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London's Cat-napper

Matt Van Hoven

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October 23, 2007

Someone has been kidnapping – or cat-napping – cats from the Bramley Crescent neighborhood in London.

For some time, residents whose pets have gone missing didn't know what to think.

But in an anonymous letter sent to each owner, the culprit is all but identified. The writer stated a friend set the cats free in an undisclosed location 25 miles away. They were allegedly unharmed.

The letter complains that the cats were captured in the writer's garden.

The note goes on to say that the cats constantly invaded neighborhood gardens. It says, “We are fed up with 'MY' children coming in from the garden with cat 'poo' on their hands.'

Amongst other complaints, the letter states that the cats leave piles of bird feathers on the lawn and urinate on 'expensive shrubbery.'

Finally, the culprit threatens that if the cats somehow make it back to their owners and are caught in the garden again, they will be destroyed.

Based on the letter, it's been determined that the guilty party lives on the same street where the cats were stolen.

The cats' owners are obviously distressed by the loss, since it isn't likely they'll see their pets again.

For now, police are investigating. But so far, none of the cats have returned.

Tell us what you think about London's cat-napper, by commenting under this story. You can send us a video by clicking on the zootooTV tab.

Share your story ideas by emailing us at



Tags

london, missing, cats, lost & found, international

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486 comments found.
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siegewolf
siegewolf
1 year ago
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Let's hope they find the animals in safe conditions and they get back to their rightful homes.
 
nicolekoller
nicolekoller
1 year ago
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a cat napper. . is that a step down fron a kid napper.. talk about BADdd.

and so rudeeee to cat oWnerRRs
 
MaterialGurl
MaterialGurl
1 year ago
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thats so sad, how can someone do such a thing
 
brent g.
brent g. (brentgustafson313)
1 year ago
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if people keep there pets under control. then everything will be ok.
 
Kelly013
Kelly013
1 year ago
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I dont think someone should steal pets for going to the bathroom outside. That is rediculous.
 
marinomike
marinomike
1 year ago
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people should learn to keep their pets inside then everyone will be happy
 
mtreezy
mtreezy
1 year ago
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i admit, i used to kidnap cats. now i go across the nation telling high school students about how bad it is.
 
Karyl
Karyl
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
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Why would you kidnap cats, i know a lot of them are really cute but just look in the free section of the paper i'm sure there are some. they wouldn't like if their cat got stolen so don't steal others cats.
 
shelterhelper03
shelterhelper03
1 year ago
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the londons cat napper is an idiot who kidnapps cats lol
 
shelterhelper02
shelterhelper02
1 year ago
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it is not a good idea for anyone to let their cats rome the neigborhood, the owners need to be more watchful of their animals.
 
Lana S.
Lana S. (critterfriend)
1 year ago
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I had a neighbor who did this too! Fortunately my cat was a house cat!
 
LoriHill123
LoriHill123
1 year ago
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Did he get caught and punished?
 
Ashlee S.
Ashlee S. (ashleerdh)
1 year ago
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Not a good idea to just let your cats wander the neighborhood for a variety of reasons, crazy neighbors included!!!! I don't condone the cat nappers actions, I get sick and tired of cleaning up other dogs poo from my yard too, but I would never dream of taking this type of action
 
Mark B.
Mark B. (fortissimo37)
1 year ago
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If the cats are going to the bathroom on expensive shrubbery, then why does the person have expensive shrubbery?
 
Janie
Janie (wildlifephotomom)
1 year ago
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I would never let my cats out to roam. There is no way. If you want to keep your pets safe then keep them inside.
 
Aimee R.
Aimee R. (proudmom31)
1 year ago
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I don't agree that it is ok to let your cat outside. You got a pet for a reason and it is your responsibility to keep them out of harm. What if the cat had gotten run over by a car?
However I think the catnapper could have handled this in an entirely different manner, maybe talked to the cat owner and threatened to call animal control before stealing the cat. It may not be able to survive 25 miles outside of town.
 
ruthie
ruthie (ruthiegirl66)
1 year ago
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I think something must have happened to the cats because My brother once had a cat that hated being indoors so he relocated her to a farm several miles from where they live thinking she would be happier and a couple of weeks later that cat was on his doorstep, she didnt stay at the farm, she came back home to stay.
 
JacquelineR
JacquelineR
1 year ago
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keep your cats in!!
 
Patty B.
Patty B. (patbow)
1 year ago
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I think cats should be house pets and not allowed to wander.
 
Hughie
Hughie
1 year ago
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Under these circumstances, I think everyone in that neighborhood should keep their cats inside for awhile until this person is caught or cools off for awhile.
 
Jill6Johnson
Jill6Johnson
1 year ago
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this does not surprise me, but why would anyone let their cats outside in the city if they really loved them
 
Fawnest
Fawnest
1 year ago
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ITA that the neighbor needs to chill- and I love the comment about "not handling catpoop"! IME, children know not to handle poop so I have a hard time believing the entire content of the nasty letter.
 
