Why do some cats give their newly caught small preys such as mice, birds, cockroaches, etc. to their owners? The saying is circulating in the market is "repaying kindness" and "dedicating sacrifices"; but in fact, in the eyes of cats, they regard the owner as "an unsuspecting hunter", or they can also regard you as their family (kittens). Therefore, the act of sending prey is equivalent to "demonstrating to show you how to hunt."
▲Cats regard the owner as "an undesirable hunter", so they catch the prey and give it to humans
According to animal behaviorist Desmond Morris in the book "Catwatching" (Catwatching) that cats give the newly caught little prey home to the owner because they think that the owner is a "an undesirable hunter." This behavior usually occurs in "ligated female cats" because they do not have their own kittens, so they turn this behavior towards human companions.
Desmond Morris said that big cats in natural environments will gradually let the kittens they are caring for know their prey. At the beginning, they will kill the prey first, but they will not be eaten immediately, but will take it back and eat it in front of the kittens for them to see. The next time is to bring the prey back, play with it and eat it, so that the kittens can observe how they use their claws to deal with their prey. The third stage is to leave the prey for the kitten to eat. When the kittens grow older, they will hunt directly in front of them and let them learn carefully. In the future, kittens will join the hunting operation and try to hunt on their own.
▲Cats send prey to their owners out of the generosity of the "caregivers"
However, if a female cat who is kept in captivity does not regard humans as a mother, and does not regard humans as a mother, but as a "family", it is possible to pass on the behavior of teaching hunting to the owners, that is, out of the generosity of the "caregivers". Usually when humans receive such rodents, half-dead birds, etc., they are often scared to death, and even cursed at the cat; but the cat is clearly out of good intentions, if they treat it like this, it may make it less understanding of human friends.
Therefore, Desmond Morris suggests that when humans receive prey from cats, the correct response should be: while praising it and touching it, take the prey away, and then throw it away when it is not paying attention.
