You are here:
- Home
- Animals/Pets
- Cats
- Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)
- Do cats bring "gifts" for other cats?
Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Do cats bring "gifts" for other cats?
Advertisement
Question
Do cats bring presents to other cats? We have an indoor only cat who likes to stare out our sliding glass doors facing our street. Recently we noticed a small dead bird outside in front of the area he normally faces and today we saw a neighbor's female cat (ours is male) near our sliding doors. Does our cat have a new girlfriend? Did she bring him a present? We can't see any way the bird could have ended up there unless it was carried.
Jo,
)
Hmmm, strange. I know a neighbor's dog that brings a dog biscuit to another neighbor's dog, but I haven't heard of a cat specifically bringing gifts to another cat. I DO have one cat that is a mouser (they rest aren't), and the one cat will catch a mouse and bring it home for the others to play with.
Cats do not have the human emotions that we have, but they DO have a kitty version of them. It is possible that it is a 'friendship gift', it's possible that it is to tease your cat, she could have been playing with it and it was a coincidence that it ended up there, OR sometimes only the cat knows the reason why he/she does something.
It's possible that the neighbor's cat is lonely and needs companionship. Have you ever thought of getting a large dog crate/cage (I will attach a picture of mine that I got at Petco) and putting your cat outside in it? You cat may enjoy being outside...but safely.
I hope this answers your question.
Tabbi
- View Follow-Ups
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you! I will definitely try to buy a crate and see how he likes being outside this way. | ||
Related Articles
- Gift Giving Cats - Why Cats Give Us Hunting Gifts
- Chloe - Reader Stories: Living with a Persian Cat
- Pud-Cat Taught us Well - Reader Stories: How I Became an Accidental Cat Parent
- How to Protect Outdoor Cats in Cold Weather - Help for Strays or Feral Colonies
- Purina and Family Dollar - We Heart Pets Sweepstakes
Answers by Expert:
Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
Education/Credentials
***********
Awards and Honors
* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.