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Tabby cat runs for US presidency
Twitter profile
Limberbutt McCubbins has officially registered with the Federal Election Commission as a Democratic candidate.

Meow is the time!

A six-year-old tabby cat from Kentucky has joined the running for presidency in the 2016 US elections.

Affectionately named Limberbutt McCubbins, the feline front runner has officially registered with the Federal Election Commission as a Democratic candidate.

Speaking through his owner and spokeswoman, Emilee McCubbins, Mr McCubbin told the Guardian that he is running on a platform largely based around improving conditions for felines.

His policies include the 'legalisation of gay cat marriage' and the 'legalisation of catnip'. He also hopes to add a condition to the Affordable Care Act, subsidising veterinary care for lower-income Americans.

It's certainly not the first time that an animal has run for an election. In 2014, seven-year-old Duke the Dog became the new mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota, and in 1997 a cat named Stubbs was elected mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska.

Not one to pussyfoot around, Limberbutt has already launched a campaign website and a campaign slogan, 'Meow is the time!'  His Facebook page has over 11,000 likes and he has almost 2,000 followers on Twitter.

Since filed as a candidate, Limberbutt's campain has received coverage from major media outlets including The Huffington Post, The Guardian and ABC News.

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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
Wales licenses Bluetongue vaccines for voluntary use

The Welsh government has approved three Bluetongue vaccines for emergency use in Wales.

From 1 March an online general licence will become available for the vaccines' use. They will then be obtainable on prescription and can be sold by veterinary practices.

After appropriate guidance, livestock keepers will be permitted to administer the vaccines themselves. The vaccines must be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon and detailed vaccination records must be kept for five years.

The decision comes as Bluetongue virus (BTV-3) continues to spread across England. The three vaccines are already licensed for use in England.

Richard Irvine, CVO for Wales, said: "This decision to licence these vaccines was informed by our recent risk assessment indicating that Wales is now at high risk of experiencing an incursion of Bluetongue this year.

"Our primary aim is to keep Bluetongue out of Wales through biosecurity, vigilance and safe sourcing of livestock."