The short version
Secure your own spending and base decisions first, observe the target and nearby players, choose an exit route, then use the bat interaction the experience provides to attack the base and attempt the steal. If conditions change, abort; no target is worth ignoring what is happening at your own base.
The raid loop is not separate from your tycoon progress. Pets produce money and live inside bases that other players can attack, so every steal attempt trades your attention at home for a chance to take something elsewhere. The best decision is therefore about exposure and exit planning, not a hidden ‘guaranteed steal’ combo.