However, your first appointment and subsequent annual appointments may take up to 3 hours due to the addition of a heart scan. We appreciate that this is a big time commitment but by giving your cat time, it means the experience is a calm and positive one for them.
Cats can donate blood every eight weeks. We manage our service very carefully by blood type. Therefore, depending on your cat’s blood type, you will be invited to attend sessions between one and seven times a year. We will only ever ask your cat to donate when we need their blood type.
This is in line with the government guidelines for animal blood donation. We treat each of our donors as individuals and their welfare is always our priority, so we do monitor each donor and alter donation frequency depending on haematology values and our clinical examination.
Yes. Just like us, cats have different blood types. Cats can have either A, B, or AB blood type. We manage our service very carefully by blood type. Therefore, depending on your cat’s blood type, you will be invited to attend sessions between one and seven times a year. We will only ever ask your cat to donate when we need their blood type. Read more about cat blood types.
No. We use a local anaesthetic cream to prevent any discomfort. This will be applied during the pre-donation health check and be given up to 45 minutes to take effect.
Pet Blood Bank is a charity with welfare at its heart and all cats who come along to a session are monitored throughout the experience. If they show any signs of being unsettled, we stop the process immediately.
No. Cats donate consciously and we use rewards and encouragement while monitoring their welfare throughout the appointment to ensure they are happy and comfortable.
Yes. We encourage you to stay with your cat throughout the donation process as it helps them to feel more settled and calm. However, provided your cat is comfortable, you can leave them with our qualified team.
No. Donation sessions are species specific. Cats need a lovely quiet and calming space, exactly the opposite of the energetic and exciting environment of our dog donation sessions!
You are welcome to register your cat with us while waiting to be registered with a vet practice, however, they must be registered under a vet practice before we can see them for donation. With your permission, we communicate with your vets about their donations, blood results, and previous history, so this must be in place before the first donation.
Just like people, sick and injured animals may need blood transfusions and, in many cases, blood transfusions can help save a pet's life. There is a continual demand for our products and they really can mean the difference between life and death for seriously ill cats.
Cats retire from donating for reasons including old age or health, so we always need more cats to join our community to ensure our stocks are healthy.
Yes! Please visit our page on training your cat for donation to access our training resources. These help you get your cat used to certain things that will happen before and during the donation process. Doing this training with your cat before coming along makes a huge difference in helping them feel happy and calm at the session.
Please call us on the number provided in your appointment confirmation email as soon as possible. This helps us to manage our sessions and means we can offer your appointment to another owner to ensure we can help to save as many lives as possible.
Please follow your cat’s normal routine for mealtimes on the donation day, ensuring they have access to fresh water before and after your appointment. With your permission, your cat will receive treats and food throughout the donation process. This helps us to build a positive bond and trusting relationship with your cat and rewards them in a meaningful way for their engagement in the process. If your cat has food allergies or there are any treats they particularly enjoy, please feel free to bring these along to your appointment for your cat (please ensure any treats brought to the session don’t contain nuts, seeds, or nut/seed oils). Please flag to our team straight away if your cat has food allergies and can’t eat our treats.
We recommend giving your cat their usual exercise and enrichment before their appointment, as it is strongly advised that cats take it nice and easy for the rest of the day after donation and that any strenuous exercise is avoided and they stay indoors to relax. Your cat can return to normal activities the day after donation.
Yes. A fresh litter tray will be available at the donation session should your cat need to use it during their visit.
This is in line with the government guidelines for cat blood donation. If you have a smaller cat, you can still help us in other ways or by telling your friends with larger cats.
This is in line with the government guidelines for cat blood donation. To be a donor, cats need to have always been within the UK and Ireland. We understand this might be disappointing but there are plenty of other ways you can support us.
Unfortunately, both male and female cats that have been mated with cats that are from countries outside of the UK/Ireland, or have mated with cats that have travelled to countries outside of the UK/Ireland, are excluded from donating at this time.
Cats should receive adequate preventative health care suitable for the environment in which they live. We will discuss this with you as part of the donor registration process.
