# How do you get rid of four cats **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755 "2002-10-31T20:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/1 "2002-10-31T20:49:30Z")
I need advice on where to look online (or elsewhere) to help my cousin get rid of her four cats. When the were recently born, she had no luck finding homes for them. Even the humane society said they didn’t want them. They are now almost full grown and she is worried about them having kittens. She doesn’t have the money to get them neutered at $200 a cat. If there is a cheap solution that she could keep them with no possibility of future kittens, she would accept that as well. Otherwise she needs to get rid of them. She asked me to help, so I turned here first to see if anyone has any knowledge on this type of situation. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/2 "2002-10-31T21:04:43Z")
Check out [this page](http://www.angelfire.com/md2/mdpetrescu/Mich.html) for low-cost spay/neuter options within Michigan; rates are all less than $40, some significantly less. The [Detroit Humane Society](http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/MI68.html#Who) is a full-service shelter, meaning that they’ll take any animal in – but there’s a strong chance that the cats will be euthanized if taken here. Such is the reality of full-service sheltering. Good luck! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/3 "2002-10-31T21:14:21Z")
Your local town shelter should be able to take them - they will most likely be killed but it’s the method that most towns have set up to get rid of such things. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/4 "2002-10-31T22:12:38Z")
Dye them black and find some of the satanists mentioned in [this other Straight Dope Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141934) ? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/5 "2002-10-31T22:24:36Z")
How can they be almost full grown if they were recently born? And what do you mean, the Humane Society didn’t want them? Part of that organization’s business is to take unwanted pets and euthanize them. How can they not “want” them? 😕😕 Anyway, it doesn’t cost $200 to get a cat neutered, and there are low-cost options already posted. But if your cousin isn’t prepared to undertake such an effort, she better separate the males from the females very soon. Aside from neutering, there is NO solution that will guarantee that they never have kittens of their own. ---
**Author:** ![caffeine\_overdose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85e7bf/32.png) [@caffeine\_overdose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caffeine_overdose)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/6 "2002-11-01T03:25:03Z")
Your looking at this the wrong way. Go to a violin maker and sell him the cats. Your cousin makes some money and the cats make music. Everyone wins! ---
**Author:** ![pud\_lumpkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@pud\_lumpkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pud_lumpkins)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/7 "2002-11-01T03:48:18Z")
hehe, sell 'em on ebay. or not! yeah… there are really cheap neutering sites. you might have to check your local listings, cuz here, there are rates as low as 30 dollars. or you could put them in the classifieds… ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/8 "2002-11-01T14:36:20Z")
Does it really cost $200 per cat for neutering in the US ? Here it costs around £35 which is maybe around $50 or $60 in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/9 "2002-11-01T15:40:09Z")
**Missbunny** , humane societies aren’t chapters of a national organization (we’re often members of HSUS, but HSUS doesn’t have any sort of authority over us – they just send us magazines and hold conferences and stuff). Different humane societies have different protocols. Limited-access humane societies have a certain amount of cage space; when they’re full, they turn animals away. I’m guessing that that’s what **Wolverine** ’s cousin encountered. Limited-access shelters often call themselves no-kill, because euthanasia doesn’t occur at their facility. Full-access humane societies also have a limited amount of cage space, but when we’re full, we euthanize animals. We accept every animal that comes to us, on the belief that it’s better for an animal to be humanely euthanized than to suffer if abandoned on the street. Hope this helps! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/10 "2002-11-01T15:48:30Z")
I have no intent to be obtuse, but… First get rid of one of them… ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/11 "2002-11-01T16:39:49Z")
Thanks for everybody’s help and comments. Especially DanielWinthrow for providing that link. It helped tremendously. I only had short conversation about the subject with her so I was trying to piece together what she said. Sorry if it came off rather choppy. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/12 "2002-11-01T18:11:24Z")
Hi DanielWithrow - I didn’t know that. I thought they were all connected somehow. Perhaps Wolverine didn’t even mean THE Humane Society, but a shelter. Anyway, thanks for the info - learn something new every day here! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/13 "2002-11-01T18:18:00Z")
Put an ad for free kittens in the paper. At least then the kittens will get a home (can’t promise a good one) and a chance at life. I have never seen a free kitten ad in the paper not get a ton of responses. No one should have pets if they can’t afford to take care of them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/14 "2002-11-01T20:41:07Z")
**In Conceivable** , I’d recommend against that advice. While I don’t know how prevalent the practice is, some folks abuse “free to a good home” ads, in two ways: 1. People pick up animals from these ads and sell them for scientific research; and 2. People pick up animals from these ads and use them to “train” fighting dogs. If you want to do “free to a good home” ads, most humane societies recommend that you go ahead and have the animals sterilized, and require potential adopters to reimburse you for the cost of sterilization. This will keep away people who aren’t looking for a companion animal. **MissBunny** and **Wolverine** , glad to help. “Humane society” is a word akin to “library”: it’s a description, not a proper noun. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/15 "2002-11-01T21:37:07Z")
Damn…i was gunna suggest selling them for scientific experiments or using them to train attack dogs… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-rid-of-four-cats/134755/16 "2002-11-01T22:44:39Z")
Naw, all you need is two eighty-pound rats. Just ask Shel Silverstein.