My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

How to respond to a 'gift'

26 replies

Frizzbonce · 22/08/2013 15:17

Stan, my four month kitten, brought in a dead worm yesterday and dropped it at my feet. I thanked and petted him and waited till he had trotted off before disposing of it. Is the bringing of dead and decomposing gifts, just a way of saying 'thank you' or is it a message (as a friend of mine is convinced) that they don't like the cat food you're giving them?

OP posts:
Report
Loobylou123 · 22/08/2013 15:22

It's a gift to show he loves you - quite sweet really if a bit gross. I always fake gratitude with strokes and tickles when brought half a mouse or anything ikky then quickly whip it away - luckily my boy tends to leave them by the back door rather than at my feet.

Report
GetStuffezd · 22/08/2013 15:23

Ha! Nice going, Stan! Grin
Mine have started this with shrews and I respond similarly to you. I do feel a twinge of guilt though when they come back in and I can see them looking for their offerings (which are by this time thrown in the hedge)

Report
Frizzbonce · 22/08/2013 15:27

GetStuffezd shrews! Grin My DP has built a pond and is keen on populating it with goldfish. Alas I already have a vision of the local cats, including Stan, sitting round it salivating at all that free sushi . . . .

OP posts:
Report
CockyFox · 22/08/2013 15:32

I give her a fuss and say thank you, then get rid of it once she has gone. She always looks so proud I can't tell her off.

Report
cozietoesie · 22/08/2013 15:36

It depends what it is Frizzbonce. Some of us have had some truly weird presents in our time.

Hmm

Report
FindingSanity · 22/08/2013 16:16

I can't even dispose of the gift. I leave that up to DH. I feel so sorry for what's brought in. I'm thankful to him but I wish he wouldn't.

Report
fackinell · 22/08/2013 16:25

Oh I feel bad now!! I've been so ungrateful to my little, ginger man. Sad
I will from now on pat and say thank you, not shriek and try to move him away from his offering. He brought me lumps of moss to begin with, that was cute. I kept them and DP and I named the Kate and Stirling (moss.) Smile

Report
cozietoesie · 22/08/2013 17:03

Your sure that those 'lumps of moss' didn't contain formerly wriggling worms?

Report
fackinell · 22/08/2013 17:12

Oh boke, Cozie! Grin
They were very small but possibly...still better than mice and birds. He's getting braver, it'll be a seagull next.

Report
Bloodsocks · 22/08/2013 17:13

My indoor cat used to bring me her toys and we always say thank you and stroke her. We have started letting them out now and I'm dreading when one of them brings back a natural present!

Report
BadgersRetreat · 22/08/2013 18:58

haha roffle at Kate and Stirling

the two times mine has actually managed to catch anything i saw her belting towards the back door with it in her mouth and managed to get there before her to slam it in her face Blush

Not very grateful, am i? Both times her prize was alive and managed to escape when she dropped them in surprise

Report
fackinell · 22/08/2013 19:19

I had two stones called Sharon and Oliver too, Badger. We like naming things.

I tried to shut him out the other day too. Little fecker ran round the back and in the flap to the bedroom before I could get five feet from the front door. He has a penchant for butterflies at the moment Sad I managed to save one but the other was a goner.

Report
BadgersRetreat · 22/08/2013 19:32

haha that's fab fackinell (fab NN by the way)

Just remembered mine actually had a bit of a Lassie moment the other night

She came up to me squawking - i thought she wanted her dinner. I went downstairs and she was doing the 'checking over her shoulder to make sure i'm there' thing as she ran in front of me, but instead of the kitchen she ran over to the dining room window.

she hopped onto the windowsill and looked up under the blind - when i raised it there was a HUGE dragonfly fluttering around up there which the cat was fascinated by Grin

then it sort of divebombed her and she scarpered leaving me to get rid of the bloody thing

Report
fackinell · 22/08/2013 19:50

Why thank you. Smile

Oh bless, that's so cute, 'look mummy, come see!!'

I adore our little, furry people. Such personalities. Grin

Report
SilverOldie · 24/08/2013 13:15

I used to respond with a blood curdling scream and my neighbour would come round and remove the 'gift' for me Smile

Perkins, my cat, once brought in a still alive sparrow and deposited it on my sitting room floor, whereupon the bird flew up and hid behind a row of books, then another and then another.

Two big bookcases, floor to ceiling either side of fireplace. Some time later, with every book on the floor, managed to catch the poor little thing and put it under some bushes in the local park.

Report
fackinell · 24/08/2013 13:20

Grin Perkins is a fabulous name. He sounds like a butler! No wonder he brings you things.

Report
SilverOldie · 24/08/2013 19:19

Thank you fackinell he was the most special cat ever but I think it was more me being HIS butler. He had a permanently expectant look on his face of 'where are my prawns!' Grin

Report
fackinell · 25/08/2013 01:32

Awww he sounds lovely, Silver. My dearly departed boy (nearly a year now Sad) loved prawns and Spag Bol. Proper Garfield he was.

Report
ChubbyKitty · 25/08/2013 02:42

My older girl likes to bring me her Mousie. Although she tends not to 'bring' per se - she picks it up and shouts at me with it in her mouth. She might bring it a few inches closer and drop it but she continues to shout at meGrin

I tell her she's a clever girl but sometimes I think she can be a bit of a fart.

Report
fackinell · 25/08/2013 10:16

Grin Chubby!

Report
Sparklingbrook · 25/08/2013 10:18

Sparkling Cat brings me grass snakes and slow worms. I stifle my screams to thank her. Sad

Report
fackinell · 25/08/2013 14:01

My old cat brought home someone's pet budgie once and a friends cat came home with a joint of beef, still hot! Grin

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

SilverOldie · 25/08/2013 15:50

A joint of beef? ha ha. At home we had a big black cat called Fred. My Father was besotted with him. Next door neighbour built a pond with goldfish, cue Fred sitting transfixed for hours staring at fish and come next morning, dead goldfish scattered around the garden.

They restocked the pond, resulting in more dead goldfish. They said to my Dad, Fred seems to be killing them all. Well, he said indignantly, doesn't mean it's Fred who killed them (he still stuck to side of pond mesmerised). Eventually they put little sticks round the outside, and put cotton round the sticks, Poor Fred had to extend his paw just a little bit further. More dead goldfish.

Eventually, the pond was covered over with chicken wire with slabs of concrete holding it down. Not an attractive look. Cue chicken wire pulled up and more dead fish. They gave up eventually and filled it in Grin.

Report
fackinell · 25/08/2013 16:11

Haha poor fish, our cats don't bother ours, in fact they swim over to anyone near them for extra food, including to the cats!Grin

Report
clarasebal · 18/09/2013 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.