A cat named Leonardo da Pinchy doesn’t want your affection. He wants to steal your underwear
WELLINGTON New Zealand AP Greater part cat owners dread their pets bringing home mice or birds But for the owners of one felonious feline in Auckland New Zealand there s a worse shame being the unwitting accomplice to an unstoppable one-cat crimewave His prolific laundry-pinching from clotheslines and bedrooms in the placid beachside neighborhood of Mairangi Bay has turned -month-old Leo into a local celebrity and earned him a new moniker He now goes by Leonardo da Pinchy And he s got expensive taste 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 New Zealand dollar 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 declared 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 But the pilfered stash kept piling up socks piles underwear loads and even a -foot-long stuffed snake bizarre 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 He brought in a jersey this morning at past North disclosed The shops hadn t even opened With dozens of items unclaimed the embarrassed owner took her search for Leo s casualties wider this month posting photos of his hauls on a local Facebook page along with an apology and her address Those who evidenced 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 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 explained Various of them are quite put out that he hasn t certainly stolen anything of theirs 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 commented adding that she was also unwilling to menace an online suggestion that Leo entirely needed another playmate He might teach another cat to do this North announced Leo s life of crime began when he was first allowed outdoors a year ago But his family hopes it s just a juvenile phase I hope he grows out of it because I don t want to do this for like years North announced This is a lot of admin For now on the streets of Mairangi Bay Leonardo da Pinchy remains at large Source
