Cat Thief Returns Feline with a Rude ‘Ransom’ Note

By MATTHEW MEYER | Reporter

A bizarre sequence last week left a Palisadian cat-lover bewildered and perturbed, after a thief made off with her prized feline only to return the confused kitty 48 hours later—along with an insulting note.

Init Lasser first noticed that her 6-year-old Norwegian Forest cat, Mary, had gone missing on the night of Sunday, March 19. Though Mary is “usually not the type to wander,” Lasser said she wasn’t truly concerned about the cat’s whereabouts until Monday evening, when Mary was still a no-show.

Norwegian Forest cats are a  valuable breed, with purebred kittens selling for up to $1,000.

(Their public profile is also growing: In last year’s comedy “Nine Lives” Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey portrayed ruthless businessman Tom who, by Hollywood magic, is trapped inside a Norwegian Forest cat. The frisky and irritable new “Tom” creates mayhem for his wife, played by Palisadian Jennifer Garner.)

So when Mary vanished, Lasser began to fear that she could have been plucked from the side-yard of her Alphabet Streets home to be sold elsewhere.

The yard has a small fence surrounding it but is easily accessible from the sidewalk.

The fretting guardian took to the social media site Nextdoor to ask neighbors to keep an eye out. After a night of anxiety, however, Mary reappeared in Lasser’s yard, unharmed and with a piece of paper attached to her collar.

The typed note, which used a font that imitated cut-out letters in the style of a ransom note, read: “I took your cat because I thought it was expensive, but then I got a good look at it and realized it was too ugly to sell. You can have it back. Don’t bother looking for me.”

The note left Lasser befuddled: She’s not sure whether to treat the perpetrator as an actual—albeit picky—thief, or as a cruel prankster. Either way, the insensitive act has made Lasser think twice about the real possibility of a cat-knapping.

“I never thought anything would happen to her or any of my cats, but alas, I was wrong,” Lasser told the Palisadian-Post. “I’ll definitely have to make some changes regarding my backyard security.”

Lasser previously relied on Palisades Patrol to keep an eye on her home, but now she plans to install cameras in the yard as well.

“I would mention to others not to let their pets out of their sight,” Lasser said. “And to be wary of people looking to sell valuable animals.”

Whether it was the work of a vengeful neighbor, pranking teen or legitimate cat thief, Alphabet Streets resdients should keep a careful eye on their beloved pets.