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Westminster welcomes third Battersea mouser
Gladstone
Gladstone can look forward to greeting visitors and pawing over pound signs.

Gladstone named after former Prime Minister

Her Majesty's Treasury has adopted a new cat to help conquer the menacing mouse problem at Westminster.

Joining Downing Street's Larry and the Foreign Office cat Palmerston, Gladstone is the third moggie to be adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

The one-year-old domestic shorthair was found wandering the streets of London earlier this year, hungry and with no microchip.

"We are thrilled that Gladstone has now taken up residence in the Treasury and have high hopes that he'll be ready to take on the gardens of the Horse Guard Road offices," said Lindsay Quinlan, Battersea's head of catteries.

"He's a confident cat who absolutely loves people so he'll have to tear himself away from his cat cuddles to get down to business becoming a marvellous mouser," she adds.

Gladstone is named after Wiliam Ewart Gladstone who provoked strong reactions and served as Prime Minister for four separate periods - more than any other Prime Minister.

When he is not polishing his whiskers and stalking the corridors for mice, Gladstone can now look forward to greeting visitors and pawing over pound signs.

A Treasury spokesperson said: "We are confident that Gladstone will live up to the legacy of his namesake and go down in history as one of the most impressive cats to roam Whitehall".

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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.