Cat thieves caught: Painted cat!

It is good that the paint helped in this case. While traveling last month, I saw a TV story on cat thefts that included a single orange-painted cat in the pile of seized converters.

 

I'm selling my stock cat as well and painting my crappy new cat.

Take the new orange cat and watch what happens, thieves.

I don't even care if you use paint thinner to take the orange paint off; perhaps that would be the most work you've done in a while.

 

Selling the OEM cat is getting pretty common. I've swapped out a few of them already in my new job. And put in aftermarket ones to replace stolen cats. And installed a ton of cat shields.

 

Speaking of shields, MillerCat has a new design out and in stainless.
Very clean and sleek design compared to old design.
PC won’t accept link
Here is the name

Stainless Steel MILLERCAT 2004-2009 Prius Gen 2 Cat Shield™ Complete Package

 

Here’s what the new MillerCat shield looks like

 

Here's the link.

 

I'm not sure how orange paint deters thieves. Maybe it does, but how much? I don't see a crooked scrap metal shop caring about it.

I've been toying with wrapping the rear-most cut zone with something like (galvanized steel) pipe hanger strapping, maybe pop-riveting it to itself every couple of turns. Or maybe substitute blobs of solder for the pop-rivets.

Would take a long time to cut through, and/or remove, with all the pop-rivets (or solder)? Maybe...

This stuff:

 

I had my Cat shield installed at Meineke Car center today.

 

Just goes to show that it's a waste of time painting them because they'll steal them anyway.

 

Well, it doesn't stop the theft. But if it does help provide police with evidence that suspected thieves are in possession of stolen property, thus supporting the case to arrest and incarcerate them, then it still does have some value.

 

Not worth the costs unless you live in a C.A.R.B. state. I'll stick with the really cheap and easy to apply orange VHT paint.

 

I've read news articles that seeing an orange cat gave police probable cause to investigate people who had an abnormal amount of cats (meow), which lead to arrests.

Might not prevent yours from getting stolen, but I believe that once enough arrests are made along with thieves stealing worthless cats like the one I'm replacing mine with, they'll eventually stop or at least move on from my cheap orange cats.

Meow.

 

If the police caught someone with an odd orange cat, they couldn't prosecute them unless they could show where it came from and to whom it belonged - or they admitted it.
If they caught someone with a truckload of cats, it might be a slightly different matter.

 

Easy. The cut marks are distinct and easily matched to the car the cat was cut out of.

A report to the police would include that the cat is painted orange. Maybe one or even rarer, two would be found in the pile of the thieves stash. All the police has to do would be to contact the individual who reported the theft and to match the cut marks pattern.

 

How much did they charge you? Was it supplied by them or by you?

 

I bought it on eBay.The shield came in 3 pieces. Meineke charged $163 for the install. I was happy with the whole adventure.

 

Locally, Toyota deals are charging about $200 to install them.

 

And you honestly think that the police are going to get the various cars that have been reported and get a forensic officer to crawl underneath them and see if the cuts might match. UK police wouldn't stop laughing for a week.