He may be the cutest cat burglar ever, but he’s now officially retired from his life of crime. But despite what you may think, Kylo, whose nickname is “Pirate Kitty,” delighted residents of Brisbane, Australia, with his exploits.
Kylo’s adventures first came to light last March when Kay McCall and her husband were moving into their Ferny Hills home. The captivating ginger kitty hopped their fence for a few pets and became a daily visitor.
But soon toys began popping up in their backyard, seemingly out of nowhere. First a couple of them, and then a couple in the front yard.
What Was Going On Here?
Naturally, the McCalls were puzzled over these mysterious items that kept gracing their garden.
“Most days the presents kept coming, and some days there was quite a few, and some days there were none,” Kay says.
But like most cat burglars, Kylo was finally caught in the act. But this ginger boy is probably cuter than your average cat burglar, I have to say.
And it was fun to wake up and discover what their little four-footed friend brought them that particular day. Footballs, dog toys, and gloves were popular items.
“He brought several odd socks (it’s fun to keep everyone guessing, you know), he brought a school T-shirt … he brought lots of toys,” McCall said.
“He brought a beautiful little Peter Rabbit … I have a theory that he had a bit of a stash somewhere.”
“After a while, we’d just accumulated a ridiculous number — literally an entire table full,” Kay added.
⭐ Kylo Becomes A Star And Finds A Loving Home ⭐
Indeed, Kylo’s haul became a bit too impressive. Kay decided to post the photo of said table in September, on the Facebook page of a local community group.
And responses came in droves. Dozens of folks told her this cute cat burglar brought them all sorts of goodies.
“Everyone fell in love with him on the spot, and he sort of became … a community icon,” Kay says.
More and more people began following the little thief’s exploits and Kay kept posting photos of his “gifts” and that drew hundreds of delighted comments from his growing fan club.
But where did this cute little pirate live anyway? Kay did her research and found his owners, who definitely loved him but found it a challenge to keep him inside. His owners were growing increasingly worried about his safety outdoors and decided to ask McCall to help him find a new home.
Star Wars Fans Welcome Kylo Home
One person, in particular, was keeping up with Pirate kitty’s escapes on the community page.
“I was a Pirate Kitty fan from the very first post … and then I saw the post that Kay put up saying his previous owners couldn’t keep him anymore,” says Ingrid Moyle.
Ingrid, a copywriter and web designer, says her family has plenty of experience rescuing, fostering, and adopting animals.
“We had a lot of geriatrics pass in the last few months, so we had a kitty-sized hole in our hearts,” Ingrid says.
So the Moyle family welcomed the sweet ginger kitty into their home. And being the Star Wars fans that they are, Pirate Kitty soon had a new name: Kylo.
Initially, they tried out several names, some of which were suggested by other Ferny Hills residents, but it was obvious this cute boy wasn’t into them. So, the Moyles thought perhaps they should give their favorite movies a try.
“We’re Star Wars nuts, Kylo was the angsty young male who had a red sword so it seemed obvious that we’ve got this angsty young male in the house,” Ingrid says.
And Kylo stuck. The three-year-old former Pirate Kitty liked the name.
Kylo is now a permanent indoor kitty but he’s still practicing his lovable habit.
“I have a very large box of toys of different sizes and shapes, so I just tip this toy box on the floor downstairs in the lounge room,” Ingrid says. “There’s a mixture of stuffed toys, fluffy ones, feathered ones, things on sticks — any of those things.”
As you might expect, Kylo is a busy cat at night.
“Then we just leave it be … and during the night you hear, ‘Clunk, clunk, clunk’ going up the stairs.”
“He’ll come and just stand by your bed and go ‘Meow, look what I brought you,’ and then he just goes off and gets another one.”
Since Kylo came into his new home around Christmas, the Elf on the Shelf seems to be his favorite victim.
“This elf is his favourite gift,” Ingrid writes on Facebook. “It hasn’t missed a night yet of being moved by Kylo.”
But Kylo, it seems is very innovative in what he chooses to “give” his family. This includes dragging a stuffed bear to a preferred location.
“This graduation bear was as big as Kylo and made its way from the dining room up the stairs to my bedroom with Kylo’s assistance.”
And while he’s now an indoors-only cat, he still has quite the legion of fans because Ingrid shares his adorable photos on the community page and other social media platforms. He gets regular visits from the McCalls and other fans. For many in the community, he serves as a ray of light as the pandemic wears on.
“There was actually a sense that he was the community’s pirate cat,” Ingrid adds.
Every Christmas, the Moyles put up a beautiful street light display. One that residents often flock to, but this year people wanted to see their newest Christmas addition: charming little Kylo.
“When people found out in our community that Pirate Kitty now owned us as humans, the number of people who came to us and said ‘We’re not here for the lights, show us the cat,” Ingrid says.
“He’s a local celebrity.”
And, I might add, a thief of hearts.
You can definitely tell these kind people love their pets.