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Battersea bursting with orphan kittens
Battersea bursting with orphan kittens
Cattery team leader Sakura Anderson
Maternity ward is stretched to breaking point as charity prepares for Kitten Shower

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home have announced that they are filled to the brim with orphan kittens.  

Over the last three months, the rescue centre has taken in 107 stray or unwanted kittens under 12 weeks old - a 91 per cent increase on the same period last year. The maternity ward has 16 postnatal pens, which are smaller to make mothers feel secure, but the centre say that mums and feline orphans have now spilled over into a total of 24 pens in the London cattery.

Sakura Anderson, cattery team leader, said: "From April to September we're normally very busy with litters because the warmer weather brings out cats' instincts to mate. However, due to London's high population of un-neutered cats, we've now been stretched to breaking point and our maternity ward is overflowing."

Battersea cares for around 250 cats across its three centres at any one time and re-homes across the UK. Staff aim to rehouse kittens at nine weeks old, once they have been neutered, fully vaccinated and microchipped.

On July 24, Battersea will be holding a Kitten Shower to mark all of the kittens' safe arrivals and to let animal lovers meet some of its furry residents. The Kitten Shower will have kitten crèches, where people can book to play with the kitten and learn about the importance of caring for your pet from Battersea's cat experts.

Sakura added: “Our Kitten Shower event couldn’t have come at a better time, it’s vital that we show animal lovers how many homeless cats and kittens there are looking for homes and how important it is to neuter your cat so we can reduce the growing population of unwanted animals.”
 
A whole host of activities will be on offer at the Kitten Shower, including a chance to name some new arrivals and lots of activities for ‘human’ youngsters including arts, crafts and games. Tickets for the Kitten Shower are £5 for an adult, £3 for children under 16 and children under three-years-old can visit the event for free.
 
Cat rehoming will be available at the London Cattery. For more information call 0843 509 4444.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.