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Virtual event planned for those working with unowned cats
Recordings from the event will be made available at a later date in a range of languages.
More than 15 speakers will give talks over two days.

International Cat Care (iCatCare) is set to host a two-day online event for those working and volunteering with unowned cats.

Supported with a grant from Battersea, iCatConnect will take place on 13-14 November.

The free event will look at practical and inclusive ways for those involved with unowned cats to support each other, improve cat welfare, and find solutions to global cat overpopulation.

More than 15 cat welfare experts from around the world will give talks on topics including:
  • Understanding cat behaviour to improve care and wellbeing 
  • Effective ways to help more cats in homing centres, using the principles of Cat Friendly Homing
  • Cat friendly solutions for population management
  • Running successful Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programmes
  • Collaboration with veterinary professionals and other key stakeholders
  • Improving community engagement.
Each of these talks will include Q&A sessions. Recordings and educational resources will be released at a future date and will be translated into Spanish, Portuguese and Greek.

Vicky Halls, head of unowned cats at iCatCare, said: “It’s the event the cats in your care would want you to attend - a complete journey through the bigger picture of cat population management and the care of all unowned cats.

“So, whatever role you play, whether you do TNR, work in a shelter, foster cats, or run your own small cat rescue, you can see where you fit and get to appreciate that we are all part of a huge jigsaw puzzle with the common goal of improving the lives of cats everywhere.”

Simona Zito, Battersea’s grants and programmes manager, said: “At Battersea, we believe collaboration and community are key to helping cats around the world, and we’re proud to be supporting iCatCare’s brilliant new event as part of our Grants programme. We can’t wait to connect with fellow cat welfare champions in November.”

Those interested in attending can book a place on the iCatCare website.

Image © Shutterstock

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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.