A 12-year-old black and white cat, ‘Taboo’ has made a name for herself in West Yorkshire for stealing various items from neighbouring homes near The Oval, but has also helped forge unlikely connections within the local community. From socks to underwear, the fleet-footed feline shows no signs of slowing down.
The Loot Left Behind
Owner Sandra Danskin often finds herself returning home from night shifts with Taboo’s stolen gifts waiting for her. According to Danskin, Taboo has become so adept at her craft that she is rarely caught in the act.
“Whenever I come home from my shift there are all sorts of things waiting for me, either dragged in through the cat flap or left on the drive,” Danskin told SWNS. “This morning I had four pairs of socks and a pair of underpants. She loves bringing back items of clothing like that, but also we’ve had a mop head and kitchen rolls.
“We even had half a dozen eggs once, still in their box, but all broken. We think she must have taken them off someone’s doorstep when the milkman dropped them off.”
Now, Sandra regularly posts photos of Taboo’s thieving sprees on Facebook and residents are quick to comment and claim their missing items.
A Master Of Stealth
The tactful Taboo is believed to swipe clothes from washing lines and sneak into homes unnoticed when doors are left open. There was, however, a rare instance where a neighbour spotted her trying to take a T-shirt from his clothes dryer.
The cat-thief is meticulous in her heists, with Danskin, 62, saying, “If she brings back a sock she will always go back and get the matching one so there’s a pair.
“I have a box full of stuff she’s brought for me and every now and then I go on Facebook and post a photo of it all so people can claim it.”
Taboo is no stranger to the criminal word. Originally a house cat living with Danskin’s daughter, Gemma, Taboo started by stealing clothes from her dryer and moving them around the house.
When Gemma could no longer manage her cat’s antics, Taboo moved in with Danskin and pursued her criminal career full-time around the local neighbourhood.
“Whenever she gets something she sits outside and makes this high-pitched whining noise to let me know,” Danskin said. ‘’I’ve tried talking to her about it but she doesn’t change her ways. I’ve never heard of a cat doing anything like this before, and she shows no signs of stopping.’’
While Taboo’s pilfering adventures may continue, the local community now embraces her as their resident cat burglar-keeping everyone on their toes, and their socks in pairs.
