My 14 year old cat has started hunting.

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Last night I heard him make a strange noise and he was sitting next to a dead mouse in the hall. Exactly the same time tonight he did it again. This time unfortunately the mouse wasn't quite dead.
He used to get the occasional bird and leave the remains in the porch but hasn't done that for about ten years and he's never brought anything in before.
I've told him he will lose cat flap privileges.

Well, I hope my 13 year old Dcat doesn’t follow suit. She brings me a leaf or two nearly every day, and the occasional twig. I’m quite content with that, thanks! My younger Dcat (5) used to be a regular mouser and scourge of the local pigeons, but has grown too fat and lazy to bother this last year or so. I should really put her on a diet, but do I really want to be coming downstairs to decapitated shrews every morning?!

If we did get a cat or cats we would get adult ones from a rescue, so they may be able to tell us what the characters of the cats are I suppose, increase the chances of getting non-hunters.

A cat's instinct is to hunt. Why deny it's natural instinct.

Our 13 yr old cat is similar! Used to have copious amounts of slow worms and the odd bird, frog, mouse etc and then nothing for a good while. Then in the last couple of months, she’s been bringing mice too! One we found dead behind a box but only because she kept sniffing around the area. A couple alive, that then played havoc trying to rescue them and one near her cat bowl that had its innards sprawled out 🤮
I was thinking it’s weird too that she’s suddenly started doing this because she’s a fat lazy mare rather large sedentary puss.
A pp mentioned a thyroid issue. Will have to look into that.

I was wondering if mice have been affected by the warm weather we had a few weeks ago. That is when she was bringing them in literally every few minutes. Whatever it was I’m hoping they’ve finally found somewhere else to live and she’s not cottoned on.

Well if you'd asked me last week I'd have said no because mine didn't for 14 years!
Yes it's a trap / release trap but only because it wouldn't be safe for the cat to have snappy traps around .
I wondered whether he might have found a nest, we're next to fields.

I don't mind him hunting as long as he leaves it at the door.

How strange because my 13yo cat has suddenly brought home two small birds (both alive and well, fortunately).

First time I am aware of, that she has ever hunted. In fact, I've seen her lay in the garden with her paws crossed while birds hop around her, showing no inclination whatsoever to move.

I keep telling mine that the rules are if you bring it inside it has to be dead. unfortunately he pays little attention and hence I've been chasing a mouse round the bedroom tonight.

He definitely makes a distinctive sound which is either 'Mum, look what I've got' or 'can't talk now, mouth is full'. I'm never sure which.

Yes that sound is unlike anything he's ever made before. A loud announcement perhaps, with a mouthful.