Southampton cat keeps stealing underwear from across Portswood (From This is Hampshire)
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Southampton cat keeps stealing underwear from across Portswood
11:20am Thursday 8th July 2010 in
More stories about: Portswood
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- By Ash Bolton » Senior Winchester Reporter
HE’S not your average cat burglar.
Standing just 12 inches tall and sporting a ginger and white fur coat, meet one of Southampton’s most prolific underwear thieves.
Over the past few weeks Oscar the cheeky feline has stolen various’ ladies knickers, countless socks and more than his fair share of gardening gloves.
The 13-year-old’s owners became so concerned about his habit they even phoned police in case neighbours thought they were stealing their clothes.
Now owners Peter and Birgitt, who are fostering Oscar, plan to adopt the kleptomaniac cat after falling in love with his habit of bringing them up to ten “presents” a day.
Peter Weismantel, 72, of Gordon Avenue, Portswood, said: “He started bringing socks home a few months ago and then gardening gloves which we tracked to our neighbour. Then we had a situation in which he brought back young women’s underwear.
Bear in mind we live in a student area we didn’t know what to do and thought it would go away.
“Then it began to escalate and I telephoned the police as people must have been missing clothes – especially with women’s underwear being taken.
“But he just doesn’t stop.
He’s still doing it now.
We are thinking of training him as Fagin.”
Over the last three weeks Oscar has brought home dozens of socks, various ladies knickers, builder’s gloves, a knee-pad, a paint roller, rubber gloves and gardening gloves.
Earlier this week he brought home, one by one, ten pairs of children’s underpants.
Birgitt Weismantel, 56, who has been fostering Oscar from the Southampton Cats Protection charity since Christmas, said: “He brings them back as presents. We can’t give him back now as he makes such an effort with all these gifts. He’s got a lovely personality and is a very loving cat.
“I think we fell in love with him before he started taking all these things. It was just so touching to see him come home every day with something for us.
“When he can’t find us anything decent he brings us back some newspaper or a Jcloth.
“If any readers in the Portswood area are missing the said items of underwear it would be good to put their minds at rest that it’s only a cat pinching and not someone more unpleasant.”
Birgitt added that the police now have a detailed description of Oscar and have logged his thefts, which are believed to total around 70.
The CPL
OSCAR was looked after by the Southampton branch of the Cats Protection Society before being adopted. They currently have lots of cats and kittens needing homes. Last year the Southampton branch rehomed 320 cats and neutered more than 500. For more information visit southampton.cats.org.uk or contact 0845 3712718.
Comments(19)
OSPREYSAINT
says...
11:39am Thu 8 Jul 10
5outhy wrote:I doubt kitty knicker nicker would like you much either!
I hate cats
Block41row0sfc
says...
11:45am Thu 8 Jul 10
down to earth
says...
11:47am Thu 8 Jul 10
Shoong
says...
11:48am Thu 8 Jul 10
Wall_Ace
says...
11:57am Thu 8 Jul 10
down to earth wrote:I don't like cats, does that make me a bad person? Do you hate me?
i hate anyone who hates cats
Ridiculous thing to say.
OSPREYSAINT
says...
11:59am Thu 8 Jul 10
Jonesy 87
says...
12:25pm Thu 8 Jul 10
5outhy
says...
12:28pm Thu 8 Jul 10
down to earth wrote:i hate anyone wou hates anyone who hates cats
i hate anyone who hates cats
Spot O'Bother
says...
12:29pm Thu 8 Jul 10
jono1974
says...
12:32pm Thu 8 Jul 10
taraquinn
says...
12:39pm Thu 8 Jul 10
bemused26
says...
12:49pm Thu 8 Jul 10
I suspect Oscar from this story is doing this to show his appreciation to his 'foster parents' seeing as they have been looking after him. I saw his story on the CPL website and felt very sorry for him! Unfortunately I'm not in a position to adopt a cat just yet, though I'm pleased to see the fosterers have decided to keep him on at their home.
There was a cat that made the BBC news a year or two ago as he kept coming home with socks that he'd pinched from the neighbours. I think it's cute :)
Mental Micky
says...
1:59pm Thu 8 Jul 10
angelsaint
says...
2:09pm Thu 8 Jul 10
down to earth wrote:I REALLY hate cats
i hate anyone who hates cats
lowe esteem
says...
2:22pm Thu 8 Jul 10
wilson castaway
says...
4:47pm Thu 8 Jul 10
Mr E
says...
6:57pm Thu 8 Jul 10
msmstud
says...
8:14pm Thu 22 Jul 10
http://icanhascheezb
urger.com/2010/07/15
/funny-pictures-cat-
burglar/
http://www.themalays
ianinsider.com/world
/article/cat-burglar
-that-likes-washing-
line-knickers/
http://www.clickonde
troit.com/family/242
61098/detail.html
After the line, "...one of Southampton’s most prolific underwear thieves," I glanced about for links to the other articles pertaining to Southampton underwear thieves.
Unfortunately, geography is tricky for some internet journalists:
http://www.newkerala
.com/news/fullnews-1
42593.html
I've yet to read, "Precocious Puddy Nicks Knickers! Coppers Complacent."
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Oscar the cat with just some of his haul
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5outhy says...
11:28am Thu 8 Jul 10