Cat mutilation charges in La Crosse being reduced to misdemeanors

A ‘not guilty’ plea in La Crosse County court from a La Crosse woman accused of taking part in a do-it-yourself neutering of two cats.

Despite charges of castrating cats at home being lowered from felonies to misdemeanors, 43-year-old Melissa Miller still pleaded not guilty.

The cats, each less than a year old, were allegedly neutered with a razor blade on a kitchen table by Melissa’s father, William Miller, while she held them down.

Melissa Miller claimed she had the cats neutered for peeing in the house and couldn’t afford to take them to a vet.

After police found Onyx and Binx hiding under a bed, Mr. Miller said they just “hadn’t warmed up” to Melissa yet. He also said the procedure seemed to turn out fine, and he had done it to farm cats in the past.

The cats were impounded by animal control workers.

A hearing for 69-year-old William Miller has been postponed for three weeks because a witness was not available to testify Wednesday.