a lady in new Zealand catches a real life sock monster after years of missing socks and gets a big surprise
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/a-womans-socks-kept-disappearing-then-she-had-a-brilliant-idea/ar-BBTm1fQ
I was about to respond that I too have a sock thief in the house, but I think I know who it is. Then I read the story.
At least my sock thief can’t carry them outside (because I don’t let him outside), so the socks are usually found. Not always, and in some very odd places. I think he may be a distant cousin of this NZ sock thief.
Read the OP’s description, KNEW there was going to be a cat involved.
Look out Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster-- you’re next!
First thing that sprang to mind: Slinky Malinki 
NZ author (Dame) Lynley Dodd created a series of beautifully written and illustrated kid’s books featuring mostly dogs and cats, beginning with Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy back in 1983.
We had quite a few of these when my son was small, and a favourite was Slinky Malinki, about a cat who at night turns into the neighbourhood sneak thief dragging home all sorts of clothing as well as various household items until he is undone by his criminal ways.
Very cool books.
Same here. My daughter’s current bedtime reading list includes Slinky Malinky (though she calls it Stinky Malinky because that’s what we call her 1yo sister when she has disgraced herself).
I’m convinced there’s a black hole just full of socks. Close to my house. My cats would never touch a dirty sock, for love or money. Clean warm laundry in a basket is one of their favorite things, tho’.
Now, there’s a bunch of cats in the world and a gazillion missing socks. I’m not sure the math works here. Hmmm?
Are they in cahoots with the Underpants Gnomes?
My mother and I used to joke about burning incense, or lighting a candle, to appease the sock god.
In addition to her investigative approach, I would like to commend the lady in the article on her cat-naming skills. Phantom and Squeak are a fine pair of family-use cat names.
We joke that the sock monster steals socks then dumps them into the nearest snowbank as we have found random socks in a snowmelt puddle in our side yard more than once =)
“I read somewhere” that clothes dryers are wormholes into which single socks are pulled. The other end of these wormholes are navels, where the socks emerge as lint.
I learned a long time ago to only buy one type of socks (long and black). That way, the sock monster can take as many as it wants and the remainders still match up.
I love this!
At Santa Fe’s Meow Wolf art funhouse, there is a dryer that is indeed a portal to another dimension.