Why does my cat bring me dead animals?
I’ll never forget the time when I was sleeping on my bed, my cat walked into my room, climbed onto my bed, and put a dead lizard right on my mouth.
Eww..
What the hell?
Why would she do that?
Well, if your cat also does this, then congrats.
You’ve been officially inducted into the wonderful world of feline gifting.
But why do cats do this?
Don’t worry.
She doesn’t hate you or is being cruel to you.
In her cat mind, it means something else. Something more significant.
Let’s unpack what’s really going on when cats bring us dead animals.
Credit: Instagram@sillylittlesheep
What’s With the Dead Animals, Anyway?
Here’s the truth: your cat isn’t trying to freak you out.
In fact, she’s just evoking her primal instincts, which she got from her ancestors thousands of years ago.
Cats are predators.
Even though she’s purring in your lap now, her ancestors were stealthy, efficient hunters. And that instinct? Still very much alive.
She’s not just catching prey — she’s offering it to you.
Credit: Instagram@blackwinterfern
Why is she offering her prey to you?
This is again related to her primal instincts.
Just think, during ancient times, why did our ancestors hunt?
To eat food for themselves and their loved ones.
That’s exactly what cats do.
They bring their prey to us because they love us.
And they think this will make us happy.
Credit: Instagram@antonycrossfield
Can she also be teaching her hooman a lesson with this?
Here’s where it gets kinda sweet… in a twisted, furry way.
Some animal behaviorists believe cats bring us prey as gifts, like a thank-you for feeding and loving them. Others say it’s a lesson — like, “Hey, hooman, you clearly suck at hunting, so let me help you out.”
If your cat is female, this behavior can be even stronger.
In the wild, mother cats teach their kittens how to hunt by first bringing back dead prey, then live ones.
So, if your cat brings you something dead, congrats, she may think you’re her clueless kitten. Adorable and mildly insulting.
Credit: Instagram@sillylittlesheep
What If It’s Not Dead?
Yeah… let’s talk about the horror of a half-alive lizard flopping around your kitchen floor.
Cats don’t always kill their prey right away. Sometimes, they bring it in still twitching, which might be part of their instinct to teach you or play with it (yep, it’s as grim as it sounds).
It’s not malicious. It’s just… feline logic.
Credit: Instagram@antonycrossfield
Should You Praise or Punish Her?
So what do you do when she drops a mouse on your rug like it’s a diamond necklace?
First things first: don’t punish her.
She’s not doing anything wrong. In her mind, this is a show of affection or instinct, not an act of terror.
Instead, calmly dispose of the “gift” (while trying not to gag), and redirect her hunting energy with toys, feather wands, or interactive playtime.
You can also use bells on her collar to reduce successful hunts if she’s catching wildlife outdoors.
Putting a bell is one of my favorite methods to reduce this habit of my cat.
Because the bell alerts the prey to run away, making the cat fail in catching them.
And, hence, not bringing you any more outdoor wildlife.
Credit: Instagram@robert_catson
Can You Train Her to Stop?
Short answer: kinda, but not completely.
You can’t train the instinct out of her, but you can discourage the behavior by:
- Keeping her indoors or supervised outdoors
- Making sure she’s well-fed before letting her out
- Giving her puzzle toys or feeder games to engage her brain
It won’t be instant, but with consistency, you can reduce the number of lizard corpses showing up on your pillow.
Final Thoughts
Look, I get it. Waking up with a dead critter near your face isn’t exactly a love letter.
But in her eyes, it kinda is.
Your cat is doing what she knows best — and somehow, you became part of her hunting team. Whether it’s a gift, a lesson, or a quirky sign of affection, it all comes from a place of connection.
So the next time she brings you something dead… maybe just say thanks, toss it out, and give her a cuddle.
Then lock your bedroom door, just in case.
