Did your cat ever bring a gift for you from outside? Maybe a dead bird or rodent? Don’t be grossed out! Consider yourself lucky if they do. They are trying to signal to you that you are a part of their group. It’s a gesture of love. “It’s one of the clearest ways a cat expresses care, connection, and even responsibility,” said Darshankaur Khalsa, a holistic pet wellness coach and co-founder of Pets of Paradise. No matter how much you domesticate a cat, they will carry the instinct of its wild ancestors. “In the wild, mother cats bring prey to their kittens to teach survival skills. Domestic cats, lacking a litter of their own, may extend this instinct to their human companions,” explains the pet coach. She further says that if a cat bring you a gift they see you as a part of their families, perhaps a students needing training or simply someone they care for deeply. She adds that by bringing you a “kill,” your cat may believe it’s helping you learn, or simply sharing a prized catch with its trusted family. Therefore, don’t panic, it’s what cats do. “Avoid scolding, as your cat is expressing affection and trust. Your cat doesn’t understand revulsion it only sees your response. Instead, calmly remove the gift (ideally with gloves), and gently thank your cat or redirect with interactive toys that mimic prey,” says Khalsa. She suggests rewarding alternative behaviors, like “gifting” toys that can help shift the instinct in a more manageable direction. Over time, some cats may start “gifting” their toys instead—still a sign of love, just less messy. It may feel uncomfortable, but when your cat brings you a deceased lizard or bird, it's not out of playfulness—it's instinctual behavior. In the end, even though the gesture may be unwanted, the underlying message is clear: you are important to your cat. To sum it up, your cat isn’t acting weird—it’s expressing affection in its unique way.
