What To Do With The Cats?

Dear Curbiture,

I recently moved to Charlottesville with my rather large, completely clawed, feline friend, Bubba. Bubba has always been an outdoor cat and I have no intention of keeping him solely indoors. I think this is fine. It’s a personal preference for both me and my cat.

I do not live in a high-traffic area, but I do live south of downtown where there are a lot of houses and one way streets. Bubba seems fine here - I’ve got a yard he likes to prowl in.

The problem? One of my neighbors.

One of my (well-meaning?) neighbors continues to take Bubba back to my house whenever she sees him outside. I’ve told her a number of times that the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, but she doesn’t seem to understand this.

I know she is concerned for the cat, not only because she repeatedly brings him back, but because I heard her gossiping to my other neighbors about “free-range cats”: a term I was happily oblivious of until now.

Bubba knows his way around (yes, I monitored him the first month) and is doing just fine. My question is: how can I get this lady off my back? Is this normal behavior around here?

-Seasoned Cat Owner

Dear Seasoned Cat Owner,

Ah yes. The free-range cats. I understand your frustration. While I do think this neighbor is well-intentioned, ultimately you are the one responsible for your cat. If you were abusing your pet, this would be one thing, but it seems like Bubba knows the territory and is not near a main road.

This issue does come up in Charlottesville. In the more rural areas of Albemarle county it’s very common to see outdoor cats, but Charlottesville can look misleading. Although it’s small, people still drive fast. That being said, some neighborhoods seem more gossipy than others.

Whether this is because affluence breeds boredom or there is a higher percentage of cat owners, I’m not sure. Safety means different things to different people.

You know your cat better than anyone. Some cats are easily distractible and will stray without even realizing it. Other cats prefer to stay on the property. Even cats that don’t stay close to home may be fine on their own.

You’ve explained to your neighbor that Bubba is an outdoor/indoor cat. This should be enough for her to take the hint. If you’d rather not get into an argument about the practice of cat rearing you can always ask if Bubba is disturbing her property. If he is not destroying the garden or pooping on the stoop, tell your neighbor she can always call if Bubba causes a problem in the future.

Unfortunately you can’t control what your neighbors will say about you. If you hear somebody talking about free-range cat rearing, you can always tell them your reasons. While you might not change their mind, you will at least know they have all the information to make their own judgements instead of relying on a nosy neighbor.

-Curbiture