Why Do Cats Do That? Gift Giving

We've all been there: our wonderful furry friend brings a dead mouse/bird/chipmunk/bug/lizard/other critter and leaves it for us to find. Or, worse, gives it to us alive. As humans, we find it disgusting, but to the cat, it's a gift!

Why do our cats bring us "gifts"? Answer: they think we're incompetent.

Okay, not really. Cats bring gifts of food to us because they think of us as really big cats. They want to take care of us by bringing us food--and they expect us to be impressed by their hunting prowess. In the wild, cats bring food to their family and friends. They show respect and caring by sharing their kill. Mother cats bring food to their kittens. Cats may bring food to another cat who is injured or otherwise unable to hunt for itself. Our cats bringing gifts is a sign that they think of us as one of them. That's a pretty big honor!

Of course, that sign may be that they see us as kittens (or feeble cats) who are unable to provide for themselves, but I prefer to think that they're showing love and affection. We should make sure they know we appreciate the gesture. Even if it grosses us out.

Sometimes--if we're lucky--our cats will leave "dead" toys instead of the real thing. I often find mousies in my bed (and sometimes the bathtub, but I'm not sure if there's a message in that). Hide and Seek are trying to show me that they love me. Or that they feel sorry for me for my lack of hunting skills. Whichever.

Quote of the Day

"If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr."  ~Barbara L. Diamond 


 

Cats vs. Bubble Wrap

This is hilarious!

Quote of the Day

"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia."  ~Joseph Wood Krutch

Cat Antics

What are some of the sillier things your cat(s) has/have done? Hide and Seek are only two, so they still have lots of energy and get into lot of trouble.

One morning recently, I woke up to see Seek dangling from the door frame in my bedroom. Just hanging there, holding on with his front claws. Why? No idea. My guess is that he was chasing a bug, but still! That was pretty silly.

Another recent Seek story: I woke up (hmm. There seems to be a trend of Seek waking me up...) to a funny noise. Seek had knocked a box of tissues to the floor and was pulling them, one by one, out of the box. Maybe he had a runny nose?

Hide gets into plenty of trouble, too. He recently figured out how to open the front door of my apartment. It's a sliding door, so he just lies on his side, grabs the bottom corner, and pulls. This usually isn't a problem, because the door is locked. BUT, if I leave it unlocked while I run to my car to get something, or if I don't lock it the instant I'm inside when I get home, he's out. I also think he's onto the lock--I've seen him staring intently up at it--but hasn't figured out how to work it without thumbs yet. I was leaving for work one day recently and discovered that the deadbolt thingy was turned just a bit from vertical. Did I not lock it all the way, or did my cat figure out how to unlock it? You decide. (Fortunately, he wasn't able to unlock it all the way!)

Like all cats, Hide and Seek like to climb. They especially like to jump up onto the fridge and, from there, onto the kitchen cabinets. They particularly like chasing bugs up there. I'm worried that they'll knock over my liquor bottles one of these days! (Now that would be a real tragedy!)

So, what are some of your cat antics stories? Share in the comments!

Quote of the Day

"The cat could very well be man's best friend but would never stoop to admitting it."  ~Doug Larson

An Oldie, But a Goodie

I love this video! It's been around for a while, but I decided to watch it again recently. Who doesn't love a good cat video? ;)

Quote of the Day

 "The cat is domestic only as far as suits its own ends." ~Saki

Quote of the Day

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose."  ~Garrison Keillor

Cats in the News

Check out numbers 3, 4, and 32. Okay, 32 is a panda--but who doesn't love pandas?

Washington Post Animal Views

Quote of the Day

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause most inconvenience."  ~Pam Brown

Quote of the Day

In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.  ~Terry Pratchett

Catalogue

One of my all time favorite poems, by Rosalie Moore:

                                       Catalogue

Cats sleep fat and walk thin. Cats, when they sleep, slump; When they walk, pull in-- And where the plump's been, there's skin. Cats walk thin.

Cats wait in a lump. Jump in a streak. Cats, when they jump, are sleek As a grape slipping its skin--They have technique. Oh, cats don't creak. They sneak. Cats sleep fat. They spread comfort beneath them Like a good mat, As if they picked the place And then sat. You walk around one As if he were the City Hall after that.

If male, A cat is apt to sing upon a major scale: This concert is for everybody, this Is wholesale. For a baton, he wields a tail. (He is also found, When happy, to resound With an enclosed and private sound.) A cat condenses. He pulls in his tail to go under bridges, And himself to go under fences. Cats fit in any size box or kit; And if a large pumpkin grew under one, He could arch over it.

When everyone else is just ready to go out, The cat is just ready to come in. He's not where he's been. Cats sleep fat and walk thin.

Quote of the Day

"The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their face whether they see a moth or an axe-murderer."  ~Paula Poundstone