A lucky cat owes one of its nine lives to a US firefighter who revived it with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Al Machado rescued the cat from a burning apartment, telling The Standard Times newspaper of New Bedford, Massachusetts, US, that he saw immediately that it needed air. Machado began performing mouth-to-mouth on the animal as he carried it outside.

A video shows Machado bent over, breathing into the cat's mouth several times. The cat, a tiger angora, was revived and resting comfortably soon after.

No humans were injured in the fire. A man and woman whose last known address was the building that burned were arrested and charged with arson, authorities said.

Two other cats died in the second-floor apartment, but two dogs were saved with the help of oxygen from paramedics and animal rescue personnel. Pets on the other two floors – including a ferret and even some frogs on the first floor – were all saved.

Asked what it tasted like to give mouth-to-mouth to a cat, Machado laughed, grimaced and said: "Like fur."