# Thanks for the bacon and steak, dad. Here. I brought you a mouse. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244 "2015-09-22T21:40:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/1 "2015-09-22T21:40:41Z")
Tonka caught a mouse. He called for me from outside, came in, and lay the dead rodent on the floor. I picked it up with a plastic bag, and he went out again. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/2 "2015-09-22T21:52:32Z")
Love the summer months when the furbutts think they must bring in trophies. Mice, moles, frogs, lizards, snakes, and one rabbit so far. Usually dead. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/3 "2015-09-22T21:55:43Z")
I had a big boy who occasionally paid rent. One night, I found a huge dead rat in the middle of the living room. I threw it way out in the yard. Mistake. The next morning I had \*half \*a huge dead rat in the middle of the living room. Cats. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/4 "2015-09-22T21:59:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Tonka caught a mouse. He called for me from outside, came in, and lay the dead rodent on the floor. I picked it up with a plastic bag, and he went out again. I’m glad dogs don’t do this. A dog would just eat the critter and come inside. Later, after you finished supper, they’d vomit the thing back up. Then, they’d eat it again for you (so you wouldn’t have to clean it up). ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/5 "2015-09-22T22:15:59Z")
I once caught my cat trotting around the living room triumphantly, clutching a small bird in his jaw. He had previously done well in eradicating the mouse problem my residence at the time had once suffered, so I assumed he’d done the same here. I grabbed a plastic bag, held it under his mouth, and scruffed the back of his neck so he’d release his trophy into the bag whereby I could dispose of it. Imagine my surprise when the bird turned out not only to be alive, but _uninjured_, and spent several minutes fluttering around the living room before I opened a sliding glass door and it made its escape. I guess my cat was more interested in showing off that he _could_ catch flying beasties than actually doing anything about it once he did so. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/6 "2015-09-22T23:22:44Z")
One of ours caught a Humming Bird without damaging it. He got to fly again.,… ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/7 "2015-09-23T00:11:06Z")
I’ve always tried to be gracious about my felines’ offerings. I know it’s their way of saying “Here ya go, mom, I brought you take out!” But the baby birds just break my heart. As long as kitty sticks to rodents or chipmunks/ground squirrels (my current feline’s favorite), I’m good. But I have been brought a frog once and even a tiny garter snake. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/8 "2015-09-23T01:08:49Z")
My cats are indoors, so they usually don’t the chance to bring me offerings (we will not speak of the rental I lived in for a brief time _shudder_). My Akita, however brought me all kinds of presents. I wasn’t expecting the half a Koi he brought me from our pond - tail half. He was very proud of himself. Squirrels, moles, the occasional bird. He never ate the animals. Just brought them to me. He reserved special hatred for skunks. I became skilled at yelling “drop it” from a distance AND at giving de-skunk ing baths. He was a black dog, but he always looked slightly red in color due to the hydrogen peroxide. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/9 "2015-09-23T02:58:05Z")
My former girlfriend’s cat gave me a mouse once. I responded by giving him tuna, turkey, bacon, steak, hamburger, some ham, and a cupcake (I was running out of ideas) over the next few hours. Never got another mouse. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/10 "2015-09-23T03:49:09Z")
I noticed the cat was swatting at a frog that’d gotten into the house. I have an irrational fear of frogs. I kept encouraging the cat to kill it (sick/wrong, I know). At one point I think I was even shouting “Finish Him” like the announcer from Mortal Kombat. Nope, nothing. She just kept swatting at it and watching it jump. I wish my cat was a ferocious killer like yours. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/11 "2015-09-23T18:54:52Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > I noticed the cat was swatting at a frog that’d gotten into the house. I have an irrational fear of frogs. I kept encouraging the cat to kill it (sick/wrong, I know). At one point I think I was even shouting “Finish Him” like the announcer from Mortal Kombat. Nope, nothing. She just kept swatting at it and watching it jump. > > I wish my cat was a ferocious killer like yours. Cats chase and catch things by instinct. They have to learn (usually from their mother) what to do after they catch them. Some never learn for one reason or another. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/12 "2015-09-23T19:13:29Z")
