Caught on camera: Kitten stolen from Waterloo, Ont. pet store

Search for missing kitten A kitten was snatched from a Waterloo pet store – and it was all caught on camera. Spencer Turcotte reports.

A pet store in Waterloo, Ont. is asking for the public’s help after someone stole a 10-week-old kitten named Crosby.

The 10-week-old cat, named Crosby, was taken Friday evening from the cage it was in at the Pet Valu location on Weber Street North.

The cat-involved crime all played out on security camera footage.

Staff said a man walked into the store around 6 p.m. and asked about the kittens that were in the adoption cage.

The video shows the man reach inside the cage, put Crosby in his jacket and leave the store.

“I cried. I was confused as to why somebody would ever do that,” Pet Valu manager Catherine Benedetto recalled of her reaction when she heard what happened.

She said her colleague quickly noticed Crosby missing after the man left the store.

“He ran and she ended up chasing him for a little while, until he outran her,” Benedetto explained.

She described the kitten as her “favourite” and said he is “very sweet.”

“When he would stand in front of the cage, he would just jump up on your shoulder and just want to be held. You would hold him like this, just like a baby,” said Benedetto.

That loving trait maybe worked against Crosby this time.

Pet Patrol is a cat rescue that brought Crosby and the other kittens in to Pet Valu. It’s a partnership the two have had for years.

The rescue’s CEO, Jan Schneider, said it’s the first time something like this has happened in the 28-year history of her business.

“Unbelievable. This is a baby,” Schneider said. “He’s very innocent. He’s very vulnerable.”

The Waterloo Regional Police Service confirmed in an email to CTV News they are aware of the situation and offered a suspect description.

“The suspect is described at a white male, in his 50s, wearing a green toque, black jacket and jeans. The suspect was last seen on foot in the area of Weber Street North and Northfield Drive,” a police spokesperson said.

Thanks to Crosby’s distinct grey and white markings, Pet Valu and Pet Rescue are hopeful he will be found.

The little rescue now needs a very different rescue this time around.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Pet Patrol directly.