Description: Part 1 of this article, published in the May issue of In Practice (volume 32, pp 184-189), described the properties of different blood products in transfusion medicine and outlined how they might be used to best effect in veterinary practice. However, despite the increasing availability of such blood products, veterinary surgeons still need to know how to collect blood in emergency situations, and how to administer blood and blood products safely. As there is currently no blood banking system available for cats in the UK, collection and administration of blood in-house remains the only alternative for this species. This article discusses the selection of appropriate canine and feline donors and describes how to collect blood safely. In addition, it highlights the problems associated with the selection of feline donors with appropriate blood type.