What metaphors are used in Residents and Transients by Bobbie Ann Mason?

The story's title, Residents and Transients, refers to Mary's explanation of the "two kinds of cats" that live in the wild, "residents and transients." As the story's central metaphor, Mary's discussion of these "two kinds of cats" provides a key to her own struggles. Interpreting the cats as metaphors allows for an interpretation of the distinction between "residents" and "transients" as applying to people: "Some stay put, in their fixed home ranges, and others are on the move. They don't have real homes."