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Welsh Chief Vet Issues Advice for Pets in the Cold
The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Dr. Christianne Glossop, has issued advice on keeping pets and birds warm and well as the severe weather conditions continue.

She is advising pet owners to move hutches or cages should be inside where possible, to a shed or garage, provide extra bedding and also check their animals’ water supplies regularly and make sure they are not frozen.

Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Christianne Glossop also suggests: “If you have fish outside, float a large ball on the pond’s surface so that if the water freezes you can remove it, allowing your fish to get enough oxygen.


Dr Glossop also pointed out that wild birds need extra help with access to food in these weather conditions: “Snow and ice make it difficult for birds to find food and water, so feeding birds with nuts, seeds, or high quality kitchen scraps and making sure they always have access to water could be key to their survival. Putting out nesting boxes can also provide them with some much-needed shelter."

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Free event for the global unowned cat community

News Story 1
 International Cat Care (ICatCare) has announced a free, virtual event dedicated to caring for unowned cats to explore new ideas and ways of working.

iCatConnect 2025 takes place on Wednesday, 12 November, and is open to everyone working and volunteering with unowned cats. It will include a line-up of 12 international cat welfare experts, who will consider the bigger picture of unowned cats and explore practical, effective, and inclusive solutions.

Following the session, attendees can put their questions to the experts and share their views. They will also hear frontline challenges and real-world case studies shared by contributors working in shelters, TNR, community cat programmes, and veterinary teams from around the world. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue reaches Wales for first time in 2025

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has revealed that bluetongue has been confirmed in Wales for the first time in 2025.

In their latest statistics, APHA records a total of 109 cases of BTV-3 or BTV-8 in Great Britain in the 2025-2026 vector season.

The total number of BTV-3 cases in Great Britain this season is 107. This includes 103 cases within the England restricted zone and four cases in Wales.

There has also been two cases of BTV-8, which were both in Cornwall.

As a result of the cases in Wales, a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) is enforced in Monmouthshire. Animals can move freely under general license within the England Restricted Zone, however animals with suspected bluetongue must stay on their holding.

All premises testing positive for blue tongue can be viewed on this map.