About a year and a half ago, we adopted two kittens out of the wild. One (Chloe) is solid black; the other (Zoe) is calico or tortoiseshell. Both are exceedingly affectionate and playful.
Both are also unreformable thieves.
Chloe started out stealing office supplies. That was a problem for my wife Beth, whose home office setup is such that it cannot be closed off to the cats...or the dogs...or me, for that matter. Anyway, to this point Chloe has made away with pens, pencils, pads of Post-It notes, a couple of index cards, and a coupon for a free dinner for two sent to us as an inducement to listen to some clown tell us about estate planning strategies. She usually takes them into her lair, where they may be found later. Our original speculation was that she simply liked to chew on them. More recently, Beth theorized that Chloe was planning to start her own business. I think she was attempting to write the Great Feline Novel.
Zoe steals towels. Usually hand towels; sometimes washcloths. She doesn’t seem to have a use for them, as we find them all over the house...that is, when we do find them. There’s one that’s been missing for two months. Maybe when I finally happen upon it, I’ll find the mates to all my odd socks, too.
A couple of weeks ago, things changed. For a couple of days, Chloe laid off the office supplies and started stealing towels along with Zoe. I don’t think Zoe was pleased about it; after all, her sister was cutting into her own scope for larceny. But that phase did come to an end fairly quickly. However, what followed it was disturbing.
Chloe has taken to stealing poofs.
If the word is unfamiliar, that’s because it’s a lousy word. It designates an irregular handful of nylon netting, held together by a string, which is used to scrub oneself in the shower. We have two showers, each of which is supplied with two poofs. Therefore, at any given time, here in the Fortress of Crankitude four poofs are deployed.
That is, until Chloe gets to them. Chloe has been carrying them off regularly and with enthusiasm. They’re a bit harder to find than the office supplies she used to steal or the hand towels her sister makes off with. We don’t try to prevent her; as Beth puts it, if we deprive her of the poofs, what might she decide to steal next? But we have pondered what she might want with them. She doesn’t play with them; she merely hides them somewhere and waits for us to find them and return them to their appointed stations.
The only potential explanation we have at the moment is that Chloe is readying herself to wash whatever (or whoever) Zoe intends to dry. Farfetched? Perhaps. But unless this is some sort of conditioning program – the cats conditioning the humans, that is – we have no other theories.
Are there any other Bombers with larcenous pets? Have you figured out what they intend to do with their prizes?
UPDATE: In response to "popular demand:"
Chloe:
Zoe:
Both are also unreformable thieves.
Chloe started out stealing office supplies. That was a problem for my wife Beth, whose home office setup is such that it cannot be closed off to the cats...or the dogs...or me, for that matter. Anyway, to this point Chloe has made away with pens, pencils, pads of Post-It notes, a couple of index cards, and a coupon for a free dinner for two sent to us as an inducement to listen to some clown tell us about estate planning strategies. She usually takes them into her lair, where they may be found later. Our original speculation was that she simply liked to chew on them. More recently, Beth theorized that Chloe was planning to start her own business. I think she was attempting to write the Great Feline Novel.
Zoe steals towels. Usually hand towels; sometimes washcloths. She doesn’t seem to have a use for them, as we find them all over the house...that is, when we do find them. There’s one that’s been missing for two months. Maybe when I finally happen upon it, I’ll find the mates to all my odd socks, too.
A couple of weeks ago, things changed. For a couple of days, Chloe laid off the office supplies and started stealing towels along with Zoe. I don’t think Zoe was pleased about it; after all, her sister was cutting into her own scope for larceny. But that phase did come to an end fairly quickly. However, what followed it was disturbing.
Chloe has taken to stealing poofs.
If the word is unfamiliar, that’s because it’s a lousy word. It designates an irregular handful of nylon netting, held together by a string, which is used to scrub oneself in the shower. We have two showers, each of which is supplied with two poofs. Therefore, at any given time, here in the Fortress of Crankitude four poofs are deployed.
That is, until Chloe gets to them. Chloe has been carrying them off regularly and with enthusiasm. They’re a bit harder to find than the office supplies she used to steal or the hand towels her sister makes off with. We don’t try to prevent her; as Beth puts it, if we deprive her of the poofs, what might she decide to steal next? But we have pondered what she might want with them. She doesn’t play with them; she merely hides them somewhere and waits for us to find them and return them to their appointed stations.
The only potential explanation we have at the moment is that Chloe is readying herself to wash whatever (or whoever) Zoe intends to dry. Farfetched? Perhaps. But unless this is some sort of conditioning program – the cats conditioning the humans, that is – we have no other theories.
Are there any other Bombers with larcenous pets? Have you figured out what they intend to do with their prizes?
UPDATE: In response to "popular demand:"
Chloe:
Zoe:
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