Cat owners receive gifts not only from their loved ones but also from their feline companions. However, presents from domesticated cats deliver a different form of surprise. Why? Just imagine the horrible sight of a dead animal as a gift on your front door, back porch, or bedroom!
So, why do cats bring you dead animals? It’s their way of showing affection, a survival instinct, or love to play with you.
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3 Reasons Why Cats Bring You Dead Animals
Why cats bring their owners a dead animal is a common query among cat owners on Reddit, quora, and any pet lover across the globe. Most people find it difficult to understand, especially if their cats look fuzzy and adorable.
What does it mean if cats leave dead animals at your door? Keep your paws ready for more information, which we’ll explore below.
Reason 1: Your Cat Loves You
Ironic as it seems, cats bring you dead things like a dead mouse or a dead bird because they love you and treat you as a member of their pack. Since cats have an innate prey-catching behavior, they view their kill as the best gift they can offer to their loved ones.
A cat bringing dead animals to your lawn may be a horrible sight. Still, it’s your cat’s way of expressing affection towards a human they consider part of their family, offering them safety, comfort, and security!
Reason 2: It’s Part of Your Cat’s Survival Instinct
Discovering that my cat bring me dead animals may not be the best way for owners to start or end the day. Regardless, it reminds owners that their feline companion’s desire to hunt remains strong.
In the wild, this behavior applies especially to pack animals like female cats who need to hunt for their offspring and teach them some life saving skills later.
Many cats, including domesticated mother cats, cannot resist the same instinct, leaving their dead or injured prey as an example or a gift for their owners, if not their kittens.
Reason 3: Cats Love To Play
Any domesticated or stray cat leaving dead animals on your porch meant no harm. This behavior only exhibits their desire to play with the dead mice or any other animal with their human companions while practicing their hunting skills.
If you’ve given your cat a toy bird, snake, or mouse to play with, you’re helping them ignite their instinct to hunt. However, this might confuse them into bringing a dead rodent, little birds, or a dying snake, thinking they were their cat toy!
How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Bringing Me Dead Animals?
Now that you know why cats bring us dead animals, you’re most likely thinking of what you should do to stop this behavior.
Are you one of the many cat owners wondering what to do when my cat bring me dead animals? Here are some insider tips for handling your pet’s behavior. These tips may not guarantee the end of your cat’s strange characteristics, but they can help control them better.
1. Redirect Your Cat’s Hunting Behavior Through Regular Playtime
Cats enjoy chasing, grabbing, and pouncing their prey which may eventually lead to the object’s death, whether it’s an animal or not. Therefore, it’s essential to redirect your cat’s natural prey drive through regular playtime.
Bonding with your pet through playtime may require you to invest in interactive toys for mental stimulation, such as a laser pointer, feather wands, moving toys, and small stuffed animals like stuffed mice.
All the money you’ll spend on your cat will be worth it, as it redirects your cat’s hunting instincts while keeping its mental and physical health at its best.
2. Limit Your Cat’s Time Outdoors
Small animals tend to be at their most active in daylight. Therefore, limiting your cat’s access outdoors, especially in the morning, will lessen the potential of seeing a dead mouse by your front step.
If it’s impossible to lessen their outdoor time, consider building a small playground indoors for your cats to enjoy the comforts of your room. You can also purchase or make a cat enclosure to keep inside or outside your home to improve their play sessions.
3. Change your cat’s diet
You can offer a protein-rich meal made from meat for your cats. Added some active playtime and fed the right food, their hunting desire can be lessened and under control.
Conclusion
Cats may not be the best at gift-giving, but they are fantastic pets worth loving. The reason why do cats bring you dead animals into your house lies in their affection for their owners, their natural hunting instinct, and their love for playing.
It’s not easy to deter your cats from leaving dead animals on doorstep, backyard, or bedroom. Still, you can minimize this behavior by following our tips, such as regularly playing with them and limiting their access outdoors.
We hope our post helped you understand your cat’s odd yet unique behavior. No matter what happens, let nothing stop you from loving your kitty, even if that means dealing with a dead rodent later!
I am Amy Sawy, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduate from the University of Kansas. y husband, Dr. Plummer, and I own a veterinary clinic in Phillipsburg, Kansas. In addition to my professional background, I am a devoted pet owner myself, with a household that includes dogs, rodents, and most notably, cats – a total of five felines in my home.
In 2020, I joined an organization as a professional writer, leveraging my experience and collaborating with my team to deliver the most valuable information for your cat’s care.
