How old is Leonardo Da Pinchy? All we know as pet cat goes viral for stealing neighbors' underwear
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Leonardo da Pinchy (Photo: Instagram/@mr_leonardo_da_pinchy)Leonardo Da Pinchy, a cat from Auckland, New Zealand, is making headlines for his hobby of stealing underwear and various clothing items from the Mairangi Bay neighborhood.
The cat is 15 months old. His original name is Leo. However, its owner, Helen North, has jokingly nicknamed him Leonardo Da Pinchy, using the slang pinch, which means stealing something relatively minor.
So far, Leo has stolen socks, a cashmere sweater, silk boxer shorts, a jersey, children's socks, gloves, and a stuffed toy in the shape of a 5-foot-long snake.
Helen North told the Associated Press that her daughter was at home when Leo brought the cashmere sweater worth $181. She told the media outlet that the sweater was of such good quality that she considered keeping it. However, she didn't and returned it to its owner.
"My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, 'It's bad, it's bad, this is the worst thing he's brought in, it's really bad. Because it was beautiful. I was like, 'Ooh, can I keep that?' But I couldn't," North said.
More details on Leonardo Da Pinchy's stealing
According to People Magazine's July 27, 2025, report, Leonardo Da Pinchy's stealing habit was developed last year, when he was allowed to go outside for the first time.
Helen North told the Associated Press that she finds the owners of the stolen goods by posting on a local Facebook page and in their neighborhood WhatsApp group.
North shared that so far, the neighbors have taken the matter lightly, as some neighbors wonder why Leonardo Da Pinchy hasn't stolen their clothing yet. However, Helen mentioned one neighbor who currently dries their laundry inside their home, as they are allergic to cats.
"All of our neighbors think he's amazing. Some of them are quite put out that he hasn't actually stolen anything of theirs... He only wants stuff that he shouldn't have," North said.
Helen shared that she was advised by netizens to get another cat, hoping that Leo would give up his stealing habit once he had a playmate. North is reluctant, as she speculated that her cat would teach other cats to steal. She told the media outlet that she tried multiple times to fix Leo's habit.
Helen has kept the cat locked inside her home and left her clothing items on the floor for Leo. However, the cat has not changed his ways.
Helen told the media outlet that she hopes Leonardo Da Pinchy would eventually grow out of this phase, as she can't imagine dealing with Leo's stealing habits for more than 15 years.
"I hope he grows out of it because I don't want to do this for like, 15 years. This is a lot of admin," she stated.
Helen North stated that the highest number of items Leonardo Da Pinchy has stolen in a day is nine. On that particular day, Leo stole everything from men's wear to children's clothes.
The cat's owner has dozens of unclaimed stolen items at her home. This month, Helen posted photos of multiple stolen goods on the local Facebook page with her apology and address.
TOPICS: Leonardo Da Pinchy, Viral