Little Gifts! Little Help Needed!

Quoth MaryL:
No, this is not "inappropriate" behavior -- it is something that we
"hoomins" may not like, but it is perfectly normal behavior for a cat. In
fact, from the cat's perspective, this may be seen as a compliment when
the cat brings gifts. Certainly, it is not something to correct because
the cat will have no way to understand what he or she is being punished or
"corrected" for. In my opinion, this is something that simply has to be
accepted if a person is going to have an indoor/outdoor cat.

Not necessarily - my cats are in/out, and they never bring gifts home for
me. Occasionally Calli will bring a mouse home to eat herself, and when I
point out to her that she shouldn't have brought it in she runs back
outside to finish.

I don't think it's a compliment; I think it's a matter of training - as in,
the cat is trying to train you to hunt, in the absence of suitable evidence
that you're capable of doing it yourself (or maybe because the cat notes
that you have "kittens" and need to know how to provide for them?) I don't
know how to persuade a cat otherwise, except to note that my three seem to
think that I'm quite capable of catching my own (and once Blackie and I
caught one in co-operation).

But a thought - do you feed them the odd scrap from your plate at mealtimes?
If so, they may be trying to return the favour... May not be that, but cats
are quite intelligent enough to figure these things out.
--
Gwenhwyfaer (emails need [Private] in header)

some girls wander by themselves

"Andy Martin" wrote in message
...
I have a 3 legged cat who cant stretch to birds but often digs up worms
and
offers them instead!




What a lovely gift to step on when you wake up to go to the bathroom in the
middle of the night. Blech!
kili

"Andy Martin" wrote in message
...
I have a 3 legged cat who cant stretch to birds but often digs up worms
and
offers them instead!




What a lovely gift to step on when you wake up to go to the bathroom in the
middle of the night. Blech!
kili

"M.C. Mullen" wrote in message
...



(snip)



Please don't lock them outside. How about the kitchen plus another room?
The kitchen with food and water supply plus access to the outside would be
a
fair compromise I think.
I need to go to the bathroom in the night but don't like to turn the light
on in order to remain half asleep. Do you know the feeling when stepping
barefoot on one of the gifts?? The present cats are good though, but the
last one was a terrible hunter.

Carola






Yep, I know the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night and stepping
on a gift. My cats always chase down geckos, but they never eat the head.
It's not a fun thing to feel squish in your toes. ICK!
kili

"M.C. Mullen" wrote in message
...



(snip)



Please don't lock them outside. How about the kitchen plus another room?
The kitchen with food and water supply plus access to the outside would be
a
fair compromise I think.
I need to go to the bathroom in the night but don't like to turn the light
on in order to remain half asleep. Do you know the feeling when stepping
barefoot on one of the gifts?? The present cats are good though, but the
last one was a terrible hunter.

Carola






Yep, I know the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night and stepping
on a gift. My cats always chase down geckos, but they never eat the head.
It's not a fun thing to feel squish in your toes. ICK!
kili

Be thankful that they are usually dead and small. I spent a day and a
half trying to catch a chipmunk, and it was enclosed in the bathroom!
Every time I would get it out from behind the sink, and into the shower
stall, I would open the door, out it would run, and behind the sink
again. Finally, I stood on a step stool, threw a paper sack into the
shower, took a broom and hustled him into the sack, closed the sack with
the broom, opened the door, got the critter and took him outside. I was
exhausted and the chipmunk was too.

David Wright wrote:
Hello,

Just wondered if anyone could share some advice on how to stop our two cats
bringing home little "gifts" for us during the night.

Both cats (1 male, 1 female) are just under 2 years old. They have never
brought anything back before, but since our first baby was born and became
the centre of attention 14 weeks ago, we have had 4 mice, one bird and two
frogs. And, because they have a cat-flap door, we find the presents -
normally dead but sometimes alive - in the living room when we get up in the
morning. The bird was the worst - feathers everywhere!

With the baby about to start crawling, we want to nip this in the bud to
avoid infections etc - we are trying to lavish attention on the cats again,
so they don't feel so left out, but this morning (2am!) - a whole lot of
noise, and another frog. Still alive, and quickly back in the neighbours
pond. And me disinfecting the carpet whilst half asleep, not that enjoyable
really!

We don't want to lock them in the kitchen at night (where their door is), or
lock them outside, but we might have to...

Thanks,
David.

ps. Please excuse the cross-posting, there are just too many great cat
newsgroups!!

