Overview
Usually we use the phrase cat burglar to describe a talented thief. However, in this video, the 'cat burglar' really is a cat!
Usually we use the phrase cat burglar to describe a talented thief. However, in this video, the 'cat burglar' really is a cat!
hit the streets- go outside
alias- nickname; other name
klepto- someone who steals lots of things (short for kleptomaniac)
on guard- alert; watching for trouble
choosy- concerned about what to choose
MO- modus operandi (method of working)
loot- something valuable that was stolen
foray- short trip or expedition
heist- robbery
1 When does Dusty steal things?
At night
2 What is Dusty's other name?
Klepto the Cat
3 Name 5 things that Dusty has stolen.
Possible answers: swimming clothes/bikinis/bathing suits, towels, gloves, shoes, socks, toys, underwear
4 Can you use Google Nose on your mobile phone?
Yes, it works on 'quite a few' mobile devices
5 What does Dusty especially like to steal?
Bathing suits
6 Who installed a camera outside Dusty's house?
Animal Planet (the TV Network)
answers
Why do you think Dusty likes to steal things?
Imagine that you lived near Dusty and he stole some items from you. Would you be angry?
What other animals sometimes steal objects?
Have you ever had a pet that had a funny habit?
1Because this is a 'silly' news story, it contains idioms and silly language, such as 'hit the streets'.
2 There are lots of words and phrases related to stealing and crime: loot, burglar, klepto, heist
3 At the end of the video, they use a 'pun' (a trick where a word can have two meanings). It's a PURRfect (perfect) night for a heist. Purr describes the noise a cat makes when it is happy.
script
Meet Dusty. By day, he's a house pet. When the sun goes down, it's time to hit the streets. Dusty is a cat burglar.
"So she always steals stuff..." *
Neighbors like five-year-old Ethan McClellan know him by his alias - Klepto the Cat.
"Well, she took my mom's swimming clothes."
Neighbors are on guard but his victims don't intend to file police reports.
"No, we haven't, 'cause we know where to go."
"Well, I think those are four playing... um... hockey."
They go to Jean Choo and Jim Coleman's home. Dusty belongs to them.
In the past three years, they figure he's stolen about six hundred items and he's not choosy. He'll take anything that's not locked down:
"Towels, gloves, shoes, socks, a little toys, children's toys..."
...this pair of shoes which he took in two trips and even people's personal items.
"Whities. And we have some... we have some black ones, too!"
He especially likes bathing suits drying outside. He stole Kelly McClellan's bikini bottom...
"...and then came back about ten minutes later and took the top home. So, yeah, we know him very well."
Dusty's M.O. is always the same. He leaves home at night and returns with his loot in the early morning. The TV network Animal Planet recently installed a camera outside the house. It captured his nightly forays for a week.
Choo says Dusty's record take for one night is pretty amazing.
"One night how many?"
"Eleven. Eleven different things."
It's getting dark now. The question is: which house will dusty hit? It's a "purrfect"* night for a heist!
*The boy mistakenly refers to the cat as "she". Actually, Dusty is a male cat.
**Cats make a "purring" sound when they are happy. Purrfect is a pun that combines purr+perfect to make the word "purrfect".