Dunedin's cat burglar stocking up for Christmas

Little children who live in Rawhiti St, Musselburgh, should be careful where they hang their Christmas stockings for Santa Claus this year.

Chances are a dribbly old black cat called Essie might just sneak in and drag them off; down the street to No 44.

That's where Essie, the sock burglar, lives with the Formston family of Ian, Angela and their children Dan (23), Cam (17) and Reuben (15).

Her nocturnal activities have presented the family with 14 socks in the past fortnight including, on one busy night, several pairs.

Now the family have taken to pegging the stolen goods out on their front fence for neighbours to reclaim.

"It's a bit of fun," says Ian, noting that where there were 14 socks and a gardening glove, only six socks and the glove remain.

"People can come and pick up their socks but no-one's come to get the big manky one."

Midwife Angela noticed Essie's first attack of kleptomania began when she was 4, just after she was spayed, and that she is worse in spring.

Normally she would quietly dispose of the odd sock.

"I used to just turf them, but I can't this time, especially when they've started becoming expensive pairs . . ." she says.

The sign next to the socks begins: "No. You're not going mad. Someone is stealing your socks . . ."