Be thankful that they are usually dead and small. I spent a day and a
half trying to catch a chipmunk, and it was enclosed in the bathroom!
Every time I would get it out from behind the sink, and into the shower
stall, I would open the door, out it would run, and behind the sink
again. Finally, I stood on a step stool, threw a paper sack into the
shower, took a broom and hustled him into the sack, closed the sack with
the broom, opened the door, got the critter and took him outside. I was
exhausted and the chipmunk was too.

David Wright wrote:
Hello,

Just wondered if anyone could share some advice on how to stop our two cats
bringing home little "gifts" for us during the night.

Both cats (1 male, 1 female) are just under 2 years old. They have never
brought anything back before, but since our first baby was born and became
the centre of attention 14 weeks ago, we have had 4 mice, one bird and two
frogs. And, because they have a cat-flap door, we find the presents -
normally dead but sometimes alive - in the living room when we get up in the
morning. The bird was the worst - feathers everywhere!

With the baby about to start crawling, we want to nip this in the bud to
avoid infections etc - we are trying to lavish attention on the cats again,
so they don't feel so left out, but this morning (2am!) - a whole lot of
noise, and another frog. Still alive, and quickly back in the neighbours
pond. And me disinfecting the carpet whilst half asleep, not that enjoyable
really!

We don't want to lock them in the kitchen at night (where their door is), or
lock them outside, but we might have to...

Thanks,
David.

ps. Please excuse the cross-posting, there are just too many great cat
newsgroups!!

"David Wright" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Just wondered if anyone could share some advice on how to stop our two
cats
bringing home little "gifts" for us during the night.

Both cats (1 male, 1 female) are just under 2 years old. They have never
brought anything back before, but since our first baby was born and became
the centre of attention 14 weeks ago, we have had 4 mice, one bird and two
frogs. And, because they have a cat-flap door, we find the presents -
normally dead but sometimes alive - in the living room when we get up in
the
morning. The bird was the worst - feathers everywhere!

With the baby about to start crawling, we want to nip this in the bud to
avoid infections etc - we are trying to lavish attention on the cats
again,
so they don't feel so left out, but this morning (2am!) - a whole lot of
noise, and another frog. Still alive, and quickly back in the neighbours
pond. And me disinfecting the carpet whilst half asleep, not that
enjoyable
really!

We don't want to lock them in the kitchen at night (where their door is),
or
lock them outside, but we might have to...

Thanks,
David.

Bringing in the food means the cat is looking after you, or most likely
after a baby. It is a compliment being so loved by a cat that it's mothering
you and the baby.

Maybe this behaviour is not up to human scratch, but since cats are our
family too, we need to understand them, and often put up with some of their
quirks, like they do with many of our quirks.

Try and feed the cats just before they go out. Put the loud bells on their
collars so they scare off the birds. Perhaps lock the cats in during the
night, and only let them out in the day.

Tigger brought me some live worms a few times then stopped. No idea why one
way and the other. But hopefully this mothering fase will pass. Perhaps once
baby becomes a wee bigger,and cats stop feeling that they "have to" look
after it

Gee

"David Wright" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Just wondered if anyone could share some advice on how to stop our two
cats
bringing home little "gifts" for us during the night.

Both cats (1 male, 1 female) are just under 2 years old. They have never
brought anything back before, but since our first baby was born and became
the centre of attention 14 weeks ago, we have had 4 mice, one bird and two
frogs. And, because they have a cat-flap door, we find the presents -
normally dead but sometimes alive - in the living room when we get up in
the
morning. The bird was the worst - feathers everywhere!

With the baby about to start crawling, we want to nip this in the bud to
avoid infections etc - we are trying to lavish attention on the cats
again,
so they don't feel so left out, but this morning (2am!) - a whole lot of
noise, and another frog. Still alive, and quickly back in the neighbours
pond. And me disinfecting the carpet whilst half asleep, not that
enjoyable
really!

We don't want to lock them in the kitchen at night (where their door is),
or
lock them outside, but we might have to...

Thanks,
David.

Bringing in the food means the cat is looking after you, or most likely
after a baby. It is a compliment being so loved by a cat that it's mothering
you and the baby.

Maybe this behaviour is not up to human scratch, but since cats are our
family too, we need to understand them, and often put up with some of their
quirks, like they do with many of our quirks.

Try and feed the cats just before they go out. Put the loud bells on their
collars so they scare off the birds. Perhaps lock the cats in during the
night, and only let them out in the day.

Tigger brought me some live worms a few times then stopped. No idea why one
way and the other. But hopefully this mothering fase will pass. Perhaps once
baby becomes a wee bigger,and cats stop feeling that they "have to" look
after it

Gee

Gee wrote:

idiot, thats just addons for the casserole.