Cat burglars: scientists try to solve mystery of why felines 'steal' random objects

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jul/20/cat-burglars-scientists-try-to-solve-mystery-of-why-felines-steal-random-objects

Cat burglars: scientists try to solve mystery of why felines ‘steal’ random objects

Researchers unsure why animals turn up with items such as socks and gloves – but agree pilfered items are not presents

Ian Sample Science editor
Sat 20 Jul 2024 02.00 EDT

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The Frigiliana three are repeat offenders, but they are not the only cats to be rumbled. Charlie, a rescue cat from Bristol, was dubbed the most prolific cat burglar in Britain after bringing home plastic toys, clothes pegs, a rubber duck, glasses and cutlery. His owner, Alice Bigge, once woke to a plastic diplodocus, one of many nabbed from a nearby nursery, next to her head on the pillow. It reminded her of the infamous scene in The Godfather. She puts the items on a wall outside for owners to reclaim.

Another cat, Dusty from San Mateo in California, had more than 600 known thefts, once returning with 11 items on one night. His haul included Crocs, a baseball cap and a pair of swimming trunks. The bra found in the house was fortunately spotted on a video of Dusty coming in. In a feat of accidental social commentary, another cat, Cleo from Texas, came home with a computer mouse.

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“Animals, including humans, respond to very simple stimuli,” says Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Lincoln. “Something blowing in the wind might trigger hunting behaviour. Having ‘caught’ some weird items, cats may well decide to bring them back. I don’t think they’re thinking of them as gifts. It’s the simple rules of life that the cat brain operates to.”

Jemma Forman, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex who has studied cats playing fetch, agrees that the pets do not come bearing gifts. She says: “When it comes to cats, normally the explanation is they’re doing it for themselves.”

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