Not all cat owners know how to interpret what it means when cats bring mice or birds, live or toy lizards to the doorstep, on the sofa or wherever the owner is. Many cats "call" their owners when they come with a "prey". Be it a toy too.
If in the countryside it is a joy when the cat brings mice, because it gets rid of rodents, in some houses the owners are absolutely terrified by this behavior of the cat. Especially if there are people who panic at the sight of rodents, even dead ones.
The cat, although domesticated for more than 10,000 years, its predatory instincts have not been altered. For a house cat, it is normal to catch mice, sparrows, pigeons, small birds (even chickens) or lizards. These small creatures are part of the cat's diet. Even if it does not eat the catch, the predatory instinct urges it to hunt.
Why do cats bring mice and toys to their owners?
To the dismay of many cat owners, they often choose to come with their prey in front of the owner. Some also emit a specific meow by which they try to draw attention to the "gift" brought and they don't give up until they are sure that the master has "taken notice" of their feat.
If you live at home and have a cat, surely it has brought a bird, mouse or other captured animal, alive or… dead, at least once.
Even apartment cats are not left behind. Chances are slim that an indoor cat will bring in a mouse, lizard or live prey, but it may bring you small toys to place at your feet or in front of the bedroom door.
For a cat, the fact that perhaps hunting is her greatest skill and achievement. Sociable as they are by nature, cats feel the need to share success with close ones. So, he will consider you part of her family, and the prey brought is to prove to you that she is able to hunt and share the prey with you. You don't have to be happy about this behavior, but you can fake a smile of complacency so the cat doesn't feel offended.
This behavior is also found in adult cats that have small kittens. They frequently bring prey to the young, making sounds and a specific meow to gather the young around the game. When the cubs are growing, the cat will get used to bringing the mice still alive, so that the little ones can develop their hunting skills on real prey.
It should also be noted that cats do not necessarily hunt for food or because they are hungry. Hunting is part of feline DNA, and most of the time, the mice are abandoned after they run out of breath. There are a lot of cats that don't eat mice, let alone rats.
