Last year, Flemish municipalities caught more than 12,500 stray cats, with over 3,000 of those cats finding new homes, according to a survey of 209 Flemish cities and municipalities commissioned by Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts.
Since 2018, the number of stray cats caught by local authorities has increased by an average of 20%, while adoptions have risen by 147%. Fewer than one out of ten Flemish municipalities reported an increase in their stray cat population in this period.
Province | Number of participating municipalities with catchment figures | Totally caught | Average per municipality |
Flemish Brabant | 37 | 2,034 | 55 |
Antwerp | 46 | 3,235 | 70.3 |
Limburg | 30 | 2,451 | 81.7 |
West Flanders | 42 | 1,867 | 44.5 |
East Flanders | 41 | 2,990 | 72.9 |
Total | 196 | 12,577 | 64.2 |
Weyts credits these figures to an increase in animal welfare efforts by the Flanders government that he believes local municipalities have begun to follow. He notes that reducing the stray cat population requires a collective effort from both federal and local governments.
"Local authorities play an important role in tackling stray cats," Weyts said. "That is why I'm working on additional legal instruments to support cities and municipalities even better in this regard. If we do not wage this battle in every village and every city, there is a risk of more animal suffering and more nuisance for people."
Municipalities are using several similar tactics to manage their stray cat populations. Around 90% now work regularly with an animal shelter, while 40% have a feeding policy and two-thirds provide shelters for stray cats.
Nearly 4/5 of the cats caught last year were sterilised, with some municipalities like Limburg and Flemish Brabant sterilising as many as 90% of the cats they capture.
Province | % sterilized compared to caught | % adopted compared to captive |
Flemish Brabant | 89.9% | 35.3% |
Antwerp | 65.8% | 27.7% |
Limburg | 92.6% | 13.7% |
West Flanders | 77.8% | 29.9% |
East Flanders | 70.7% | 27.4% |
Total | 77.9% | 26.5% |
Weyts believes that the fight to reduce the stray cat population will remain a losing battle if pet owners don't sterilise their cats.
“My appeal is very simple: sterilize your cat," he said. "At the same time, we are working on additional instruments to support cities and municipalities even better, including with compliance with the sterilization obligation.”
