Australian underwear thief turns out to be cat burglar

He stalks the night preying on undies left unsuspectingly on clothes lines and in laundry baskets. Lithe and agile, he leaps fences to get his wily paws on socks, swimmers, shirts, dresses - even dolls.

But it is no pervert at the centre of Mosman's missing panties mystery. After months of curiosity and clothes disappearing from across the suburb, the cat burglar has been revealed as, well, a cat.

His name is Cisco, a six-year-old Tonkinese cat owned by Dalton Rd resident Peter Hand. "It just started a few months ago, Cisco kept bringing in all manner of items," Mr Hand said. "People were wondering where their things were getting to."



Besides undies, there have been cleaning mitts, garden gloves, a pin cushion and children's toys. The blue-eyed cat drags the booty down a side path, through the cat door and up to Mr Hand's bedroom. But now the secret is out.

"I've been trying to find the owners. One lady asked if I had her swimmers," Mr Hand said. "She was delighted to get them back."

Cat psychic Scott King said the cat is an animal that can teach us to get in touch with our creative self. "The fact that Mr Hand's cat is stealing possessions, particularly underwear, is a sign that it's time for him to start listening to his dreams."