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Royal aspirations for six unwanted kittens
kittens
Battersea is betting the royal baby will be bundled up in blue and has named six unwanted kittens in honour of the birth.

Battersea names litter after bookies' outsider names for the royal baby

As the birth of the royal baby looms, there have been some pretty weird and wonderful name guesses - including Chardonnay, Romeo and Boris. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have entered into the spirit by naming a litter of unwanted kittens after the bookies' outsider names.

The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to go into labour within the next two weeks, meaning the birth of the royal baby coincides with 'kitten season'. Due to the warmer weather, Battersea is currently inundated with pregnant cats and litters of kittens.

A litter of six recently abandoned kittens have been named Chardonnay, Olympia, Joffrey, Winston, Romeo and Boris.

Head of the charity's cattery, Lindsey Quinlan, says: “We’ve had a long association with the royal family and excitement is building here at Battersea about the second royal baby.

"We can’t wait to find out if her baby will be a boy or a girl – our kittens are certainly waiting for their own royal seal of approval.

"We care for hundreds of kittens, especially over the warmer months, so it will be nice to celebrate the birth with our own new arrivals."

Image courtesy of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.