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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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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.