Beware of Puyallup’s cat burglar. He’s stolen a wallet, keychains and quite a few shoes
There is a burglar who roams around downtown Puyallup. He strikes between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
He weighs about 15 pounds, and he has grey and white fur.
He goes by the name Oakley, named after the popular sunglasses, apparel and accessories company.
“Your porches and decks are no longer safe!” Puyallup resident Mackenzie Kuhnle wrote July 24 on the Being Neighborly: Puyallup Facebook page. “My cat, the thief, will strike whenever he wants!”
Kuhnle’s cat, Oakley, often brings random items to her front porch. She told The News Tribune that she has seen women’s sandals, men’s shoes, clothing and even a bag of keychains on her porch.
Oakley is an indoor and outdoor cat. He meows constantly and loudly by the front door if he’s not let out, Kuhnle said.
“When I tell you this cat is loud, I can hear him on the opposite side of my house,” Kuhnle said. “He meows like a small dog barking to be let in.”
The Being Neighborly: Puyallup page has about 13,400 members. More than 500 of them reacted to Kuhnle’s July 24 post. She also posted about Oakley’s finds on the same page July 22, and got more than 300 reactions.
Oakley, whose full name is Oakley Sullivan Fluff Monster, is 5 years old. He lives in a home with another cat and two dogs, as well as Kuhnle, her husband and four children.
“Oakley has been a trouble cat since we got him,” Kuhnle said.
Kuhnle’s home used to have a doggie door when Oakley was younger. That’s no longer an option for him, because he got into a fight with possums and brought in dead mice.
Kuhnle does not do well with mice.
About two years ago, the bag of keychains appeared on Kuhnle’s front porch. She recognized the name on the keychains — they belonged to someone from a “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook.
“After researching, I found out that it’s my neighbor down at the end of our street, like six houses down,” Kuhnle said. “(The bag) was something that was on her front porch for someone to pick up.”
Oakley brought home a plant someone started in a milk carton at one point. He has brought home random garbage such as empty cigarette packs. He once brought home a wallet, which Kuhnle later returned to an Uber Eats driver.
So far, Oakley has brought home three pairs of women’s sandals and three pairs of men’s shoes. She usually posts the stolen items on Facebook groups she is a member of in hopes of finding the owners.
“If I can’t find the owners, I give them to someone who needs them,” Kuhnle said.
Kuhnle said she does not know how far Oakley travels.
Those who live off East Pioneer, close to Spinning Elementary School, should try to keep items off their porch.
“Keep your shoes inside,” Kuhnle said.
This story was originally published August 25, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