My cat is indoor only so no animals like that but he does stalk and kill bugs that get in. Except for ants, if he sees ants he will point them out and make us deal with them. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/13 "2015-09-23T19:22:11Z")
Had a cat once who hunted. And then he’d arrange the remaining bird parts on the porch to impress his mommy. Every Sunday morning when I went out to get the Sunday paper, I had to remember to watch where I stepped, lest I step in cold wet bird guts squishing between my poor toes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/14 "2015-09-23T19:41:12Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > Cats chase and catch things by instinct. They have to learn (usually from their mother) what to do after they catch them. Some never learn for one reason or another. We haven’t seen Tonka eat his catches. Actually, the first one we saw – where he came up to us with the mouse’s head in his mouth – got away. Mrs. L.A. found a mouse on the patio, and assumed it was one of his kills. Creamsicle, on the other hand, does eat hers. You have to be quick to get them away from her. Tonka was a long-timer in a couple of shelters. Creamsicle was a stray in the neighbourhood that had to catch her own food before she adopted us. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/15 "2015-09-23T20:32:16Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I’m glad dogs don’t do this. A dog would just eat the critter and come inside. Later, after you finished supper, they’d vomit the thing back up. Then, they’d eat it again for you (so you wouldn’t have to clean it up). Yeah, dogs are good like that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/16 "2015-09-23T21:21:51Z")
> [@Master\_Wang-Ka](#): > > Every Sunday morning when I went out to get the Sunday paper, I had to remember to watch where I stepped, lest I step in cold wet bird guts squishing between my poor toes. Yes, my lovely bunch specialize in this. I think the worst encounter was when I trod on something, jumped straight off again (with the reflexes that only a car owner has - sometimes you just _know_) and looked down to see an eye staring back at me. Just an eye. No idea what creature it was from or what happened to the rest of it. :eek: My cats, though, are a constant education in local wildlife. The first time I ever saw a shrew was when I found a dead one under the fridge. I never had any idea that moles could scream until one of my little darlings brought one into the kitchen, still very much alive. In their time, they have brought in mice (hundreds of them!), rabbits, shrews, moles, voles, goldfinches, chaffinches, blackbirds, thrushes, a kestrel, red legged partridges\*, a grass snake, plus various other unidentified species, all in various states of alive/dead/dismembered. I can actually tell when two of mine have brought something in, just from the sound of their meows - ‘hey dad, come and have a look at _this_!’. Bless 'em. :rolleyes: \*I have to admit, I was kind of impressed by these. They’re not small birds, nearly the same size as the cat. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/17 "2015-09-23T22:56:15Z")
My indoor cat used to leave the bottom half of crickets on the pillow, next to my head. What a great sight to wake up to. I tried to appreciate the thought though. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/18 "2015-09-23T23:38:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > We haven’t seen Tonka eat his catches. Actually, the first one we saw – where he came up to us with the mouse’s head in his mouth – got away. Wait a minute - the mouse escaped _without his head_? I have a newfound respect for mice! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/19 "2015-09-23T23:49:34Z")
My dogs have never been much at hunting, apart from the time my chocolate Lab Bessie chased down a fleeing groundhog and gave it a chomp on the butt. Her biggest triumph was knocking an annoying fly down out of the air (like a WWII fighter trailing smoke). She ate it. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244/20 "2015-09-24T02:13:47Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Love the summer months when the furbutts think they must bring in trophies. Mice, moles, frogs, lizards, snakes, and one rabbit so far. > > Usually dead. Ideally dead. Used to drive me nuts when the cat would bring vermin **into** the house. I won’t apologize for wanting my cat to kill vermin. She was a predator. Vermin were her prey. It was all the web of life. But she never snagged a rabbit; that’s impressive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-bacon-and-steak-dad-here-i-brought-you-a-mouse/732244.md?page=2)