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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 13th April 2016
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“Chief mouser” moves into Foreign Office
Palmerston joins the Foreign Office
Palmerston will reside in the office of Sir Simon McDonald, the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant.

Moggie named after former Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston 

A domestic cat moved into the Foreign Office today (13 April) to keep rats, mice and other invasive critters at bay.

Re-homed from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, two-year-old Palmerston joins the government department under the title “chief mouser”.

The Whitehall moggie is thought to be named after Lord Palmerston, a former prime minister described as “a charismatic and popular figure.”

Living just yards away from David Cameron's cat Larry, Palmerston can look forward to greeting international visitors and setting his sights on rodents.

“Palmerston will have no problems making friends and foes in the Foreign Office,” commented Battersea’s head of catteries, Lindsey Quinlan.

“He’s a very confident cat, loves being with people, and enjoys a good chin rub. But nothing escapes the attention of this Battersea moggy and we know he’ll have an eagle eye out for unwanted visitors, whiskers twitching and ready to pounce at the right moment, to keep his new home free of rodent interlopers.

“If his behaviour at Battersea is anything to go by, we predict Palmerston will be a formidable feline, very deserving of his new name.”

Palmerston follows in the footsteps of Freya, once owned by chancellor George Osborne and a regular visitor to the Foreign Office.

When not on patrol, Palmerston will reside in the office of Sir Simon McDonald, the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant. He’ll have access to most offices and official rooms and will be looked after by all members of staff.

“I am delighted to welcome Palmerston to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” commented Simon. “In his role as FCO Chief Mouser, he will assist our pest controllers in keeping down the number of mice in our King Charles Street building. I hope that Palmerston’s impact will be as considerable as his namesake’s.” 

Battersea rehomed 3,107 cats across the UK last year, with around nine cats leaving for new homes each day.

The animal charity now rehomes more cats than dogs, and runs an annual Purr Minister competition to crown the top cat in Westminster.

This year’s Purr Minister was awarded to Pixie and Smudge, owned by MP for Croydon North Steve Reed.

Image (C) Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

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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...
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Bluetongue low vector period ends

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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.