We love our babies; we care for and nurture them and try to instill in them good values that will stick wherever they go. But the truth is, we don’t know what will befall them or what they’ll get up to once they leave home. Such is the case with Leo, a 15-month-old Tonkinese cat who hails from Mairangi Bay, a beachside neighborhood of Auckland, New Zealand. Leo’s person Helen North first allowed him outside a year ago, and that’s when the trouble began. You see, Leo the cat has taken to cat burglaring. Cliche? Possibly. Still somewhat adorable? Absolutely. A complete headache for his person? Undoubtedly. Leo’s penchant is for nabbing laundry items from neighbors’ clotheslines. He’s amassed a large variety of socks and underwear and, being a feline of fine taste, will even steal a cashmere sweater. Which means on top of being a working mum, Helen’s new extra-curricular activity is posting photos of stolen clothing to neighborhood groups in the hopes that items will be reclaimed. Which has all led to Leo’s new nickname: Leonardo da Pinchy.
Leo only pinches the finest duds: His frequent hauls include silk boxer shorts, thick men’s work socks — preferably with clothespins still attached — and in one mortifying episode for his humans, a brand-new 300 New Zealand dollar ($181) cashmere sweater. “My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, ‘It’s bad, it’s bad, this is the worst thing he’s brought in, it’s really bad,” said Leo’s owner, Helen North. “Because it was beautiful. I was like, ‘Ooh, can I keep that?’ But I couldn’t.” Instead, North turned to a neighborhood WhatsApp group to return Leo’s stolen goods to their rightful owners. Her usual message: “Are these your undies?”
The busywork of living with a klepto cat: On one record-setting day, Leo returned with nine items, enough for a full outfit if you didn’t mind a mix of everything from baby clothes to menswear. … With dozens of items unclaimed, the embarrassed owner took her search for Leo’s victims wider this month, posting photos of his hauls on a local Facebook page, along with an apology and her address. Those who showed up to claim their belongings included a woman who recognized her pink and purple underpants and a boy whose beloved and missing sports jersey was helpfully identifiable by his name printed on the back.
But what do the neighbors think? The ire North expected over Leo’s cat burgling antics didn’t eventuate — although one of his targets, who is allergic to cats, now dries her laundry indoors. “All of our neighbors think he’s amazing,” she said. “Some of them are quite put out that he hasn’t actually stolen anything of theirs.”
All crime-deterring tactics have been unsuccessful thus far: Still, North has tried everything to curb her cat’s laundry obsession, from attempting to keep him indoors to leaving out clothes at home for him to steal. No luck. “He only wants stuff that he shouldn’t have,” she said, adding that she was also unwilling to risk an online suggestion that Leo simply needed another playmate. “He might teach another cat to do this,” North said. … “I hope he grows out of it because I don’t want to do this for like, 15 years,” North said. “This is a lot of admin.” For now, on the streets of Mairangi Bay, Leonardo da Pinchy remains at large.
People being “put out” that the local kleptomaniac cat hasn’t stolen some of their items, is somehow exactly the kind of response I’d expect/hope from New Zealanders. That being said, the human I feel for here is Helen North, because that is a lot of admin she has to do returning heaps of stolen goods! Though it sure is one way to meet your neighbors, I guess. And I don’t know what Helen’s relationship status is, but, “Are these your undies?” is a FANTASTIC pick up line! Seriously, Leo could earn back some good will by turning his obsession story into a rom-com screenplay, in which the meet cute hinges on “Are these your undies?” Or maybe Helen will write a book on her experience of being the person to a criminal cat: Are These Your Undies? Lessons Learned While Living with a Cat Burglar. The line is a winner, it must be used somewhere!
Live version of my daughter’s favourite book, Slinky Malinki!
We love Slinky Malinki here too!! Such a fantastic read 😻
“Slinky Malinki
Was blacker than black,
A stalking and lurking
Adventurous cat!”
And don’t forget, “purrloined” should be used by someone, anyone about this narrative!
I hope that Leonardo has been neutered. In case this is frustrated behavior.
My male Burmese, who is neutered and an indoor cat, drags throw blankets from room to room. Maybe its the male cat brain.
PS purrloined is perfect!
Burmese are the best cats in the world. I love all of my pets, but my Burmese was special.
I had a Burmese for many years, and a Tonkinese. They have SUCH great personalities.
This story and “purrloined” are just delightful. Thank you for the boost needed to face another day in our current crazy world.
My old dog, Peter, a Golden Retriever, was known as the thief of the dog park. Nothing was safe. If someone was sitting at a bench and slipped off their shoes to relax, he would come up and steal one. If someone came in with a baby stroller, he would come up acting like he just wanted to say hello to the baby, and quickly nab any toys that might be stored in the bottom of the stroller. If you had a poop bag sticking out of your back pocket, he would grab it. Once he even stole someone’s purse that was on a table. He thought it was so much fun having everyone chasing him around the park.
😆
Kismet never disappoints! And I am now following Mr. Leonardo da Pinchy on IG.
My dog steals every sock, slipper, hat, kitchen towel, box of kleenex, and takes them all the way upstairs to the farthest room. Now dubbed the ‘treasure room’. But at least she doesn’t leave the house to nab them!
Our new puppy steals everyone’s slippers and places them on her sleeping mat just to be near them.
I love this story!
I needed this story to brighten my life. Thank you.
I also might be put out if Leonardo hadn’t pilfered anything from me. I would feel my undergarments and other clothing items had been judged and found wanting.
I mean, if the neighbors don’t mind I suppose she can just keep letting him go outside. I don’t let me cat out because I worry about her getting lost or hit by a car, but plenty of people in my neighborhood have wandering felines and some get up to mischief.
**giggles**
😽💛😍🥰
Cats are so awesome man. I love the last IG pic where he just looks so diabolical lol.
Oh, I needed this! Cats are amazing creatures.
I love that the neighbors that he hasn’t stolen from are feeling left out. I would feel the same way! Why not my stuff?
I’d start hanging laundry out just because (I usually use a dryer, haven’t used a line in forever).
Look at that face. “Yeah, I steal stuff. What are you going to do about it?” Dogs that are caught stealing would feel and look guilty. BUT CATS. Nah, they’re PROUD of their crimes. And let me remind people again cats were once worshipped as deities in the ancient world. They remember that. Mad respect to the felines of the world.
🤨 Have you forgotten Anubis??
I love this cat.
That is one busy cat! And yes, it’s a lot of admin…. Maybe just leave everything in a box out front & let everybody know if they’re missing laundry to check there periodically?
What a great story! Thanks, Celebitchy, for brightening my day. 😀
I remember our Siamese cats had pica so they always wanted to much on afghans, sweaters etc.