Louisiana Cat Ditches Life of Crime to Help Pets Impacted by Hurricane Laura

Source: © Shutterstock

What goes around must come around; hence we must try to live in harmony with everyone. The owner of a Louisiana cat who ditched his life of crime to help pets impacted by Hurricane Laura is setting an example of correcting wrongs done by our pets. The feline was notoriously known for stealing from his neighbors, but they want to rewrite history so that he can be remembered for good deeds instead. Whether his victims will forget the stress he put them through when he took their stuff remains to be seen; the fact we cannot ignore is he is trying to mend his ways, with the help of his owners. Here is more about how Admiral Galacticat is using his popularity for charity.

Just Trying To Up Her Karma

Heather Bardi, a graphics designer who lives in Metairie, Louisiana and her cat Admiral Galacticat became famous after the feline’s burglar ways were discovered. Heather found a black sock and a patterned sleeveless shirt on her walkway one day, and the next day, it was boxer shorts and a dishrag. Her husband was also surprised, but they thought that drunks had dumped them on the patio. However, once the items kept piling up, Heather installed a secret camera and later found out that the culprit was her beloved cat. His love for pieces of clothing is natural, and even when he falls asleep, it has to be in a pile of laundry, clean or not. Therefore, it was no surprise that he preferred stealing clothes from the neighbors and Heather created a Facebook page to return the lost items to their respective owners, even inviting those who wanted to shame the feline to do so.

Heather got a visit from one of her neighbors who claimed all the clothing that Admiral had stolen were his and his family’s. He explained that the door to his laundry room did not close properly, allowing Admiral to access the laundry. As a result, Heather offered to wash the massive pile of stolen items, and while that would have been enough to show how sorry she was for he feline’s behavior, Hurricane Laura has offered another chance. Heather wants to up her karma by doing what she can to help those affected by Hurricane Laura. Consequently, she is using Admiral Galacticat’s fame to collect supplies for pet owners. Although Admiral’s owners are trying to rehabilitate him, he still can’t be trusted to make the right choice; hence Heather is locking away all donations in the guest room.

Another Klepto Cat that Used His Fame for Good

When Jean Chu and Jim Coleman adopted Dusty from the Peninsula Humane Society in 2006, they did not know that one day the cat would be famous for all the wrong reasons. Unlike Admiral Galacticat, whose eyes always seem to settle on clothes, Dusty was not picky during his errands. In one heist, the cat would take as many as 11 items, including gloves, toys, clothes and personal items from his neighborhood. In three years, the loot had grown to at least 600 articles, and it took the camera installed by the Animal Planet to solve the mystery. The film’s excerpts were posted on social media channels making Dusty quite famous. Besides the video being viewed on the internet more than 2 million times, the feline has graced national television and radio stations across the globe, going as far as Australia.

Although the owners took matters in their hands to reduce the theft by putting a bell on Dusty’s neck so that neighbors are aware of him whenever he is around, they still wanted to do more. Therefore according to Patch, Jean and Jim hoped to use Dusty’s fame to help homeless pets find their forever homes, as he did. The feline was used to promote “Steal Your Heart “adoption event where felines and canines were available for adoption at reduced rates. Additionally, the public was offered a chance to pose for photos with Dusty and buy embroidered towels from Dusty’s loot.

Some Cats Aren’t Thieves; They Stop Burglars

Of late, cat burglars have been trending on the internet making us forget that sometimes our furry friends are not a menace but our heroes. Like Kevin in “Home Alone” who was determined to protect his home from burglars, one cat, Abbi, stopped the intruder from getting away with stolen goods. In the middle of the night when she heard a burglar trying to get away with the family’s property, Abbi rushed to wake Victoria, her owner. Victoria looked out the window to see that her backyard gate was open, which was very unusual. Investigations led to a man who had been helping himself to people’s property in the neighborhood.

In 2017 People reported the heroic act of a tabby cat named Binky, belonging to Cynthia Kootz. The would-be burglar banged on Cynthia’s door, and Cynthia woke up to tell him to leave. The man ignored Cynthia, therefore, opting to bust a window only to find Binky waiting for him on the inside; he injured the man, scaring him off. The bravery of Binky surprised Cynthia, who thought Binky was too affectionate to visitors to think of attacking a burglar.

Shelters Helping Animals Impacted by Hurricane Laura

Admiral Galacticat, The Louisiana cat, maybe doing his best in leaving his life of crime behind to help his fellow animals, but it is a collaborative effort. Several humane societies have played their part by lending a hand during the storm’s aftermath. The Austin SPCA freed up space by sending some animals to Austin then took 90 animals from The Louisiana SPCA to care for them until they are adopted or ready to be returned to the facility. Angels of Assisi, on the other hand, rescued 18 animals while Michigan Humane staff took in 34 dogs that had lost their homes after the Hurricane affected the shelters in Louisiana. You can also assist by contributing some money instead of physical items which may not be necessary unless asked for specifically by an organization.

You can also read:

image sources