Any Ideas why my kitty steals things and how to get her to stop?

1. First, keep anything that you don't want her to steal, and anything small enough for her to swallow (she could choke or the object could block her intestines) where she can't get to it. Lock the objects in closets; cabinets or drawers that she can't open (or if she can open cabinets like our cats, buy some child-proof cabinet locks!); keep your purse zipped up or if it's easily opened, keep it out of her reach; and basically just be conscientious of any small thing you leave out in the open. Several of the cats that I and my family have had in the past like to steal things, so I've learned to just never leave small objects where the cats can get them! It's kind of like having a toddler in the house ;)

2. If it gets really bad, you might consider locking her out of some rooms, or locking her in a large room or group of rooms while you are gone. My husband doesn't trust our cats alone with all of his electronics, plus one of our indoor-only cats tries to escape through the front door every time you open it (and I have a feeling he'd run away and never come back, since he doesn't really like us and he loves going to new places), so we lock them in our bedroom/bathroom suite while we are gone. They have lots of toys, food, water, litter, and a giant carpeted kitty tree there, so they are happy! (They just sleep all day anyway, lol)

3. Buy some cat toys that are small enough for her to carry around in her mouth and hide. Then just check her hiding places periodically so you can get the toys back out and let her hide them again! One of our cats has some small mouse and fish shaped toys that he LOVES carrying around in his mouth -- but I have to dig them out from under the furniture every few days! (This same cat is also obsessed with stealing ink pens any time you leave one on a table!) Your cat may even steal fewer things if you can find some toys she really likes!

By the way, I wouldn't count on her growing out of it ... one of the cats we had when I was growing up was OBSESSED with stealing my erasers for art class and my dad's foam earplugs. I had to tie my desk drawer shut to keep him away from the erasers! My dad also kept his earplugs closed up in a plastic container. That cat lived for 13 years, and he never grew out of it -- any time we accidentally left erasers or ear plugs out, he always stole them!

Do you mean that he ran away and hasn't returned, so you think he may have been stolen; or that someone took him from your yard while he was tied up or behind a fence? Do you know who stole him? Was he wearing a collar with an I.D. tag? Unfortunately, unless you have proof of someone actually stealing him, there often isn't anything you can do about it. Dogs can run a long way and if someone took him in, they might not be honest enough to look for his owner. Good luck finding him, though! I hope someone sees your flyers and does the right thing by bringing him back to you. It's just mean to steal someone's dog.

Maybe keep her in the room with you, with the door closed, when you're home. Get some info on kitten-proofing your house, I bet your vet or local pet store has good ideas on how to keep her out of your things. Wear your medicalert necklace, and put your bills in your purse before she has a chance to get them! What if you gave her coins to play with? It should distract her from more valuable and important items.

She will calm down, but it takes a long time. My cat didn't get over her kittenish behavior until after she turned 2 (she's almost 3 now). In the meantime, check under your bed often!

Good luck!

She's doing it because it's fun! And it gives her many new and exciting toys to play with. Try getting her lots of kitty toys of her own to play with. Put them in the kinds of places where she is finding your watch, your socks, etc., so it still feels like a challenge to her. Cats are born to find prey, stalk it, pounce on it, and kill it. Playing is their way of training and developing their instincts for the real thing. She seems to be doing a really good job! If giving her lots of toys doesn't work, you may just have to be careful about where you put your valuables, and give up and enjoy the entertainment she provides. Her habit may be annoying, but it also sounds like a lot of fun.

Shiny 8-) Your cat might just have a fascination with shiny things. Best thing to do is to keep it all in a drawer or locked up or something. It might also help to get the cat spaid. That could take out some of the restlessness.

Oh that's so cute. I would keep letting her do it so you can be entertained everyday by what she takes under the bed. But, maybe keep valuables or things that can hurt her locked up so she can't get them. But let her hide the harmless things. So cute!

Get her some toys that are hers, like balls and string, that she can carry around. If the toys have catnip, they might appeal to her more than your things.

lol that is so cute.

idk if there is a way to stop her, my cat has a"thing" for hair rubberbands. and when she gets into the bathroom if theres any on the counter she'll make trip after trip to get them all back to her basket under the bed, the same with paper balls. idk what to do but just deal with it.

ha-ha your cat sounds very intelligent!!!! our Siamese does the same things but mainly sticks to food (especially bread) on the bench. When you catch her just consistently give her a tap on the nose at the time. It will be a waste of time giving her one later as she will have no idea what she is getting it for-hope this helps!!