A mischievous cat named Leo has become a local celebrity in New Zealand after stealing more than 150 items from his neighbours.
The 14-month-old Tonkinese cat lives with his owner, Helen North, and has earned the nickname Leonardo da Pinchy for his sneaky habit of collecting clothes.
Leo has been stealing socks, underwear, gardening gloves, and even sports jerseys for the past nine months. He often drops the stolen items on the floor and then goes about his day, not bothering with them again.
“He’s not too fussy,” said North. “He’s even brought home brand-new clothing, toys, and once a five-foot-long stuffed snake twice!”
Sunday is Leo’s busiest day for “crime” because many neighbours hang laundry outside then. Leo takes advantage of this and snatches whatever he can reach from the clotheslines.
Although Leo can be a handful, North uses Facebook and local message groups to return the missing items to their owners.
“He’s just being a curious kitten,” North said with a laugh.
