Ordinarily, perpetrators of breaking & entering, petty theft, and grand larceny eventually find themselves being poked with the pointy end of the law. In the case of one Tuxedoed Domestic Shorthair named Juno, such acts have been met with international fame, worldwide admiration, and even a nomination for honorary mayor. Since 2019, this prolific cat burglar has brought home more than 1,800 items, ranging from gloves, rags, and clothes to toys, plants, and tools. If she can carry it, consider it hers.
Juno was an orphaned five-week-old feral kitten who found herself in the home of Connie Geston in West Los Angeles, California, in 2015. As is often the case with kittens who have not had the standard socialization period with a litter, Juno was something of a wild child, whose antisocial behavior only started to calm down when she was allowed out for supervised outdoor adventures. As time went on, Juno became much calmer at home, but more independent and insistent on setting her own hours and territory. However, it wasn’t until she was around four years old that she started to perplex Connie by returning from her daily exploration with various household items.
Political Career
During the height of the Covid epidemic, Juno’s kleptomania really started to hit its stride, and her habit of hoarding plastic gloves, face masks, and steri-wipes earned her the admiration of the local community for her efforts to ‘clean up the hood.’ As her popularity was steadily gaining momentum, locals suggested that her efforts ought to be recognized in ‘paw-litical’ circles, with a nomination for honorary mayor in 2020. Unfortunately, being under 18 years of age and not human took her out of the running.
The Collection
When random items first started to appear in the house and around the garden, Juno’s family was mildly perplexed but not overly concerned. But when the number of items doubled from 60 to 132 from October to the end of December 2019, they decided it was time to start cataloguing her ill-gotten gains.
Fortunately for this sticky-fingered feline, the victims of her criminal proclivities are more amused than affronted, no doubt owing to the fact that the monetary value of Juno’s prized possessions is generally low. Had she developed a penchant for diamonds or small, green pictures of Benjamin Franklin, her thievery might not have been so well received!
Charitable and Entrepreneurial Endeavors
Not content to simply pilfer and provide entertainment, Juno has also tried her hand at charitable work, using her fame and theft to help raise money and awareness for a number of causes, such as animal shelters, rescues, and supporting Ukraine. In 2021, she pledged $1 for every rag she gathered to the animal shelter assistance program (ASAP Cats) during their ‘Giving Tuesday’ campaign, ending with a total of 225 rags.
When you visit her website and see the heading ‘Shop,’ you might wonder if Juno is attempting to offload items from her prolific collection, but no. What you will find is a cute collection of ‘Juno’ themed merchandise. How amusing it would be for Connie to someday discover that a ‘Klepto Kat’ tote bag has been dragged into her garden.
Whilst the bric-a-brac, bits-and-bobs, and knick-knacks that Juno has hunted and gathered over the years are of very little value in the traditional sense, as her fame rises, perhaps she may one day find her collection fetching a respectable price at auction.
Why Does She Do It?
Why does Juno spend her days and nights searching for treasure and trinkets, only to head back out for more? The trouble with this question is that it requires a deep understanding of the feline psyche and motivation, an area that even the most dedicated ailurophiles and feline specialists have yet to master. One could hypothesize that her early separation from mother and littermates has left her with an unrequited yet displaced mothering instinct. Perhaps she is driven by an instinctive need to hunt, but is not aware that socks are not typical feline prey. Or it could be for a reason that we humans could never hope to fully comprehend, and only Juno herself will ever know.
If you want to follow Juno the Klepto Kat’s hilarious adventures, you can find her here:
- Instagram: JunoTheKleptoKat
- TikTok: junothekleptokat
- Facebook: JunoTheKleptoKat
