Residents of a Bedfordshire neighborhood started noticing items were disappearing. It wasn’t just one or two things, but hundreds of garments and items that had been stolen over the course of two full years. Nobody knew who the culprit could be— but then a woman named Lesley Newman cracked the case.
Turns out Bedfordshire had a genuine cat burglar on their hands—and the little guy’s name was Dennis.
Lesley Newman adopted Dennis when he was 6-weeks-old. When the black-and-white kitty hit 6 months, she figured he was probably old enough to explore outside.
“After he had been neutered, I let him and my other cat Eddie out for the first time when they were six-months-old,” Newman told BBC.
“It was just a week after that when Denis brought his first things home.”
Although Dennis loves exploring outside, he can’t keep his paws of the neighbors’ stuff. With an evergrowing pile of other people’s things, it didn’t take long for Newman to realize she may have a klepto kitty on her hands.
Within only 6 months, Dennis had managed to knick more than 100 garments and items from unsuspecting neighbors. His list of “found” treasures includes used underwear, shoes, paintbrushes, dolls, tea towels, and more. You name it, and Dennis will steal it.
“It started off as a sock and some paper, but gradually escalated,” Newman revealed in an interview with Daily Mail UK.
“It wasn’t just lighter items like a pair of pants, there were heavier things such as a Barbie doll and a bathtowel.”
“He has completely filled two large boxes.”
“Some people say it’s because he’s never been taught to hunt… I think it’s cause he likes me.”
When word got out about Dennis’s thieving ways, The One Show offered to help Newman track down the neighbors Dennis had stolen from to try and return their things.
They equipped Dennis with a GPS and collar cam, tracking his movements for about a week. Producers were able to determine that most of the items Dennis had been bringing home had been left in neighbors’ backyards. One woman— whom Denis had stolen one sandal from, returning a week later to steal the other— hadn’t even noticed her sandals were missing. You can view The One Show segment here:
The cat expert consulted on The One Show segment suggests that Dennis may be confusing toys for prey, bringing them home to “kill”, where he knows he has the upper hand. In an interview with Daily Mail UK, Vicky Halls, another cat behaviorist, suggests that Dennis may just like the act of hunting more than the items themselves.
Whatever the case, neighbors now know to seek out little “Dennis the Menace” when one of their items goes missing.
Hear more about Denis below!
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