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Battersea centre’s longest-stay cat finds home
Winnie spent 195 days in the charity's care before her new owners found her.
Winnie gains new home for the new year.

The longest-stay cat in the care of Battersea’s Old Windsor centre has finally been rehomed after almost 200 days.

Winnie, a two-year-old domestic shorthair, was originally brought to the charity’s Old Windsor centre after being found as a pregnant stray.

She gave birth to five kittens shortly after arriving. The family was looked after by one of the charity’s foster carers.

The kittens were soon rehomed, but Winnie needed additional veterinary support before she was healthy enough to leave Battersea's care.

She was put on a personalised treatment plan and 195 days after she first arrived at the centre, a couple based in London decided that Winnie was the cat for them, taking her home on New Year’s Eve.

Hazel Adams, cattery team leader at Battersea, said: “We are so glad that Winnie has started off the new year in a loving new home after a long stay with us, which was made even more exciting as we are currently celebrating 140 years of caring for cats!

“Getting Winnie ready to find a new home was a real team effort from our dedicated clinic team, cattery staff, foster carers and volunteers who looked after her during her stay; everyone at here at Battersea is over the moon that she has finally found a family who loves her just as much as we do.”

Image © Battersea

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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...
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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.