Cats who bring home presents!

Hecate is not a born hunter killer, in fact I doubt she has ever caught anything larger than the occasional spider. However, this does not stop her giving it a try, even if it is probably just a show to impress her human.

Sadly, Mili is prone to bringing back the occasional present, although this is usually confined to just a single annual event because the telling off and raised voices are most definitely not the reward she undoubtedly hopes for.

Some cats that hunt prey will bring their owners the dead (or sometimes still alive) animals in order to show off their prized catch, possibly for  later consumption or as a teaching aid, or as a gift. Cats want to share their bounty with their family, in their own way, naturally passing on their hunting and eating knowledge.

This is especially true of female cats who would normally teach their young how to hunt and eat.

This means when a cat brings home an animal or bird that they have caught it is likely because they consider you a part of their family. Their instincts are telling them this is what they need to do to survive and that they need to pass these important, life-saving skills onto their family. Given that Mili was rescued from a rubbish skip in early "kitten-hood" it is possible her mother had the need to teach her survival skills at a very tender age.

The upper pond looking rather nice at the end of last week