Dusty the Klepto Kitty

Dusty
Other appellation(s)	Dusty the Klepto Kitty
Species	Cat
Breed	Snowshoe
Sex	Male
Born	20 March 2006 San Mateo, California, U.S.
Occupation	Cat burglar
Years active	2008-Present
Owner	Jean Chu and Jim Coleman

Dusty the Klepto Kitty is a domestic 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 clothes, 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 Whammos, 1 golf 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]

Early years

Born on March 20, 2006, and adopted from the Peninsula Humane Society by Jean Chu and Jim Coleman, Dusty is a Snowshoe cat who lives in San Mateo, California.

His first two years of life were uneventful but in 2008, his owners began to notice household objects that didn't belong to them in strange places. After his owners determined that those objects did not belong to them, they began to suspect that their cat was bringing them home, a suspicion that they were eventually able to confirm.

Although his thievery began in 2008, Dusty didn't really receive notoriety outside of his neighborhood until the Animal Planet show Must Love Cats did 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.^[2] The Animal Planet report led to a February 14, 2011, story by Vic Lee of KGO-TV of San Francisco, CA^[3] and Dusty's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on February 22, 2011.

Cultural relevance

Since his appearances on David Letterman and other national news outlets, Dusty has become a minor national and international celebrity. He has appeared at many community events in the Bay Area of California and has made appearances on many national and international news outlets. He served as the Grand Marshall of the Redwood City Pet Parade in May 2011, and appeared at a fundraiser for the Peninsula Humane Society in July 2011.^[4] He is in talks to be featured on the DVD special features for the 2011 movie "Puss in Boots".^[5] .

To keep his fans up to date with his finds, his owners operate the Facebook page Dusty Klepto Kitty - The REAL One and provide pictures of the items that Dusty brings home every night.

References

1. ^ Letterman, David. "Late Show with David Letterman". World Wide Pants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcfq6zcGPV0. 
2. ^ "Must Love Cats". Dusty the Klepto Cat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhRW4WmfrDA. 
3. ^ Lee, Vic. "Dusty". Klepto feline gives new meaning to 'cat' burglar. KGO-TV San Francisco. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=7958889. 
4. ^ ""Klepto Cat" to make celebrity appearance". KGO-TV San Francisco. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=8207456. 
5. ^ "Dusty Klepto Kitty - The REAL One". Friday - October 28th - WHAT A BUSY DAY FOR DUSTY!. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dusty-Klepto-Kitty-The-REAL-One/151649141562164?sk=wall&filter=2.