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Tabby cat runs for US presidency
Twitter profile
Limberbutt McCubbins has officially registered with the Federal Election Commission as a Democratic candidate.

Meow is the time!

A six-year-old tabby cat from Kentucky has joined the running for presidency in the 2016 US elections.

Affectionately named Limberbutt McCubbins, the feline front runner has officially registered with the Federal Election Commission as a Democratic candidate.

Speaking through his owner and spokeswoman, Emilee McCubbins, Mr McCubbin told the Guardian that he is running on a platform largely based around improving conditions for felines.

His policies include the 'legalisation of gay cat marriage' and the 'legalisation of catnip'. He also hopes to add a condition to the Affordable Care Act, subsidising veterinary care for lower-income Americans.

It's certainly not the first time that an animal has run for an election. In 2014, seven-year-old Duke the Dog became the new mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota, and in 1997 a cat named Stubbs was elected mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska.

Not one to pussyfoot around, Limberbutt has already launched a campaign website and a campaign slogan, 'Meow is the time!'  His Facebook page has over 11,000 likes and he has almost 2,000 followers on Twitter.

Since filed as a candidate, Limberbutt's campain has received coverage from major media outlets including The Huffington Post, The Guardian and ABC News.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.