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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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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."