By now we have all heard of the California cat, Dusty, aka Klepto, who goes on nightly stealing binges taking anything from old sneakers to bathing suits hanging on the clothesline from his assorted neighbors. Dusty has brought his human owners over 600 items in the past three years and has brought himself renowned fame for his addictive habit.   

Nothing against Dusty, we do applaud his crafty efforts, but our beloved Zee has been going on his own stealing spree for many years as well, he just prefers to keep it a bit under raps. This is probably due to the fact that his stealing is limited to items within our own home and is limited to small plush toys. Not nearly as newsworthy I suppose. But, in Zee’s defense, he is not an outdoor cat – we don’t allow our cats run of the neighborhood, plus Zee is scared of his own shadow and would not have the sensibility required to be a street cat. Poor dear, Zee barely has the sensibility to be an indoor cat, he is such the sweet and sensitive fellow!

Zee’s habit started several years ago after the kittens were born. We heard him come into our bedroom one night making a strange, garbled meowing sound like he had cotton in his mouth. The next morning we found a stuffed toy carrot on the floor by the foot of the bed. The next night the same thing happened, only he brought in two toys. This habit continues to this day and we find anywhere from 3 to 8 toys on the floor. He meows very loudly with his garbled talking and we are required to thank him each time he brings us a gift or he becomes offended and his little feline feelings are hurt. He has his perennial favorites – Kitty, Ferret, Old Dog Bone, and, of course, Carrot. We think he does this as a gesture of love for us – we call it his “nightly homage” and cherish this sweet habit he has for us.

As a side note, we do wish you safety Dusty. The streets are not a good place for a cat to be and we will keep positive thoughts on your side.