'Gifts' from cats...
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Category: General History
Forum Name: Natural History
Forum Discription: History viewed through ecology, geology, paleoclimatology, paleontology & zoology to assist in understanding earth's history
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20673
Printed Date: 13-May-2024 at 19:49
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Topic: 'Gifts' from cats...
Posted By: Zagros
Subject: 'Gifts' from cats...
Date Posted: 10-Jul-2007 at 16:11
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My friend just told me how he took an extremely khot girl home at the weekend only to find that his cat had left a 'present', or offering, in the shape of a field mouse torso with its guts hanging out on his bed, luckily the girl did not scare of such things easily. Another friend of mine some years ago had told of how her cat had returned with a rabbit head.
I find it interesting how cats feel the need to show their gratitude and try to feed the hand that feeds them from time to time.
 Can anyone expand on this? |
Replies:
Posted By: Seko
Date Posted: 10-Jul-2007 at 17:00
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Not sure why they do it. I have heard a similar story before. When a cat urinates on your bed then there are issues. lol. When a cat brings in some live kill then it may be a sign of gratitude. How charming! ------------- |
Posted By: Gundamor
Date Posted: 11-Jul-2007 at 16:40
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Being a cat lover i've a read a few different views over the years. One being that they think your not good at catching prey and are trying to teach you how. Kind of like how a mother would teach it's kitten. Another view is that cats are very social and like to share their catch with their leader or member of the pack sort of deal. The cat is basically trying to feed you. Kind of like how lions or some other wild cats act.
------------- "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" |
Posted By: Dolphin
Date Posted: 12-Jul-2007 at 05:51
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Maybe the cat knew the girl was coming and want ed to prove to its owner that he has all he needs already at home - food and all ------------- |
Posted By: AyKurt
Date Posted: 14-Jul-2007 at 11:48
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So what should you do if your pet cat brings home a gift? I think throwing it away or tellling the cat off might be considered ungrateful.
My cat has a habit of catching "gifts" regularly even though it has a bell on its collar.
A few years ago my pet cat died and shortly after i had a strange dream of her.
She came into the kitchen jumping about happily and seemed really fit and as large as a dog (when she died of old age she hardly moved at all and was petite for a cat), she gave me a "gift" a large black crow which she dropped at my feet. The crow got up and looking none to pleased hopped out of the kitchen into the back garden. ------------- Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha |
Posted By: Gundamor
Date Posted: 14-Jul-2007 at 13:00
Some owners actual swear that this worked or works with their cats. Most cat psychologists(yes kitty shrinks) feel the only way of prevention is to keep them indoors. Cats are hunters from day one. Every kitten naturally will pounce things or chase a string.  ------------- "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" |
Posted By: Knights
Date Posted: 14-Jul-2007 at 15:02
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Hello all. Nice discussion we have here, I see. I don't believe there is anything that can stop the hunter instinct in a cat, nor the drive a cat has to please it's owner (to an extent with the latter). There are definitely ways (as said above) to prevent a cat bringing home such gifts; keeping them indoors the most obvious and mishap-proof. I suppose cats could still catch small house animals like mice, but that's out of the question. Another innovation I think is great is an outdoor "Cat Roamer" (one of the names for it) - a series of tunnels, enclosed areas and ramps/ladders, with hard wire mesh walls, floor and roof. Variations can be added like jungle gyms, cat toys.etc, but the main purpose is that a cat can roam outdoors at its will, at no cost to the local wildlife. A good way to compensate for a cat's instinct to hunt and present gifts to its owner is to play regular games such as catch the [fake] mouse, that springy ball on a pole, and other things sparking and exercising a cat's instinct to hunt, scratch, "kill" and paw. Plus, it's lots of fun for you too!
I can only really think of lions behaving in this way; the less dominant in the hierarchy, the lionesses [i.e. your house cat] hunt and kill the prey, and bring it back for the dominant male lions [you, the owner], who in turn get to feed first as well. I'd imagine your poor cat expects you to eat the gift... - Knights - ------------- |
Posted By: Laine
Date Posted: 15-Jul-2007 at 00:18
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My female cat brings home rabbits and as far as my own personal exprience only female cats have brought home such gifts. Perhaps this does play into their mothering instinct although I am sure plenty of people have males that bring home prey. |
Posted By: PanzerOberst
Date Posted: 17-Jul-2007 at 17:18
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I had an experience like this once, years ago when I had a female cat. One day she brought home a half eaten mouse and laid it at my feet. Needless to say I was horrified at first, but then realised the very same thing you guys mentioned here. I firmly told her that such "gifts" were unescessary and buried the "gift". I think it's kinda cute ------------- "If the tanks succeed, then victory follows" - Heinz W. Guderian |