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Zebra mice rescued from home containing 100 rodents
Zebra mice are native to Africa and require large cages with lots of enrichment.

Anonymous tip-off alerts charity to rodents kept in unsuitable conditions

A trio of striped zebra mice are looking for new homes after being rescued from a house containing over 100 rodents in dirty cages.

Zebra mice are native to Africa and require large cages with lots of enrichment, including tunnels to play in, houses to hide in and lots of wood to chew.

The RSPCA received an anonymous tip-off about lots of rodents being kept in a home in Birmingham last year. Inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe went to the property in September and found 104 rodents.

“There were rows and rows, stacks and stacks of cages all with rodents inside, from mice to hamsters to rats,” he said. “The owner just wasn’t able to cope any more and signed all 104 rodents over to us to rehome. It took us days to get them out of the house and into rescue centres up and down the country.”

Most of the animals have now been rehomed, but Birmingham Animal Centre is still trying to rehome the three zebra mice - Bashful, Sleepy and Grumpy - as well as marmot mice Cagney, Jonesy and Lacey.

Emma Finnmore from the centre, said: “Sleepy is happy being handled and is quite confident once she knows you. She arrived here with six other mice who were all male so, unfortunately, she is currently being kept on her own.

“Bashful and Grumpy are looking for a home together. They’re both very fast and like to jump so can be quite tricky to handle!”

For information on rehoming, call 0300 123 8585, or visit: www.rspca.org.uk/local/birmingham-animal-centre/findapet

Image courtesy of the RSPCA

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Lords Committee opens Pet Parasite Medication inquiry

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee will launch its inquiry into Pet Parasite Medication (PPM) on Wednesday (3 June).

Focusing on treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid, the inquiry will seek to understand distribution pathways and the impacts of PPM use and non-use on biodiversity and human health. It will also cover current regulation, monitoring, and the potential implications for pets and their owners.

The committee will hear evidence from environmental non-governmental organisations and research institutes. The public can follow the proceedings live on Parliament TV or in person in the Palace of Westminster.