A cat-napper is on the prowl!
The 2-month-old kitten employed as a mouser at Kensington’s Moon Mini Mart was catnapped on Sept. 3, leaving customers dumbfounded in the wake of the senseless crime, the shopkeeper said.
“A lot of people miss the cat,” said mini-mart owner Mir Kasham. “They can’t believe it.”
Kasham purchased Takela — pronounced Tequila — as a kitten in the wake of a mouse infestation rooted in the basement of his deli at 701 Church Ave. between E. Seventh and E. Eighth streets, and the precocious, cuddly cat quickly won over patrons with her friendly demeanor, he said.
“The cat is very friendly,” said Kasham. “People are very upset.”
But poor little Takela was perhaps too friendly for her own good, and a man claiming to reside in Queens came into the store at 9 pm on Sept. 3 offering $50 to purchase the affable feline, but Kasham quickly turned him down.
“He said, ‘I love the cat,’ ” Kasham recounted. “He said, ‘I’ll be back.’ ”
It was about an hour later when a bespectacled woman waltzed into the store and, beyond the sight of workers, scooped Takela into her arms and covered her with a jacket she was carrying.
“She held it, covered it, and took it,” said Kasham. “She was ready. She brought some extra clothes.”
Kasham said he plans to report the theft to police, but that he has more faith in locals to help him track down the thief. He put up signs and is sharing surveillance footage of the crime with anyone willing to watch, hoping someone will recognize the perp and provide some information that will lead to Takela’s recovery.
But neither Kasham or his workers recognize the woman as a regular customer, and he suspects the Kensington cat-napper might be an out-of-towner who stopped by specifically to steal his cat, he said.
