Dusty the Klepto Kitty

Dusty the Klepto Kitty is a domestic Snowshoe cat who gained notoriety in early 2011 for his acts of "cat 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][2]

Dusty
Other name(s)Dusty the Klepto Kitty
SpeciesFelis catus
BreedSnowshoe
SexMale
Born (2006-03-20) March 20, 2006
San Mateo, California, U.S.
OccupationCat burglar
Years active2008–Present
OwnerJean Chu and Jim Coleman

He earned the nickname Klepto Kitty after bringing home more than 600 items from the gardens he prowled at night. His owners say his record theft is eleven items in one spree. He has been caught on camera carrying home a bra.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] The Animal Planet report led to a February 14, 2011, story by Vic Lee of KGO-TV of San Francisco,[7] 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.[8]

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".[6]

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 sold.[4]

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.

gollark: Cool!
gollark: Do computers usually have ominous arms™, ominous purple™, and such?
gollark: What? This is the optimal color.
gollark: (the purple bits are brain)
gollark: https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/STCr6EKAir6aq8GyMhc2dYcaxXEawxbg7rVIh4kBNt4/https/media.wired.com/photos/6126c73a67168b68f9ecec64/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/Business-ASML-The-EUV-system-without-its-covers-%28ASML%29.jpg

References
  1. Letterman, David. "Late Show with David Letterman". World Wide Pants.
  2. "Meet Dusty, The California Cat Burglar Who's Actually a Cat". Time. June 21, 2011.
  3. "Dusty the Klepto Kitty is a one-cat crime wave". Metro Web UK. Metro. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. 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.
  5. Carolyn Jones (19 June 2011). "Cat steals from everyone in San Mateo neighborhood". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  6. Vic Lee (5 November 2012). "Klepto's Owners Find Out How He Operates". ABC News: San Francisco 7 News. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  7. Lee, Vic. "Klepto feline gives new meaning to 'cat' burglar". KGO-TV San Francisco. Archived from the original on 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  8. ""Klepto Cat" to make celebrity appearance". KGO-TV San Francisco. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2019-07-30.

Further reading
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