Horsham cat burglar named and shamed

The culprit - a pet cat - has been discovered stealing pet toys from other cats in the town.

Now his mortified owner has issued a public apology for her cat’s behaviour.

The pilfering puss - aptly named Atticus after fictional reformed cat burglar Atticus Claw - has brought home a collection of someone else’s cat toys over the past week.

And owner Ali Brewis is now trying to track down the rightful owners of the swag which includes several felt mice and a fishing rod toy.

“I’ve tried the only direct neighbour that has a cat - not theirs! So he has taken them some distance away from the scene of the crime.”

The thefts are thought to have taken place in Horsham’s New Street area.

Although Atticus is prime suspect, he is one of three cats owned by the Brewis family. The other two - Ginny and Bob - are not thought to have been involved in the theft.

But the duo might not be entirely innocent. Ali said all three of her cats had a track history of bringing home ‘odd’ things.

“In the past they have hunted me prawn crackers, croissant and shortbread - which we assumed had been put out to feed the birds in someone else’s garden.”

The cats all live contentedly with Ali, her husband, two children and a four-year-old dog.

“Atticus is often called dog-cat - as he plays ball with the dog,” said Ali.

But he’s so far not playing ball with any attempts to trace the pet toys’ rightful owner.