Oregon Woman Calls Out Her Pet for Stealing from Neighbors with 'My Cat Is a Thief' Yard Sign

Maria Pasquini
·2 min read
9

This cat burglar has been caught red-handed!

Oregon woman Kate Felmet decided to take action after her outdoor cat Esme kept bringing home masks, gloves, and other household items, which the feline stole from their neighbors.

Playfully addressing the kitty crimes, Felmet put up a sign in her yard reading "My cat is a thief," which featured a drawing of Esme with a pilfered glove in her mouth. Next to the sign sits a clothesline filled with the various items Esme has come home with, which passersby are encouraged to take back should they recognize something of their own that's gone missing.

"As soon as I put the sign up, she went for a week of not bringing me anything," Felmet told KOIN. "I had the impression she was a little mad about it."

Although most people stop by to take pictures, Felmet said she did once see a "school bus drive by and take a few pairs of gloves."

KOIN 6

RELATED: Margaret Cho Says Her Pets 'Rescued' Her: They 'Taught Me About Unconditional Love'

Felmet previously explained that she first noticed that Esme had sticky paws last spring.

"She brought home 11 masks in one day," she said according to U.K. outlet The Mirror. "I was so delighted that she wasn't bringing me birds, and she got a lot of praise - and maybe a few treats for the gifts that weren't recently alive."

Since then, Esme has brought home a wide variety of items, including "several bathing suits, knee pads, rolls of tapes, packages of paint rollers and lengths of fabric."

And when it comes to gloves, Esme has a particular way she likes to show off her handiwork.

"She brings them separately but almost always goes back to get the second glove," explained Felmet.

Never miss a story - sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

However, despite what others may think about her sign, Felmet said she's not trying to shame her cat, who seems incredibly proud of her handiwork.

"When she brings them, she comes to the back door and yowls, like 'Wooooar!' until I come and tell her she's done a good job," Felmet told KOIN.