Kitty turns cat-burglar!
The much loved domestic cat is renowned for bringing its owner ‘gifts’. Often these gifts, usually prey which the cat has hunted for its own amusement or entertainment are presented to their owners, an act for which a cat will expect to be given praise for, since he will consider that he has exhibited significant skill and talent in order to award you your ‘prize’.
Your prize will often be a small bird or a field mouse, but a couple in Kent recently reported that their Siamese cat had been bringing them various children’s soft toys as gifts, which they assumed he had been stealing from their neighbours children.
A feline kleptomaniac is perhaps more common than one might think, but this fact might not appease disgruntled neighbours.
If your cat brings you such unwanted gifts, you should attempt to show him disapproval for his actions and lock him out of the house for a short period with his gift and hopefully this might discourage him from bringing them home.
Once he appears to have lost interest in his stolen booty, you should allow him to enter the house, obviously without his ill gotten gains and offer him a treat by way of reward.
Ensuring that your cat has plenty of toys of his own may discourage him from continuing with such ‘cat-burgling’ antics, and set aside some time each day to play with him and his toys where possible.
The majority of household cats choose to hunt at dawn or dusk, opting to pursue weaker and smaller creatures as their prey, so these are perfect times to engage in play with him.