Why do cats bring in dead mice and other living creatures?

They are presents! Really!





I like the site I've linked to below. They have lots of cool answers on why cats do the many crazy things they do!





In addition to the ';presents'; answer, they offer 3 other possibilities:





- Your cat realizes you are a totally incompetent mouser and is trying to educate you.


- The cat is bringing her prey home to where it is safe, where she usually eats.


- The cat is simply trying to make sure you have fresh food.Why do cats bring in dead mice and other living creatures?
they are thank you gifts...your cat must really love you.Why do cats bring in dead mice and other living creatures?
it means they love you
cats bring dead mice etc..to you as a present, they see you as the person who cares %26amp; nurtures them and this is how they repay you, this would be how they would behave in the wild.
These are not gifts. Cats don't reason like this. They are bringing them in to play with before they eat them. Plain and simple!
The dead mice are gifts of appreciation you really love your cat, if they bring creatures that are still alive these are play toys the cat will always catch them
they bring you these as gifts. I have enjoyed many a dead rat and pigeon on my window ledge. thank you Jumbo!!.
Hi. one of our girl tabbies brings in dead mince through the cat flap and another time she brought a live one in,but thats what cats do
They are giving you a present!
Although domestic cats are not running in the ';wild';, they are still hunters by divine nature. If cats were free in the wild, such as tigers, lions etc..they would hunt their prey and bring it home as an offering of their good work. So, in other words, domestic cats do the same thing. They bring it home as an offering to their masters..yummyy..eat it with BBQ sauce. LOL
Owners of outdoor cats will eventually be presented with gifts of dead creatures, such as mice and birds. For the cat, this is perfectly natural - this behaviour should never be punished in any way. A Queen will bring prey home to her kittens to introduce them to hunting. For this reason, the behaviour is most often seen in female cats. Neutered cats that have no kittens of their own and male cats will also bring gifts home.
to show how much they love you
Telling you the food you feed it, isn't right and goes against nature to give a carnivore dry little bits of Kibble and wet nasty slop with no heartbeat.





I agree with the girl who said that they are trying to teach you how to hunt and feed them. as animals learn and teach by example.





I never met a cat that actually gave a sh*it enough to bring a gift to anyone. Cat's are all about ';Me';
because cats are a prowd creature they want to show you what they did they think it will make you happy (its like a gift)
its like they want to show you what theyve cought my cat did it with a bird i cant stand it though but they say its nature so not a lot you can do.
your cats mind works like this... your are the owner and because you feed it, it thinks that your are its parent also. so by bringing in dead mice and other creatures it thinks it's bringing you food to feed you also. so you see how sweet it is. just shows it loves you
Bringing you gifts.
They do it to brag of their conquests only and sometimes to put salt on them make em tastier
I read this in a book once, they think their owners suck at hunting so they bring their owners ';food'; to show them what they should actually be feeding them, not the hard dry cat food or the soft cat food in a can.
Dont know but imagine a cat trying to drag a pony through a cat flap.
according to animal pyscology, theyre supposed to do it as its offering you a gift or token of respect
cats bring dead and living animals back home as a gift for their owners, they are only showing their affection for their owners!
they are sharing what they have caught
they are hunter's by nature (GOD made cats)
They are proud of their catch and want to show you how good they are at hunting...
It's an inherited trait stemming from their prehistorical ancestor the saber-tooth cat. Saber-tooth's were known to kill their prey and bring it back to their cave to share with either the ill or elderly in their pride.
your not feeding them enough [ its a hint ]
they are doing this as a show of affection, ie they love you
Usually what they bring in isn't living.


But it means they love you, believe it or not, and they want you to praise them. Even though its kinda wierd and a bit gross, it's just thier way of saying,





';Look what I did! Aren't you proud of me?!';
Some say that cats who do this actually think they are bringing their owner(s) a present, and expect to be rewarded.
It is an offering to you