Do cats bring other cats ‘presents’?

[DollyTots]

Hi all,

Our 8 month old kitten has been going out since he was neutered at 6 months old. He loves it and so far doesn’t stray further than a few garden radius.

Our next door but one neighbour has two gorgeous cats. One male and one female who are at least 6 years old. The female cat shows no interest in him at all and definitely verbalises that to him if he approaches her.

The male cat has out of nowhere suddenly started appearing and ‘talking’ to our cat. It’s unexpected because he’s so timid and across the years he’s never come near and we rarely see him. This has also coincided with our boy appearing at the back doors on two consecutive days now with a dead mouse dangling from his mouth. As much as I adore him, I really don’t think he’s adept enough to be catching anything more than a leaf.

It just got me wondering if this is something cats do? Particularly cats from different households. I guess he could just be picking up his leftovers but the fact that he’s now trying to interact made me think these may be ‘gifts’, a welcome to the neighbourhood perhaps 😂

It’s possible, our cats friend used to miaow outside the window if ours was in for the night.

Although the most likely explanation is that your little schnuckhams is a cold blooded killer.

This is probably true.
Cats are not averse to bringing home random dead things though, or picking up another cats kill.
Cats do have friends though and may choose to hang out with their feline chums. Or they may be besties one day and scrapping another.

Interesting to know they can have friends!

He’s such a plum. Really doesn’t scream cold blooded killer. Maybe it’s all just an act..

He’s doing his best, he’s never seen you with a mouse & he’s trying to help.

He's a brown tabby.

The Destroyers of the Mouse World.

Hate to break it to you but your sweet little 8 MO could be a cold blooded killer. I foster rescue cats and currently have some that age. The littlest girl, a brown tabby as it happens, brings in several mice a week (dead thankfully) and she runs around the house growling if any of the others try to take it off her.

But there does appear to be a social and teaching aspect to the hunting. On a few occasions, the older ones (often not the mothers, as they've usually been moved on anyway) will teach the young ones (from around 4-6 months old) to hunt, using the delightful practice of bringing in something alive, letting it go and sitting and watching, probably with encouragement inaudible to human ears, while the little ones hunt it in the house.

I've never actually noticed a correlation between cat colouring and hunting ability, I must do a study. One of our most prolific young hunters, who was black anyway, had brought in earthworms, mice, a squirrel and what was probably the same frog twice, all before he was 6 months old.