Cheeky Cat Loves To Keep Dad On His Toes And Won't Stop Stealing His Hats

Some cats hoard socks and small balls. Others amass a treasure trove of bottle caps and catnip toys. One cat named Percy won't stop stealing beanies right off his dad's head. "He's like a little troll that hoards hats," his dad, Ben, told The Dodo in a video that's been viewed more than 247,000 times.

The cheeky behavior started after Ben and his partner, Kelsey, built an indoor jungle gym for Percy to try to channel some of the cat's wild energy. "He would just not stop climbing things. He would just sit on top of these doors like he was some apex predator in the jungle," Kelsey explained. However, once the jungle gym was in place, Percy then had a dedicated spot of the perfect height for stealing Ben's beanies whenever Ben walked past. Sometimes, the mischievous feline grabs so many hats that they pile up on the floor beneath his perch, like a mound of treasure stacked in a dragon's lair.

"You gotta pay the troll toll," one viewer quipped, while another wrote, "I love how every 'cute habit' starts fun, then slowly turns into daily chaos you can't escape." Most viewers praised the adorable little rascal, with several suggesting that he was simply enforcing the good manners of a "no wearing hats in the house" rule. One person commented, "Cutest criminal ever ❤😊."

Cats have been known to hoard plastic bottle caps, jewelry, hair ties, socks, coins, pieces of paper, balls, toys, and many other small items. But what's behind this stockpiling behavior? There are several theories.

One is simply that the cat feels a bit bored and is trying to amuse itself, which certainly seems to be the case with Percy in the video. Another theory is that the cat is trying to feed its owner or teach its owner to hunt by bringing in small prey, the way a mother cat feeds and teaches her offspring. If the cat is hoarding stinky things such as the owner's dirty socks, the cat may be trying to comfort itself by being enveloped in a favorite person's scent. Lastly, if there are multiple cats in a household, it's possible that some of the cats are learning the behavior from the other cats. Whatever the reason for the hoarding, it's vitally important for cat owners to tuck away potential choking hazards such as hair ties and jewelry.

Want to see the amusing feline antics of other spirited ginger cats? Check out these funny photos of orange cats.