Since hunting is a cat’s natural instinct, your kitty sees nothing wrong in bringing his prey indoors and proudly presenting it to you as a sign of love or a gift to show he is protecting your home and his own territory.
The best way to curtail this habit is to keep your cat indoors at times when rodents and birds are most susceptible–at dawn and dusk. It also is possible to train your cat against this habit by disposing of his gift immediately and indicating your disapproval through your tone of voice. Make eye contact with kitty while you are disposing of his prey, and then immediately walk away from him. The more you repeat this behavior, the stronger the message will be to your cat that you don’t want his gifts. It’s not perfect training, and it requires limitless patience, but you may find that in time kitty will start keeping his prey to himself!
If your cat wears a collar, you can try attaching a small bell. While this won’t stop kitty’s hunting instinct, it may warn prey of his approach and squelch his hunting endeavors. And if any of kitty’s gross little gifts leave a stain on your carpet or rugs, BISSELL’s Pet Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Article written by Kristen Levine, Pet Lifestyle Expert
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