Dusty the Klepto Kitty

Dusty
Other name(s) Dusty the Klepto Kitty
Species Felis catus
Breed Snowshoe
Sex Male
Born (2006-03-20) March 20, 2006
San Mateo, California, U.S.
Occupation Cat burglar
Years active 2008–Present
Owner Jean Chu and Jim Coleman

Dusty the Klepto Kitty is a domestic Snowshoe cat who gained notoriety in early 2011 for his acts of "burglary." As of his February 2011 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Dusty had stolen 16 car wash mitts, 7 sponges, 213 dish towels, 7 wash cloths, 5 towels, 18 shoes, 73 socks, 100 gloves, 1 pair of mittens, 3 aprons, 40 balls, 4 pairs of underwear, 1 dog collar, 6 rubber toys, 1 blanket, 3 leg warmers, 2 Frisbees, 1 golf club head cover, 1 safety mask, 2 mesh bags, 1 bag of water balloons, 1 pair of pajama pants, 8 bathing suits, and 8 miscellaneous objects.[1]

He earned the nickname Klepto Kitty after bringing home more than 600 items from the gardens he prowls at night. His owners say his record theft is eleven items in one spree. He has been caught on camera carrying home a bra.[2]

Early years

Born on March 20, 2006, Dusty is a Snowshoe cat who lives in San Mateo, California. He was adopted from the Peninsula Humane Society by Jean Chu and Jim Coleman.[3]

His first two years of life were uneventful, but in 2008, his owners began to notice household objects that did not belong to them appearing in strange places, and they began to suspect that their cat was bringing them home, a suspicion that they were eventually able to confirm.[4]

Notoriety

Although his thievery began in 2008, Dusty didn't really receive notoriety outside of his neighborhood until the Animal Planet show Must Love Cats aired a profile of him in February 2011. The "Must Love Cats" crew was able to set up a motion-triggered night vision camera and catch Dusty in the act of bringing home his spoils.[5] The Animal Planet report led to a February 14, 2011, story by Vic Lee of KGO-TV of San Francisco,[6] and Dusty's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on February 22, 2011.

Cultural relevance

Since his appearances on Letterman and other national news outlets, Dusty has become a minor national and international celebrity. He has appeared at many community events in the San Francisco Bay Area and has made appearances on many national and international news outlets. He served as the Grand Marshal of the Redwood City Pet Parade in May 2011, and appeared at a fundraiser for the Peninsula Humane Society in June 2011.[7]

Because of the kitty-cam footage for the Animal Planet documentary, Dusty's behavior became a bonus feature in a three-minute short on the DVD release for the 2011 movie Puss in Boots. It is entitled "Klepto Kitty".[5]

Because Dusty was an adoptee from the Peninsula Humane Society animal shelter, he made a celebrity appearance at their annual adopt-a-thon in June, 2011. Some of his unclaimed stolen items were displayed and given away in exchange for donations.[3]

To keep his fans up to date with his finds, his owners maintain his Facebook page and provide pictures of the items that Dusty brings home.

References

  1. ↑ Letterman, David. "Late Show with David Letterman". World Wide Pants.
  2. ↑ "Dusty the Klepto Kitty is a one-cat crime wave". Metro Web UK. Metro. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 Carina Woudenberg (24 June 2011). "Dusty the 'Klepto Kitty' to help Peninsula Humane Society's annual Adopt-a-thon on Saturday". San Jose Mercury News. San Mateo County Times. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Carolyn Jones (19 June 2011). "Cat steals from everyone in San Mateo neighborhood". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Klepto kitty's owners find out how he operates". Peninsula News. Peninsula ABC News (San Mateo California). 5 November 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Lee, Vic. "Klepto feline gives new meaning to 'cat' burglar". KGO-TV San Francisco.
  7. ↑ ""Klepto Cat" to make celebrity appearance". KGO-TV San Francisco.

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, October 31, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.