The kitchen is the Holy Grail, a promised land, a gold mine all in one for our pets. Any pet can turn into a serial thief due to its captivating aromas, mouth-watering sights, and unforgettable flavors.
Here’s a list by Bored Panda which is a humble farewell to all the delicious bites that got stolen without mercy.
But these pets have been caught red-handed while committing their petty crimes. They won’t stop doing it again even if we all forgive them.
You can check out a previous batch of four-legged red-handed criminals with a big appetite here and here after you’re done with this post.
#1 Just Taking A Nap After Eating All The Strawberry Jam
#2 Egg Thief
#3 He Started Barking At The Door, When I Got Up To Look Outside He Ran Back A Stole A Slice Of My Pizza. No One At The Door
Bored Panda reached talked to a qualified animal behaviorist and consultant based in Melbourne who runs the animal behavior consultancy “Pets Behaving Badly”, Kate Mornement, to find out more about why our pets love stealing food so much.
According to Kate, some pets are notorious food stealers because “they’re more motivated by food than other pets and their prior attempts to steal food have been reinforced (rewarded).”
The animal behaviorist gave an example: “a dog who has successfully stolen a whole roast chicken off the kitchen bench is likely to repeat the behavior given future opportunities.” The chances are high your pet will repeat it if the act of attempting to steal food really pays off.
#4 I Guess We Will Never Know What Happened To The Catnip
#5 Smart Cat
#6 Just Want To Apologize To Any Of Our Neighbors Who Are Missing A Full Rack Of Ribs
According to Kate, stealing food, which is also known as “counter surfing,” is “an opportunistic behavior.” Animals are drawn to repeat it when such behavior pays off.
She concluded, “It has nothing to do with being dominant; rather, it’s influenced by previous experiences finding food on kitchen benches and tables.”
#7 When A Cat Runs To The Fridge Every Time It Opens, A Sign Is Necessary
#8 When Mom Turns Her Back And You Steal The Leftover Corn Muffins From Dinner
#9 My Girlfriend’s Cat Likes To Steal Bagel Bites, When You Catch Him He Pretends To Be Asleep. Meet Neji
“By making an incompatible behavior, such as staying on their mat, more reinforcing than investigating food in the kitchen” you can indeed train your pet not to steal food.
This can be done by frequently rewarding your pet with high-value treats for staying on their mat while you are preparing or eating food. She added, “It’s important to avoid leaving food on countertops and tables outside of training sessions or when you cannot supervise your pet.”
The pet behaviorist concluded that, be patient, and “over time and with repetition, your pet should be less likely to steal food.”
#10 The Nefarious Mr. Sugar Paws Caught Red-Handed Trying To Steal Some Raw Cauliflower, Which Is Inexplicably One Of His Favorite Foods To Nom
#11 My Cat Steals Potatoes And Walks Around Like A Boss
#12 Who Could Resist A Cinnamon Roll?
#13 My Dog Escaped. Showed Up At The Front Door With Unopened Nachos
#14 I Was Wondering Who Ate The Bread
#15 Mr. Muffins Stealing A Muffin
#16 Sneak Thief Caught In The Act – That’s A Nose In The Hole
#17 How I Found My Kitten Trying To Steal Food From The Top Of The Fridge
#18 Bro My Lunch Has Been Stolen
#19 Doggo Steals A Pupperoni Pizza
#20 Caught Redhanded
#21 Busted, He Stood Silently
#22 He Trie
#23 We Caught Our Cat (Cookie) Red Handed Trying To Steal Our Cheese
#24 Caught Yogi Red-Pawed Stealing From A Picnic Basket. Too Cute To Be Mad
#25 The Identity Of The Flour Thief Remains A Mystery. Investigations Continue
#26 So My Friend’s Cat Decided To Steal Some Chicken
#27 I Caught Her Red Handed. This Stinker Managed To Get Her Paws On A Croissant And Then Promptly Stuck It In My House Shoe
#28 He Stole My Pretzel
#29 Cat Stole My Lunch
#30 So My Cat Stole My Toaster Strudel Out Of The Toaster Today And My Mom Took A Picture Before Prying It Out Of His Mouth
#31 High After The Vet, Caught Stealing French Fries
#32 I Was Distracted By The Baby When My Cat Knocked My Dinner Onto The Floor For My Dog To Steal. I Had Only Eaten One Bite
#33 My Dog Steals Bananas From The Counter All The Time. Only The Bananas, Never Eats Them Though
#34 This Is Nico. Here’s A Compilation Of Him When He Steals Food Just To Hold On To It
#35 Hey, That’s Mine
#36 Busted. With The Ramen She Stole From The Pantry
#37 Dog Thought It Was A Great Idea To Taste-Test It Just In Case It’s Poisoned. Results Turned Negative. Good Dog For Being So Thoughtful
#38 When You Get Caught Stealing Someone’s Chips Because Your Snout Gets Stuck In The Can
#39 Lil’ Goblin Stole My Steak
#40 Our Cat Tried To Steal Our Chinese Leftovers
#41 A Thief
#42 Rare Pic Of The Infamous Bread Thief
#43 Caught Our Dog Stealing A Piece Of Pizza
#44 Caught Red Pawed (Quite Literally)
#45 My Dog, Katie, Who Stole A Baguette
#46 Photographic Evidence Of My Boyfriend’s Cat Trying To Steal My Cookie
