First Hunt

[AIice]

Did I do the right thing?

My cat brought me a bird, most likely a sick bird because it didn't move for a long time.
I stopped him(pets don't need to kill) and picked up the bird, was alive but then died. I decided to let the cat eat it.

Did I do the right thing? The bird might have carried a disease, or something in the cat's personality will change.

Why did he brought it to me? Couldn't figure what he's going to do because I stopped him right away. He was so happy, it can't possibly be a gift or expecting a compliment for doing what cats supposed to do.

 

[Kieka]

If my cats bring in something and it is dead, I throw it away. If it is still alive, I distract the cat and release it back outside. Most pet cats eat plenty and don't need to supplement with live prey. Those who do will consume them without bringing it to you.

Bringing it to you is offering it to you for your consumption so I usually take it away. I figure it's a win win since my cats aren't eating something that could make them sick and my cats feel they have provided for me and I am not turning down their gift.

 

[maggiedemi]

It might not have been sick, he might have hurt it when he was catching it. I think you did okay. Demi caught 2 mice this week in the garage. I know it's disgusting, but it's their nature/instinct. If you don't want him eating them, next time you can toss it out, but I don't think you did anything wrong.

 

[Kal_shadowsmom]

When I had a family of cats they would often bring me field mice and frogs.
I usually threw them away. The kittens were playing with a dazed live mouse once, I picked it up and released it away from them.

I read once that cats bring us things because they don't watch us hunt and kill our own food, and they don't think we can do it for ourselves. I thought it was funny to think this way, but take it with a grain of salt.
You did fine though. In the future, as others have suggested, you can take the dead thing and throw it away.

 

[basscat]

We take Buddy's "little treats" away from him when we can. Although, I'm sure he catches and eats many more than we know about.
If Gibs catches something. It's his.

 

[Kieka]

We take Buddy's "little treats" away from him when we can. Although, I'm sure he catches and eats many more than we know about.
If Gibs catches something. It's his.

I wouldn't try to take something away from Gibs. He'd probably take a finger for your effort.

Rocket actually won't let us take anything from her unless it is "broken". The other two will drop on command, which we only do if it isn't moving. If it's moving they get a firm point outside and are pretty good about taking it back outside themselves.