A cat is being credited with foiling a burglary after scaring a would-be burglar into thinking there was another thief inside the house.

Marius Ionescu, 31, of Benesti, Romania, was in the middle of ransacking a house in his hometown when he suddenly heard a noise that prompted him to jump under the bed.

From there he phoned the local police to alert them to a burglary taking place inside the residence he was in the process of burgling.

Too afraid to leave, Ionescu stuck around long enough for the police to arrive and arrest him.

"He already has a criminal record for similar break-ins, and given his nervous disposition, he probably should look for another job," police spokesperson Mihaela Straub is quoted as saying. "He’s likely to have a lot of time inside jail to consider things."

[H/T: Shortlist via Fark, photo via Etsy]