Missing gloves? They may have been purrloined

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Milo, the cat who lives next door to me, has been lugging home scraps of paper to his owner, Tamara Prendergast. My theory is that since he has eliminated most of the bird and rodent population in the area, he’s turned to inanimate objects to satisfy his lust for hunting.

Whatever, Milo is apparently not an unusual case.

Long Beach’s Beachcomber newspaper carried an article about Kittenboy, a 12-year-old black-and-white cat who sneaks into other people’s houses to practice his thievery.

Owner Becky Bailey said the animal “has brought us three pairs of gardening gloves, two at a time; a pair of leather working gloves; a dollar bill; one men’s leather house shoe; boy’s swim trunks, rags and underwear, all clean.”

Bailey, who occasionally takes a basket full of Kittenboy’s loot around the neighborhood to see if anyone claims it, said the creature once brought her 16 newspapers in a single day.

Truly, a master cat burglar.

OK, Rover, start scooping! Giving dogs equal time in this space, I leave you Norman Kolpas’ photo of a sign in Brentwood that, he suspects, “is asking too much even of man’s best friend” (see photo).

Talk about special delivery: Antonio Mendez forwarded a piece of correspondence that, he said, proves you can take it with you (see accompanying).

Easy for them to say: At a swap meet in Pasadena, Neil Dixon of Venice purchased a sound-maker whose directions might make you whistle in disbelief (see accompanying).

Dueling signs: Near Beaumont, sportscaster Tomm Looney visited an In-N-Out that appeared to be open-n-closed (see photo).

Do not attempt this while navigating the 101: That’s the message from Jeff Bliss, who forwarded a newspaper story from overseas about a German truck driver who set fire to his rig “after deciding to cook himself some sausages while driving.” The trucker’s indoor cooker toppled over.

The driver should have consulted a book recommended here recently by Jon Miller of La Jolla: “Manifold Destiny,” by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller. Its subtitle: “The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine.” Yes, on the engine. Time magazine recommended the “Lead Foot Stuffed Cabbage” (cooking time: 55 miles).

miscelLAny: The Star News, a Sheriff’s Department publication, carried a 911 call regarding “several chickens running in the street.” An officer sent to the scene reported “no evidence of road kill, (chickens) poss. found the right rooster.” Or “the other side” of the street, quipped Patti Sippey of the Sheriff’s Communications Center.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012, and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.