Why Do Cats Bring Home Dead Rats and Other Animals?

If you’ve ever wondered why your cat brings dead rats and other animals home, you’re not alone. Many cats enjoy hunting and sharing their prey. However, your cat may see you as a member of their pack, so they’ll bring you the dead animals as a gift or to keep themselves filled.

Cats are instinctive hunters and are used to bringing in prey. In the wild, cats hunt for food for their young. Female cats hunt for food for their cubs, while males protect their pride. When cats see a dead rat, they instinctively react. This may be a way to teach you to hunt for your own food.

Alternatively, your cat may bring home a dead rat, a dead mouse, or an entire rat. It may be tempting to scream at your cat when it brings in a dead animal, but try to put yourself in the cat’s shoes. Cats are hunters by nature, and scolding them will only make things worse for them and won’t make them stop hunting.

While cats do not eat mice and birds, they do hunt for these animals. Some cat behaviorists believe that cats bring in their prey as a gift to their owners. Instead of yelling and scolding your cat, you can just quietly dispose of the dead prey.