Sneaking into the kitchen to look for random snacks to munch on is a habit that many of us are probably guilty of. Well, if we humans find it hard to fight this habit, then what about our furry friends? Remember that slice of pizza you were saving for dinner? Or that slab of steak you were supposed to have for lunch? Yes, all the good food that you saved for yourself only ended up in your pet’s mouth. Well, you’re not the only one. Several fur parents have also come forward to expose their pets stealing food, and we’ve compiled them in this post!
From counter surfing, leaving crumbs behind, to blatantly snatching their hooman’s food, these pet’s crimes have been caught on cam! And although it can get quite annoying at times, we just couldn’t stand staying mad at them for long. At the end of the day, we’ll just laugh about their mischief and accept that it’s all part of being a fur parent. So, if you’re curious to know what food other pets have been ransacking, then keep scrolling down!
“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.”
“Just taking a nap after eating all the strawberry jam”
“I guess we will never know what happened to the catnip…”
Fur parents have taken to social media to expose their pets’ treacherous crimes of stealing food
“My cat learned he could scoop up food with his cone and stole my d*mn taco when I wasn’t looking”
“Just want to apologize to any of our neighbors who are missing a full rack of ribs. Our dog escaped through the fence and came back an hour later with this.”
Egg Thief
“When mom turns her back and you steal the leftover corn muffins from dinner…”
“My girlfriend’s cat likes to steal bagel bites, when you catch him he pretends to be asleep.”
“The Nefarious Mr. Sugar Paws caught red-handed trying to steal some raw cauliflower, which is inexplicably one of his favorite foods to nom.”
As it turns out, pets feel rewarded when their attempts to steal food have been favorable
As you probably already know, rewards motivate our furry friends. This might surprise you, but they actually get a sense of reinforcement when their attempts to steal food have been successful. Animal behaviorist and consultant Kate Mornement from Pets Behaving Badly elaborated on the subject and 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.”
“My cat steals potatoes and walks around like a boss.”
“Merry Christmas, here’s my cat getting busted for taking a cinnamon roll 2 seconds after we told him no”
“My dog escaped. Showed up at the front door with unopened nachos.”
“I was wondering who ate the bread…”
“Mr. Muffins stealing a muffin”
“Sneak thief caught in the act.”
“How I found my kitten trying to steal her big sister’s food from the top of the fridge…”
“Bro my lunch has been stolen”
Kate described the act of stealing food as “an opportunistic behavior.” So, when animals realize that such behavior has its rewards, they are more likely to repeat it over time.
“It has nothing to do with being dominant; rather, it’s influenced by previous experiences finding food on kitchen benches and tables.”
“Caught. Dogs, bruh…”
“Caught Yogi red-pawed stealing from a picnic basket. Too cute to be mad.”
Italian Dog
“We caught our cat (Cookie) red-handed trying to steal our cheese”
“The identity of the flour thief remains a mystery. Investigations continue.”
“So My Friend’s Cat Decided To Steal Some Chicken…”
“I caught her red-handed! This stinker managed to get her paws on a croissant and then promptly stuck it in my house shoe.”
“He stole my pretzel”
“Cat stole my lunch.”
“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”
Luckily, all it takes is effective training to break the habit of pets stealing food
Kate suggested “making an incompatible behavior, such as staying on their mat, more reinforcing than investigating food in the kitchen.” You can do this by rewarding them with treats as they stay on their mat while you’re eating or preparing food. Kate also advised against leaving food on tables and countertops, especially when you can’t supervise your pet.
“High after the vet, caught stealing french fries”
“I was distracted by the baby when my cat knocked my dinner (delicious grilled chicken) onto the floor for my dog to steal. I had only eaten one bite”
“My dog steals bananas from the counter all the time. Only the bananas, never eats them though”
“This is Nico. Here’s a compilation of him when he steals food just to hold on to it.”
“Busted! With the ramen she stole from the pantry.”
“When you get caught stealing someone’s chips because your snout gets stuck in the can”
A Thief
“This huge loaf of bread traveled along with my parents on a 600 km trip to get home. I love this bread as I don’t get to eat it frequently. 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”
“Our cat tried to steal our Chinese leftovers”
“lil goblin stole my steak”
Indeed, such training requires a lot of patience. Nevertheless, the animal behaviorist guaranteed that “over time and with repetition, your pet should be less likely to steal food.”
“Rare pic of the infamous bread thief.”
“Caught our dog stealing a piece of pizza…”
“Photographic evidence of my boyfriend’s cat trying to steal my cookie”
“My dog, Katie, who stole a baguette.
“Check for cat arm before closing”
“Hey, that’s mine!”
“Caught red-pawed (quite literally)!”