More than 43,000 cats were sterilised in the Wallonia/Brussels Federation in 2024, according to official data from Brussels Environment and the Public Service of Wallonia, SPW.
Last year, 5,812 cats were sterilised in Brussels-Capital Region, including 1,329 kittens, Brussels Environment told Belga News Agency on Tuesday, while, according to the SPW, 37,871 cats were neutered in the south of the country.
Since the mandatory sterilisation of these animals came into force in 2018 in Brussels Region, 41,744 felines have gone under the knife, including 10,217 kittens less than 180 days old. The aim is to prevent their proliferation, which often leads to a life of wandering and abandonment, the Brussels administration explains on its website.
To encourage the unwilling, some municipalities, including Auderghem, Etterbeek, Schaerbeek and Uccle, are offering incentives to sterilise domestic cats. Owners of small cats that have not been sterilised risk a fine of at least €200.
By 2023, 6,268 cats had been sterilised in Brussels Region, including 1,476 kittens. According to Brussels Environment, the number of sterilisations seems to fluctuate according to the number of cats registered. Since 1 March 2023, all cats in Brussels-Capital Region must be identified before they are 12 weeks old.
In Wallonia, all cats must also be sterilised. In 2024, 54,022 felines were registered, of which 37,871 were sterilised. In 2023, 55,098 cats were registered, and 37,876 of them were neutered.
