Holiday eve news briefs

-Carrying on the cat burglar tradition that we've seen many times before is a feline in New Zealand named Angus. Angus has had a habit of stealing things from around the neighborhood for a long time:

"Angus had always liked bringing us gifts over the years. In the past he's brought us bread rolls, a toy skunk, kids shoes, a gumboot, pie wrappers, a box of pantyliners, a poi, a red fluffy dogs bone, and a half-eaten subway, to name a few."

But in mid-December his habit escalated to the point of bringing home two or three items a night, and attracting the attention of the local news. Everyone seems mystified but it seems that this is no doubt due to the imminent holiday - what do you expect, given his owner's misguided description of these items as "gifts."

-Some people might find doves hanging around the house to be a festive seasonal addition, but not a woman in Germany who recently reported to police that she was being stalked by a pigeon:

The exasperated woman told officers on Monday that the blue-grey pigeon had been a constant presence at her side for the past three weeks. She said the "strange bird" had been hanging round in her garden or on her terrace constantly, and seemed to be looking for some kind of "familial connection."

 Even once it had been chased out, the persistent pigeon would perch on a nearby branch and wait for the next opportunity to present its credentials as a potential companion.

But the animal failed to recommend itself: when it did get in, the stubborn animal would "leave traces that no good housewife would want in her home," the police report said.

-Finally, two donkeys try to take advantage of their traditional seasonal role as cover to make a break for it:

The pair named Benny and Maria had managed to find a way out of their stable on the outskirts of the city and had wandered undisturbed all the way into the centre where they then went through the automatic doors into the station.

A police spokesman said: "We were surprised they managed to get so far without somebody raising the alarm but we think a lot of people just assumed it was some sort of Nativity stunt. Any other time of the year we would have probably had a lot more calls – but as it was it was only when they ended up at the train station that passengers started calling realising it wasn't safe."