The gloves arrive one at a time.
First one, and then, a few days later, the other to complete the set. About 50 pairs over the past 18 months, estimates owner Anna Smythe with fond exasperation.
Her young cat MJ is quite the accomplished thief.
“It’s just ridiculous,” says Anna. “That’s a big number of gloves.”
She has posted about MJ’s thefts online to try to reunite the gardeners with their gloves, with reasonably limited success.
His very first prey was a child’s sock. In fact, children’s clothing was his niche for a few months, and Anna would take a box door-to-door around her Māpua cul-de-sac, finding the owners of MJ’s pilfered items.
Luckily, the neighbours have been very understanding, although they haven’t yet cottoned on to the fact that they might like to label their gloves for easier catch-and-release.
MJ doesn’t like hugs – he allowed himself to be picked up just long enough for The Guardian to snap a quick mugshot with Anna and her daughter Jess before squirming for freedom.
However, a bit of petty crime is how he shows his love.
“It’s like a present,” Anna explains. “He’s a bizarre one, I tell you.”
Although MJ is going through a gardening glove phase at the moment, Anna has also been the recipient of hats, a rat trap, a plethora of dishcloths and oily rags, and a rather lovely Nike singlet.
He was busted carrying the neighbour’s bra up the driveway, and just this week, he brought in a worm.
“I wonder if he’s getting desperate now,” Anna muses.
