Well, my Labor Day weekend started with something on the rare side, maybe even unbelievable to some.

On Saturday morning, I had to bail my cat, Curtis, out of kitty jail.

Yes, I admit it, I am the owner of a criminal (there goes my hopes of a political career).

Curtis, an indoor/outdoor cat, is on the verge of being tagged a “dangerous animal” according to Seattle Animal Control, after biting and drawing blood from one of my neighbors.

On the surface, it’s easy to chuckle about this one. I mean, really, a cat biting someone? Even Curtis’ arresting animal control officer was dumbfounded.

“Usually it’s dogs in these cases,” she told me. “I can tell Curtis is a good cat.”

But after Curtis’ brush with the long arm of the animal law, I have a difficult decision to make.

Curtis is almost 12 years old and he is not a dangerous cat. You have to be really messing with Curtis in order for him to bite you. He loves attention and is not a skittish cat.

The neighbor who was bit claims she tried to pet Curtis and he jumped up and dug his teeth into her hand, causing her to bleed, according to Curtis’ arresting officer. If blood is drawn by an animal bite, animal control is required to pick up the animal and make sure it doesn’t have rabies, she told me. Curtis is up-to-date on his rabies shots, so my neighbors don’t have to worry about a public health nuisance.

The officer said that the woman who was bit reported that Curtis was “a bully in the neighborhood” and had scratched her previously.

If this is true, then my question is, why try to pet a cat who has already scratched you? Are we not taught as kids to stay away from strangers and don’t try to pet unknown animals, no matter how cute and friendly they appear?

Does anyone know a good cat lawyer? Sadly, there is no way to hear Curtis’ side of the story. And if he strikes again, it will be curtains for Curtis.

Already tagged a criminal, if Curtis bites another neighbor and it is reported, he will be considered a “dangerous animal,” according to the arresting officer. According to Seattle Municipal code, “If a domestic animal is found to be dangerous, the (animal control) director shall enter an order so stating and shall direct either: (1) humane disposal of the animal; (2) that the animal be sent at the owner’s expense to a secure animal shelter; or (3) removed from the city and maintained at all times in compliance with RCW Chapter 16.08. The owner is responsible for paying all fees owed to the city for the care of the animal.

So Curtis is back home, but I’m scared to let him out again. What if that same neighbor encounters him again? But at the same time, Curtis has lived his whole life roaming the outdoors, including the last 10 years in the same complex. He is going stir-crazy, right now, being cooped up inside.

Do I alter his life and make him stay indoors or do I roll the dice and let Curtis cruise the outdoors when he pleases, risking the chance of him getting nabbed again?

This is a tough dilemma, one I could never imagine.

Bill Christianson is the editor of the Redmond Reporter. He can be reached at bchristianson@redmond-reporter.com or at (425) 867-0353, ext. 5050