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Zebra mice rescued from home containing 100 rodents
Zebra mice are native to Africa and require large cages with lots of enrichment.

Anonymous tip-off alerts charity to rodents kept in unsuitable conditions

A trio of striped zebra mice are looking for new homes after being rescued from a house containing over 100 rodents in dirty cages.

Zebra mice are native to Africa and require large cages with lots of enrichment, including tunnels to play in, houses to hide in and lots of wood to chew.

The RSPCA received an anonymous tip-off about lots of rodents being kept in a home in Birmingham last year. Inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe went to the property in September and found 104 rodents.

“There were rows and rows, stacks and stacks of cages all with rodents inside, from mice to hamsters to rats,” he said. “The owner just wasn’t able to cope any more and signed all 104 rodents over to us to rehome. It took us days to get them out of the house and into rescue centres up and down the country.”

Most of the animals have now been rehomed, but Birmingham Animal Centre is still trying to rehome the three zebra mice - Bashful, Sleepy and Grumpy - as well as marmot mice Cagney, Jonesy and Lacey.

Emma Finnmore from the centre, said: “Sleepy is happy being handled and is quite confident once she knows you. She arrived here with six other mice who were all male so, unfortunately, she is currently being kept on her own.

“Bashful and Grumpy are looking for a home together. They’re both very fast and like to jump so can be quite tricky to handle!”

For information on rehoming, call 0300 123 8585, or visit: www.rspca.org.uk/local/birmingham-animal-centre/findapet

Image courtesy of the RSPCA

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."