After PETA’s petition to Ipswich City Council objecting to a proposed cat-breeding facility in the city of Ipswich made headlines and sparked public outrage, the plan has been withdrawn!

The proposal to breed up to 50 cats was widely condemned by the local community, and shelters in the area are already struggling to cope with the huge number of surrendered animals.

The Queensland Times reported that “there is an endless stream of kittens” in the area. “They’re dumped in plastic bags, they’re dumped in rivers, they’re dumped out by the paddocks, they’re dumped on the side of the road.”

In the 2020–21 financial year, around 42,572 cats entered RSPCA shelters in Australia. Of those, 8,604 never found homes and were euthanised. Worse still, these numbers don’t include council management of stray cats across the country.

We’re so pleased that logic has prevailed and that the proposed kitten factory is no longer on the table. Cats are clever companions, not products to be bred and sold for profit. Breeding up to 50 cats while thousands of others die in shelters or on the streets would have been irresponsible.

We will continue to object to similar proposals whenever we hear about them. Sign up for our e-news to stay informed about ways you can help us protest the next one.

Please never support pet stores or breeders – no matter how reputable they may seem – and only adopt from a rescue group or shelter.