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Feline blood donation milestone reached
The Royal Veterinary College has celebrated 500 stored feline blood donations.

Nine-year-old cat Malcolm gave RVC its 500th donation.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has celebrated its 500th stored feline blood donation.

The donation was made by Malcolm, a nine-year-old rescued domestic shorthair cat, the day before World Blood Donor Day. The collection marked his ninth donation.

Although the RVC has been collecting blood donations from cats since 2004, it was only in December 2014 that RVC’s head nurse of transfusion medicine, Charlotte Russo, developed a closed feline blood collection system which allowed them to store feline packed red blood cells and feline plasma.

Feline blood donations could previously only be collected using open collection on an ‘as needed’ basis. The closed collection service has allowed feline blood cells to be stored for up to five weeks and feline plasma for up to five years.

Open collections are still used when required, however stored donations like Malcolm’s help to alleviate the pressure on the blood donation programme and its donors.

Charlotte Russo, head of transfusion medicine nurse at the RVC said: “Our entire team is celebrating this amazing achievement, which of course wouldn’t be possible without our generous donors and their owners.”

Malcolm’s owner Ilaria Vercesi, who also works at the RVC, said: “Malcolm first enrolled on the blood donor program two years ago and has since donated nine times. I am enormously proud of his contribution to helping other cats.

“The Blood Donor team is incredible with Malcolm, ensuring every donation is as quick and stress free as possible. The chin tickles and treats he receives afterwards are his absolute favourite and make the entire process very worthwhile."


To register your pet as a blood donor visit the RVC website.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

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."