Move over, Ocean’s Eleven – Auckland, New Zealand’s new mastermind is a one-cat criminal enterprise with no regard for your dignity… or your underwear drawer.
Meet Leonardo da Pinchy (Leo), a 15-month-old Tonkinese furball with a taste for forbidden fabrics. Instead of prowling for mice, Leo embarks on lingerie and clothing heists that would make any thief blush, having brought home over 150 items from his escapades according to an interview with his owner, Helen North, on Stuff New Zealand.
This whiskered miscreant cat burglar stages heists from clotheslines and bedrooms, relishing in everything from silken boxers and men’s work socks (even with clothespins still attached) to baby clothes and even a $300 cashmere masterpiece.
One morning, he proudly presented his day’s loot to North – nine items in a single haul. Nine! Enough to dress a small human army (or at least one very mismatched one).
In the interview with Stuff New Zealand, North describes all kinds of things that Leo has stolen including stuffed toys, underpants, socks, gardening gloves, active wear, hats, sports bras, a big stuffed snake and more.
North has tried some classical deterrents: confining Leo indoors, sprinkling decoy clothes, and no doubt lecturing him about ethics. Still, Leo gives her the feline equivalent of a shrug – and promptly returns with yet another pilfered sock or two. “He only wants stuff that he shouldn’t have,” she says.
Word has spread about the cat thief and North does what she can to reunite the ill-gotten gains with their owners, posting photos online with the question, “Are these your undies?”
Thankfully, the neighborhood is taking it in stride. Some neighbors are even a bit disappointed that Leo hasn’t stolen anything of theirs yet. Others are keeping their dirty laundry inside thanks to the fur- covered klepto-cat.
For North, organizing stolen laundry retrieval isn’t exactly how she envisioned her cat-owning days. “This is a lot of admin,” she said to AP News about keeping up with Leo’s antics. Apparently, this is not a new problem either. Leo has been stealing things since he was about nine months old.
North hopes that Leo’s wardrobe-raid adventures are just a juvenile phase, crossing her fingers that his hoarding habit ends before he graduates to stealing car keys, cash, cell phones or more important items (although underwear IS pretty important for many).
Until then, if you live in Mairangi Bay, you’ll need to lock your underpants away at night and keep your eyes peeled. Because when Leonardo da Pinchy is on the prowl, your unmentionables are not safe.
The post Cat Chooses a Life of Crime, Obsessed With Stealing Underwear appeared first on Steve Gruber.
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Author: Liberty Paige
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