# Why does my cat bring us "presents"?



## RiskyPets (Oct 2, 2008)

My 3 year old cat brings us "presents" in the form of dead gofers and birds from time to time. It seems that he brings them in stages..... 3 nights in a row, and then not again for a few weeks. Obviously, we can't discipline him, as he is a cat. Does anybody know why cats do this and/or why he may do it in stages? It is very gross to wake up and find bloody gofer guts in my bathroom.


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

Well that is exactly what it is, a present of food to share with his family  why he does it in stages I wouldn't know. Prehaps he thinks you've all been well fed and doesn't need to go hunting for a few days until you are all hungry again. All I can suggest is not having a cat flap so he can't bring dead animals inside, or, shut him in at night.


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## bee112 (Apr 12, 2008)

This is just a natural instinct.. he's earning his keep by providing for his family..!


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

He,s just looking after you!

Years ago when i had outdoor cats, they used to bring me lolipop sticks, crisp packets , twigs to name a few,

not sure what i would prefer, dead gopher or crisp packet


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

I would feel really flattered! (Yes I know it isn't the nicest thing to have lying on your kitchen floor!)


Our semi feral used to bring live shrews and mice for our Maine Coon. She had a special miaow, so I knew that she had a present for him. Most of the time he really wasn't interested, which rather flummoxed her.

Now she still catches them but eats them. Unfortunately she was sick on out carpet the other day - yeah blood and guts of shrew!


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2008)

jens4cats said:


> He,s just looking after you!
> 
> Years ago when i had outdoor cats, they used to bring me lolipop sticks, crisp packets , twigs to name a few,
> 
> not sure what i would prefer, dead gopher or crisp packet


Haha, we don't get a choice, we get it all, litter and dead animals.


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2008)

It is purely to try and show how much they love you...we often get mice, birds and sometimes the odd enormous bug!!!

As sweet as it is, I'd rather they didn't although it does keep the mouse population down in our garden!


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## ILOVETABBYS (Sep 22, 2008)

It is really sweet, my neighbours cat Arnold, left a dead mouse on my door step, though i think it was more for my son (they are so great together!) than me!
Luckily i dont have a cat flap, so non in the house! ...YET!


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## mattyh (Apr 15, 2008)

Both mine bring animals back... usually alive though!


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

I was graced with an earthworm this morning, they come through the slabs in the cat run.

Whats worse i trod on it bare footed


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

yucky


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

jens4cats said:


> I was graced with an earthworm this morning, they come through the slabs in the cat run.
> 
> Whats worse i trod on it bare footed


Not as bad as slugs which come in under backdoor in search of catfood  Sticky, sticky mess on foot


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

Janee said:


> Not as bad as slugs which come in under backdoor in search of catfood  Sticky, sticky mess on foot


I get slugs too, iam petrified of the buggers.

Theres just something about them, i feel sick just thinking of them

Is there any need for slugs?


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

I haven't tried it as gave to son (his slugs come in to enjoy Malaysian cooking by gf) but copper tape 'might' work 

Gardeners use it around pots so slugs are deterred from climbing up - they get a static electric shock apparently......

Copper tape available from B&Q

What surprises me is how far they can travel in a night!


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

Ill have a look for that, iam using spray at the minute but with all the rain were having its not keeping them away


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## ILOVETABBYS (Sep 22, 2008)

Ooooh, just have to tell you all:- I got in, about an hour ago, and as i was walking down my front garden path, what is waiting for me and my son...a dead pigeon infront of the door!!! It was obviously off Arnold (the cat who left us the dead mouse, my neighbours cat) he looked very pleased with himself! I on the other hand nearly vomited when I saw the dead pigeon had no head!   Urghhhhhhh! I guess his intentions are very sweet tho!
Emma x


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

It could have decapitated itself flying into telephone wire - a number of years ago a racing pigeon did this and dropped to our drive.

I removed ring from foot (chopped off foot) and found where to report it to. Owner of pidgeon was glad to know what had happened, even though sad at loss.


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## JANICE199 (Feb 1, 2008)

its not only cats.kai came in with a dead mouse a few weeks ago...YUK


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## ILOVETABBYS (Sep 22, 2008)

Janee said:


> It could have decapitated itself flying into telephone wire - a number of years ago a racing pigeon did this and dropped to our drive.
> 
> I removed ring from foot (chopped off foot) and found where to report it to. Owner of pidgeon was glad to know what had happened, even though sad at loss.


