Help us Clear our Shelters

This time last year, our RSPCA Adoption Centres across Queensland were 90 percent clear! Over 1,000 animals found loving new homes over 3 days in February for Clear the Shelters.

This year, Clear the Shelters is BACK! 

We’re hoping to do the same and find homes for all of our animals across the state: Clear the Shelters is on again from Friday 22 February until Sunday 24 February, 2019. All animals available to adopt at RSPCA Adoption Centres, RSPCA World for Pets, Sit, Drop, Shop Stores, RSPCA Op Shops and Pet Barns will have reduced adoption fees for the 3 day event. You can view our pets looking for a home across Queensland here.

There is no feeling quite like the buzz you get when you see a pet in need find love and head home with their new family. Marbles was one of the lucky cats to get a second chance, adopted from the RSPCA Rockhampton Adoption Centre during Clear the Shelters in 2018. Marbles found love at 10 years of age and now enjoys road tripping with his new human, Ollie.

Oliver with his RSPCA cat, Marbles.

Year-round at the RSPCA we find ourselves helping adult cats find new homes. Just because they are past their cute kitten stage, it doesn’t mean you’re getting any less of a fantastic companion. Here are a few reasons I’ve found that once you cat, you can’t go back!

When I first started working at the RSPCA I had minimal to zero knowledge about cats and their care. In fact, I never even thought I could be a ‘cat person’. But it wasn’t long before I was a cat convert and had adopted two of my very own RSPCA cats! Why did I adopt? See points below…

• Purr-sonality or Catitude. Every cat has their own unique charm and habits. But they won’t show you all the tricks up their sleeve at once, you’ll notice their quirky traits over multiple months or even years after adopting!
• They tend to gravitate towards non-cat people. Now this assumption isn’t based on science, purely from my own experience. Before I owned cats, the ones I encountered did everything in their power to convert me by rubbing on my legs, sitting on my keyboard, staring at me, you name it. Then I caved and adopted.
• Cats always make you laugh out loud. If you’re a cat owner you’d probably be easily able to identify at least five times your cat has done something hilarious in the past week alone. My cat ‘thinks she’s so good’ and miscalculates a leap of faith onto her cat post and tries to ever-so-gracefully fall back down to earth.

• Cats are generally quite easy to care for. They like to do their own thing. If you’ve only ever owned dogs you’ll know a lot goes into their care like exercise, toilet breaks, dinner routines, vet trips etc. Cats are bit simpler to care for. Yes you need all of the essentials and veterinary care, but their life usually revolves a LOT around sleep - far more than humans! They still have their routines around mealtime too but you’ll find they are quite simplistic in their nature, which is great for people who work most days.
• You’re saving a life. Thousands of cats are right now sitting in animal shelters and pounds across the country. Clear the Shelters gives you the chance to see just how great it is to own a feline or even two.

Interested to learn more about cats and how they show affection? Check out our cute animations of cat behaviours here. 

If you’re not convinced about adopting a cat, there are plenty of other types of animals waiting for homes at the RSPCA for Clear the Shelters, you can see them all here. From dogs, lizards, guinea pigs, birds, horses and even farm yard pets: there is an animal to suit you at your local RSPCA.