Oral or spot-on parasite treatments can be given at any time either before or after donation. Cats that have had an injectable parasite treatment should not donate for 14 days following administration.
Pet Blood Bank recommends that all donors be fully vaccinated, but it is not a requirement for donation. If they are vaccinated, there must be a minimum of 14 days between vaccination and your donation appointment.
Unfortunately not. A cat that has received a transfusion may have developed antibodies in their blood that could cause a serious reaction if that blood was then donated and given to another cat. We understand that owners whose cats have received a transfusion often want to give back and help other cats and there are many other ways you can do this. You can help us by spreading the word, volunteering or fundraising, all of which are vital to the charity.
It is important that your cat is fit and healthy when they come to donate. This is to protect their own health and the health of any cat that receives your cat’s blood. If your cat has been unwell recently but is back to full health, they should be fine to donate. If you are unsure whether you should attend your appointment after your cat has been unwell, please email us at feline@petbloodbankuk.org.
Please email our team at feline@petbloodbankuk.org to discuss any medication your cat is taking ahead of your appointment. Some medications may exclude a cat from donating – this can be for your own cat’s health or for the changes the medication may cause to your cat’s blood.
Depending on the medication and the reason for it being taken, cats may be able to donate once the course of medication has finished, may need a period of time off from donating, or may be excluded permanently from donating – our team will be able to advise.
Pet Blood Bank would always advise cats to continue taking any medication recommended/prescribed by their own vets for the full course and no changes are made for the purpose of being able to donate blood. Please be aware that some medications that exclude cats from donating are in skin cream/gel, ear drop, eye drop, or implant form.
Depending on what the eye drops are for, your cat may still be able to donate. Please email our team at feline@petbloodbankuk.org to let us know what eye drops your cat is on and how long they have been taking them so we can check if they will be able to donate.
There must be a minimum of 14 days between vaccination and your donation appointment. Cats can be vaccinated at any point after donating.
Please email us at feline@petbloodbankuk.org to discuss the nature of the procedure and planned timescales before/after their donation. Minor procedures not requiring general anaesthetic and dental treatments also have minimum timescales before/after donation, so please also call us to discuss these.
Any prescription medication is not allowed due to the government criteria for cats donating blood. However, feline calming and pheromone products (e.g., Feliway) are actively encouraged prior to attending a donation session where you feel your cat could benefit from these. We will also be using such products at the donation session to help keep all our donors lovely and relaxed while they are with us. If you are unsure about what you use, please email us at feline@petbloodbankuk.org.
If your cat is not taking any medication and would be comfortable sitting and lying still then they can donate. We monitor the welfare of your cat very closely and if they show any signs of discomfort during the appointment, we will discuss retirement with you. If your cat is taking medication for arthritis then they are unfortunately unable to donate.
Queens are unable to donate while pregnant or experiencing a phantom pregnancy. Following birth (natural birth or C section), queens must wait at least 12 weeks before donation and even then, are only permitted if your vet deems them to have a healthy body condition score on examination. Phantom pregnancies must be resolved before a queen can donate.
Unfortunately, cats can’t donate while they have an active chemical fertility implant, but can resume donating as soon as the implant is removed or expires. Please be aware that different implants are active for different time frames. Please contact our team for more information and to check other contraceptive medications.
Please email us at feline@petbloodbankuk.org to discuss the lump before attending your appointment, even if the lump has been removed. It may be that we need to speak with your vets to confirm the type of lump and review any testing done. If the lump is new and you haven’t yet been to your vets, we may need to cancel your appointment to give time for investigation to take place.
The volume of blood takes around two months to be completely replaced. After donating, we recommend your cat takes it easy for the rest of the day and can return to their normal activities the next day.
Yes. All cats in the UK have access to the blood bank. Blood is supplied from us to your vet.
No. Pet Blood Bank supplies blood to vets at cost price. This is the cost of running the service including the collection, processing, storage, and supply of blood products. We have an agreement with the vets we supply blood to that they will also charge the owner cost price, so nobody makes any money on the blood donated.
Any surplus the charity does make through fundraising is reinvested to further our work in the areas of transfusion medicine, welfare, and education.
