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Top cat of Whittington
Whittington
The minister of heritage named the seven week old stray Whittington, after the charming lodge.

MP names rescue cat after whimsical lodge

A stray kitten has been renamed Whittington by the UK's minister for heritage, Ed Vaizey MP, to celebrate the new listed status of Whittington Lodge, part of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

The charming lodge was first used to house 787 of the charity's stray cats at the turn of the 20th century and was named after Dick Whittington.

Mr Vaizey granted the building Grade II Listed status and during his visit to the charity's London site, decided to rename one of Battersea's stray kittens in honour of the occasion.

Whittington is just seven weeks old. She arrived at Battersea with her litter mates in November after their mother was frightened by loud noises from building works and disappeared. The kitten is currently being fostered until she finds a new home.

Battersea's chief executive Claire Horton said the charity is "thrilled" about its new listed status. "Whittington Lodge was very possibly the nation’s first cattery, providing a home for nearly 800 cats in its first year of use.

"We’ve cared for nearly a quarter of a million cats since its construction and Whittington Lodge has stood the test of time, surviving two World Wars.

"Listing accreditation for this wonderful architectural treasure further cements Battersea’s status as one of the intrinsic parts of the London landscape."

Whittington Lodge was originally built in 1907 by the architect Clough William-Ellis, who later created the Italianate masterpiece, Portmeirion in North Wales. Whittington Lodge remains much loved and admired by millions of visitors to the charity each year. It is thought it may even have inspired the architect's work on Portmeirion.

The building is located at the entrance to Battersea's entrance courtyard. The charity is encouraging architecture enthusiasts to visit the home to see it for themselves.

Image courtesy of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue cases lead to restricted zone extension

Following the detection of new cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3), the restricted zone has been extended to include additional parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire, as well as Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and part of Dorset.

The zone now covers 28 counties and unitary authorities in England. As of 16 December, 185 cases of BTV-3 have been confirmed in England and Wales during the current vector period.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. Suspected cases must be reported on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, suspected cases should be reported to the local field services office. Suspected cases in Northern Ireland should be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.

A map of the area where movement restrictions apply can be found here.