I have not managed to get that close to it! My father is coming to clear it away tonight...so will ask him to check the leg for any tags then.
Im sure it is the cat though, cos he left us a little mouse last week!


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## missingadog (Sep 29, 2008)

Oh dear.. maddy brought a RAT in...through the top window once...

GOD knows how she managed to get it in that high, the bloody rat was about as big as her- shes only a small cat, oh my god i'll never forget it.. turning that light on and there being a huge dead rat in my dining room, with maddy sitting there looking at me proudly. i felt horrified and proud all at once...

She does a nice line in decapitated mice too....:aureola: but to be fair, we had a bit of a chat about the live field mice she kept bringing in. so maybe its an improvement. my mother had a fit when one came running up the stairs!


Anyway, we should think ourselves lucky- a colleague of mine came back from a weekend away to find a dead pigeon, complete with maggots in her bed, that her cat had brought her back....

do you think the more gross the present, the more they love you? I don't know, but i had a bit of a chat with the mogger about that rat, and i haven't seen one since...


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## ColeosMummy (Aug 27, 2008)

my cats don't get a choice they cantr bring me presents they stay indoor x


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## Spudmols (Sep 17, 2008)

Our cat use to bring back the plastic rings that hold cans of beer together, and empty sandwich pacakges, the bags that you put wash tablets in.
She even bought back a sock once gods know who that belonged too :yikes:


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Gizmo brings mice and rats but I think the magpies steal them from him:lol: He leaves them on the back door step but by the time I go to clear up the dead thing is halfway across the lawn.
Many years ago I had a tabby girl that used to bring live birds or mice in for her kittens to show them how to catch things :eek6: Not funny!


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

A couple of days ago I came down at the crack of dawn (well 6 am) and saw that the water dish seemed to be sort of black.......

Went to look and saw these 2 eyes looking at me.......huge toad, obviously had escaped by jumping in the water dish. Seemed to have a scap on its side but otherwise fine. It must have been in the house at least 12 hours as the cats are shut in at night.


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## Princess Boo (Oct 30, 2008)

Its love! Our cat Boo brings all sorts of things - mostly frogs (3 in 1/2 hour is her record), pigeons and other birds. All alive, she likes to play with them. Always leaves the gifts in the same place at the bottom of the stairs!

You'll just have to accept its what cats do and give her lots of praise and remove the 'gift'.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2008)

We were all eating dinner in the conservatory the other day and all of a sudden, we heard this horrendous screaming.....turns out, one of the cats had brought in a frog!!! It was going ballistic under the sofa because Lily tried to find it again!

Managed to catch it but it really didn't want to be caught!

We have had all sorts from tiny little mice to wood pigeons...our boy always looks so pleased with himself, I can't bring myself to get rid of the 'gift' until he has gone away!


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## Laurel&Hardy (Oct 12, 2008)

You gotta love presents...and yes as everyone has said its your cats way of telling you he loves you by providing for you  My cats bring in all sorts, one of them catches moths, brings them in and then eats the wings leaving the rest of it to walk around...quite disturbing! We also get our fair share of shrews, bugs, mice, birds and the occasional bat! No rabbits as there aren't many in this area coz of the pine martens. 

Sometimes alive...always good fun to wake up in the middle of the night to crashing and banging as they try and catch a mice they have brought in...then theres the dead one...which I don't mind apart from when Scottie decides to pull out its insides and trail them into my bedroom...I have become very careful where I put my feet when I get outta bed, and I always put shoes on when I head to the loo in the middle of the night just in case there's a nice present for me to step in.


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## Tigerkatz (Sep 29, 2008)

my oh went home the other day to find his moggie had a lovely prezzie for him  
A GIANT rat!! What a good ol boy  glad it was not my cat.... I am soooo pleased mine are not allowed out to hunt. I think I would have had a heart attack


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

Our council has just introduced biodegradable bags for putting in leftover food, including all bones, meat etc. 

I can now recycle the presents which are dead!


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## TRU (May 16, 2009)

Your cat is showing how clever he is. A mother cat would teach her young to catch food and expect it to learn, when the youngster manages to do this, it will show the mother and get highly praised. Your cat is doing the same thing. It is expecting praise for being a clever and swift provider.


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