How to respond to a 'gift'

[Frizzbonce]

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?

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.

Ha! Nice going, Stan!
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)

GetStuffezd shrews! 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 . . . .

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.

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

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.

Oh I feel bad now!! I've been so ungrateful to my little, ginger man.
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.)

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

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

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!

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

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

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 I managed to save one but the other was a goner.

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

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

Why thank you.

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

I adore our little, furry people. Such personalities.

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

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.

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

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!'

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

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 me

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

Chubby!

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

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

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 .

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!