A woman was surprised to find many things that did not belong to her. Her cat had stolen them from the neighborhood and, while this may seem funny, it is not uncommon for a feline to have a tendency towards kleptomania. The many possible reasons.
Rachel Ward, 36, is a Welsh woman who has lived in Menai Bridge for 11 years now. She has five cats, Alfie, Ruper, Arthur, Amber and Marvin. The latter is a one-year-old black cat who has a strange habit: he steals clothes from the neighbours to bring them home. In June 2024, she saw him come home with a pair of black socks, and that was far from the only thing he stole!When I came home from work, there were new items on the floor. Sometimes he’d come in and make a noise, almost like he wanted to say he was pleased with himself after stealing things from someone’s house.”recalls Rachel Ward in an interview with the SWNS news agency.
Using a surveillance camera, she catches Marvin going through the cat flap while bringing back his theft, probably after having entered the houses of the neighborhood by taking advantage of the open windows. The young black cat still brought back no less than 12 socks, a bib, baby onesies, a napkin, a child’s sweater, a hanger for children’s clothes, baby pants and a jacket.
But Marvin is far from being an isolated case. All over the world, media outlets report funny stories of kleptomaniac cats. It must be said that it is often a mania among these adorable little felines, and the reasons behind this phenomenon are numerous. This can be explained by the cat’s predatory instinct, by its desire to play or receive attention, by the fact that it is bored, that it is territorial, that it likes to possess things or that it is in the process of nesting (which is particularly found in pregnant cats), by its natural curiosity, because it is stressed or because it wants to recover objects associated with a positive experience (or that resemble one).
Asked by Be ChewyAmerican veterinarian Aimee Simpson explains that this behavior, which can be funny, nevertheless presents risks. Indeed, the objects stolen by cats are often things that they can swallow (hair ties, rubber bands, paper clips, etc.) and this can create an obstruction in their digestive system. She even managed to remove an entire swimsuit top from the stomach of one of her furry patients!
She therefore recommends being vigilant and consulting in the event of a change in behavior in your little companion, which may indicate that something is wrong. As for preventing this kleptomaniac behavior, she indicates that you should not get angry with him because, if he seeks attention, he will start again to get it again. Instead, she recommends spending more time with him to play and to set up a stimulating environment, with places where he can perch, hide and rest, others to sharpen his claws, and by leaving toys at his disposal.