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Parliamentary reception for cat welfare
"From young families to elderly people, cats offer support and companionship and can have a hugely positive effect on people's lives" - Andy Slaughter MP.

Cats Protection met with MPs to discuss campaigns.

Feline welfare charity Cats Protection hosted a parliamentary reception on Wednesday 7 December to highlight its current campaigns and advance understanding of cat welfare.

Held at the House of Commons, the event saw 76 MPs and members of the House of Lords in attendance with Andy Slaughter MP hosting on the charity's behalf.

The event offered MPs the opportunity to learn more about Cats Protection's call for better regulations to tackle kitten smuggling and the introduction of regulations on cat breeding.

Cats Protection also discussed compulsory microchipping of cats, a measure set to come into force in England.

Madison Rogers, the charity's head of Advocacy, Campaigns and Government Relations, discussed the event: “We were thrilled to meet so many politicians to discuss issues around cat welfare, which is an important issue to many people. 

“In particular, we discussed our concerns that the proposed new Kept Animals Bill fails to protect cats in the same way as dogs.

“While this new bill will recognise dogs as sentient beings – with greater protections in law as a result – it fails to include cats. This means cats will continue to be treated simply as property, which clearly does not reflect how owners see their much-loved pet cats. 

“Cats are one of the nation’s most popular pets, so it is only right they are given the same status as dogs.”

The politicians in attendance were also able to discover more about volunteering opportunities in their constituencies, and discuss issues faced by cat owners.

Andy Slaughter MP said: “From young families to elderly people, cats offer support and companionship and can have a hugely positive effect on people’s lives. I was very pleased to host Cats Protection’s reception which I hope will help highlight why cats deserve the full protection of our animal welfare laws.”

Image (C) Cats Protection

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.