Our Impact

Spay (female sterilisation) and neuter (male sterilisation) surgeries of stray animals are one of the topmost priorities of ASF. We are proud to have funded 60+ of these surgeries in our first three years. 

 

To understand the impact of these procedures, it is crucial to understand animal reproductive physiology. Let us take the example of cats then. Female cats technically reach adulthood when they attain their first heat cycle, which is  around 5–7 months of age. The number of kittens in a litter can vary between 2 and 10; however, the average is 4. Unfortunately, 10–40% (an average of 25%) of the kittens in a litter do not survive to adulthood. Also, the gestation and lactation periods (pregnancy and nursing periods) are around 2 months and 1 month, respectively, after which the cat can get pregnant again. This means each female cat can have 3–4 litters every year. 

 

Considering these figures, we have created the image seen above, where each litter comprises 4 kittens, of which 1 does not survive to adulthood. As illustrated, in one year, the first mother cat has given birth to three litters, of which two of these litters have also produced children. Even with these conservative numbers, we can see that 40 cats have arrived from 1 primary female cat in one year. Of these 40 new cats, at least 10 cats would have died and the other 30 would be struggling for resources and might also suffer from injuries. Furthermore, animals that are not spayed or neutered are at higher risk of developing behavioural and health issues, including cancers.

 

This is why spay/neuter projects are critical in animal welfare. Up until October 2024, ASF has funded the spay surgeries of 40+ female cats, which means 1600+ kittens have been prevented from being born and an unquantifiable amount of suffering prevented.