Cats and mice!

Okay, so here is what has been going on with my cat. She hunts mice (occasionally birds) A LOT. Now I wouldn't have a problem with it but recently she has started bringing her "prey" IN THE HOUSE. Three time this month - she has run in and out again with a mouse in her mouth, second time I woke up to this squeaking - though it was a mouse - turned out to be a bird which she brought in my room, third time (yesterday) she brought a mouse in the house which I caught her "playing with".

A curious mind wants to know - what is the deal with her bringing them in the house?? I worry one day she is going to jump up on my bed with a mouse and leave it there - while i'm in my bed. Can you discourage this - or is it normal?

(p.s. we use to have a bell on her collar but it drove her mad - kept pulling at the collar trying to take it off)

Thank-you.

It is a natural instinct for cats to catch prey & it is normal from my point of view for them to take them into the house to play with it..

My parents old cat used to do the same thing.. Although he would run inside with a bird in his mouth & there would be feathers all up the hallway.. Im not sure why he did it, but he did..

Our cats have 2 bells on their collars so anything & everything know they are coming.. They try to take off their collars but they are slowly getting used to the noise, & neither of them have ever caught anything..

Only one of mine seriously hunts - little voles and birds. He doesnt bring them into the house though. Another of mine Tulip was a good hunter in her youth and still sometimes gets lucky. She will run into the house with them but I chase her out again! These are not gifts or presents for me I assure you! The worst I have had is stepping into something unrecognisable with bare feet urggh.I have never been able to discourage it and I think it fairly normal behaviour for cats to hunt prey even when they are well fed. I have heard that a mother cat who is a good mouser seems to pass this onto her kittens. Maybe they watch her or something but the best mouser I had never watched anyone.

Thank-you. My Mum insists it is normal too. Was telling me it's more common for females (dogs and cats) to bring their prey inside - like showing it off. I think we may need to try the bell on her collar, she is doing a lot of 'hunting' lately. Only thing is she succeeds in taking her collar off all the time - if she really wants to.

The cat I had as a kid (Jake) used to bring his prizes inside too. It's their way of showing off and giving you a present. (Gee, thanks!) But if you think about it their way -- this is something very important to them that they are bringing to you.

These are presents for you. Its a way of showing off, and providing for you! You can discourage it, but you would end up with a deranged cat. When my mom's cat brought in her first gift, my sister freaked and yelled at the cat and threw the bird away and tossed the cat back outside. Consequentially, the cat never brought in another present and would sit out back in the middle of the birds while they grazed in the yard.

I've gotten several gifts from my feral colony. The cat that brought it is usually sitting on my back walk waiting for me. As much as you want to throw up, you have to praise them, thank them, give them something in return, and get rid of it when they're not looking.

This is normal for cats to do. The only way to stop it, would be to keep your kitty inside. My cats never go outside, unless I take them out on a leash and harness, but they still bring me things. I will wake up to find cat toys in the bed

Also sorry to say but bells and collars don't work. Birds don't know bells and cats stalk so softly and quietly the bells don't even ring.

What you do is you take the critter away from the cat without making a disturbance. Don't talk, scream, yell, faint, just take the critter away and dispose of it. Don't pet the cat, don't look at the cat. Take the thrill of it away. It is your cat's way of providing for you. But if you don't acknowledge the act, the gifts will go away soon.

Thank you everyone for the replies. I don't think bringing the mice inside is going to stop any time soon - in fact our cat (parents & I) brought another mouse inside this morning, unfortunately I think the mouse is still inside. Hmmm, I certainly don't remember our first cat ever bringing mice in. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

Axl used to bring home bird wings (just the wings) we ignored him and he eventually stopped (thank goodness).