Kate
Kate (Pheline)
1 year ago
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I lived in Urbana, IL when there was an evil catnapper- we worried incessantly about our cat but he survived it. Luckily the guy was caught and arrested for breaking and entry.

I think the neighbor needs to settle down and teach his kids to not handle catpoop.
 
jdog123
jdog123
1 year ago
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All the more reason to keep the cats inside.
 
Cfox929
Cfox929
1 year ago
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Must be a popular yard. I am sure someone has seen or knows something if there are this many cats involved. I hope they find their way to a good home even though it probably won't be their previous one. Would like to hear of an update on this at some point in time.
 
lizardlover27
lizardlover27
1 year ago
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Better to keep your kittys inside where they are safe
 
lizardlover27
lizardlover27
1 year ago
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I do hope these cats are all right as for the nappers who knows who might have done this...Someone that should have taken a different way of doing things
 
chiefwab
chiefwab
1 year ago
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letting cats out in cities is not the best idea, very unsafe idea
 
chiefwab
chiefwab
1 year ago
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keep your cats inside>>>>>>
 
GRAM B.
GRAM B. (paweba)
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 3 users liked it.
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I also think the different people that had a problem with the cats should have made a effort to tell the cats owners there was a proble, so actually no one is right here.
 
GRAM B.
GRAM B. (paweba)
1 year ago
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I have the perfect solution, cats should be kept inside. The people that do not the cats in the gardens would not have this problem. As well the owners of the cats would not have to wonder where their cats are.
 
WANSTREET
WANSTREET
1 year ago
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I can see both sides of this story but neither one is right. If you have a problem with cats in the neighborhood call animal control. However, there would not be a problem in the neighborhood if people kept their pets inside, safe and sound.
 
Hannanahmom
Hannanahmom
1 year ago
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This coward couldn't contact neighbors to complain and try to work things out rather than steal and dump these poor cats? That's a cop out. I feel so bad for these families. I hope they catch the person responsible, but unfortunately that won't return the cats to their families!
 
Nancy N.
Nancy N. (Malenkie)
1 year ago
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This story is yet another compelling argument for keeping cats safe and sound INDOORS. As others have said, London is a huge city with busy traffic. Letting the cats out is opening yourself up to heartbreak.
 
greenkitty44
greenkitty44
1 year ago
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If the people would keep their pets indoors, this would not be a problem at all....Instead of taking the cats away, the person who cat napped them could have tried to speak to the neighbors first and see if they would be willing to keep them inside.
 
Nancy N.
Nancy N. (Malenkie)
1 year ago
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I agree with you. Irresponsible behavior all around.
 
Natalie
Natalie (Doulton)
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 1 user liked it.
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Cat-napping would be prevented if cats stayed indoors. In a huge city like London it must be especially dangerous to let your cats out.
 
iseeurn
iseeurn
1 year ago
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keep an eye on your pets!!
 
Kindra H.
Kindra H. (khillcwapr)
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
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Keep your cats indoors and they can not be cat napped!
 
Natalie
Natalie (Doulton)
1 year ago
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That really is the neat and elegant solution.
 
David R.
David R. (Wally)
1 year ago
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This cat-napper is absolutely wrong. But Londoners live in a huge city with savage traffic and should be educated to keep their cats indoors.
 
Hughie
Hughie
1 year ago
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What a sad story - all those people losing their cats. I hope the person who did this is caught and punished. And, hopefully, other cat owners in the neighborhood will keep their cats inside until this person is caught.
 
renee a.
renee a. (happypaws)
1 year ago
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This is to the extreme but you sould respect others to. If you are in a city. Then they sould be kept in the house. Me being a animal lover,I still don;t expect someone to clean up my pets mess. Its the owners fault that this happened, they could of kept them safe. But the other people had no right to steal them and dump them off. Shame on both them.
 
absit
absit
1 year ago
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this is weird, why would you go through that trouble of kidnapping pets
 
cat100
cat100
1 year ago
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What ever happened with washing your hands
 
Doggieluvs
Doggieluvs
1 year ago
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Boo hiss cat haters.
 
PennyOnTheFloor
PennyOnTheFloor
1 year ago
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Wow. Didn't realize that anyone would take it to this extreme. And if you're concered with your children having cat feces on their hands-- shouldn't the lesson be taught not to play with it????
 
loishill
loishill
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 2 users liked it.
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What is wrong with people
 
Sue R.
Sue R. (suerob)
1 year ago
Flag this | Good Point | 3 users liked it.
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Should be able to work it out in a better way.
 
hymcheng
hymcheng
1 year ago
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This is going to extreme!
 
Jeanie M.
Jeanie M. (muttlvr)
1 year ago
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This is like setting off an atom bomb to move a tree stump - way way way beyond what was necessary. I'd like to know how she was so successful in capturing cats in her garden if she wasn't luring them there into traps.
 
waoconn
waoconn
1 year ago
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What is wrong with people.
 
Lauren A.
Lauren A. (latkins)
1 year ago
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