# Why is my serial killer cat leaving dead animals at my doorstep? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674 "2006-07-23T04:59:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/61 "2006-07-25T04:47:09Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] You damn well do, do you? Why’s that? [/QUOTE] When my indoor-only cats kill something, it’s in my house. Most of the time, they are members of the feline leisure class. When rodents (and bugs, for that matter) dare enter my house, killing them is their damn job, and they do it well. I praise them for keeping my house vermin-free, because otherwise, I’d have to deal with it. They recently killed a pretty large rat that I am glad I did not encouter while it was alive. Thank you, Shadow and Harley. I agree that, in most situations, cats should stay indoors. They have a significant negative impact on wild populations. I can offer cites if people want, but I doubt anyone will try to argue this point. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/62 "2006-07-25T06:01:41Z")
> [@dawson](#): > > Aren’t fixed females spayed, not neutered? I always thought that neutered referred to the removal of testicles only. I dunno. I kept getting confused about which gender was spayed and which was neutered, so I just say “neutered” now. “Spayed” sounds like I hit the poor thing with a shovel. In any event, the animal can no longer reproduce. The common term around here is “fixed”. > [@Princhester](#): > > I see. So the “correct response” is to make the cat feel good about killing birds that it doesn’t even need to eat for food, and this is appropriate because, (Og forbid!) we wouldn’t want to “offend or confuse” the little darling. That would be just too, too cruel. > > Do we have our priorities straight here? Yes, we have them straight. Cats are killing machines – that’s what they do. They will politely pretend to listen to your arguments about the sanctity of life, then they will pounce on the next thing that moves in just the right way, be it a leaf, a cricket, or a bird. You can’t PC a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/63 "2006-07-25T06:14:44Z")
[QUOTE=SoulFrost] Yes, we have them straight. Cats are killing machines – that’s what they do. [/QUOTE] They don’t kill birds well when dead, belled, or inside. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/64 "2006-07-25T06:35:00Z")
Cats with bells kill birds. Cats inside homes kill birds. Not as many, granted, but they’re quite capable of it. I won’t be putting a bell on my cat because collars on cats are not a good idea… cats tend to get the collars hung up on things and strangle. Vicki is an inside/outside cat. She will remain one. No idea why you included “dead” in your list. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/65 "2006-07-25T08:08:56Z")
Seen many cats kill birds when dead? ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/66 "2006-07-25T08:55:34Z")
Better dead birds than dead cats. ---
**Author:** ![Feces\_Of\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8797f3/32.png) [@Feces\_Of\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feces_Of_Death)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/67 "2006-07-25T09:08:28Z")
My cat stays outside because she sprays on the walls. I tried everything-had her spayed, used Feliway, nothing worked. Ever smell cat piss? Try having it all in your carpet and having to replace it. I’ll never have another cat inside my house. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/68 "2006-07-25T09:26:56Z")
IIRC, that ain’t piss, it’s piss and musk, mixed. And yeah, it’s nasty. That’s rare in femles, especially “fixed” females. I had a baby tomcat sleeping on my bed when he felt the need to try out his musk glands for the first time in the middle of the night… OH! MY! GOD! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/69 "2006-07-25T09:32:26Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] Seen many cats kill birds when dead? [/QUOTE] Ah, [mode=Aziraphale]an Australian[/mode]. See, in some other parts of the world cats _aren’t_ viewed in the same vein as rats. Call it a foible if you like. Time enough to worry about cats when the rabbit population’s been managed, surely? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/70 "2006-07-25T09:38:53Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] I see. So the “correct response” is to make the cat feel good about killing birds that it doesn’t even need to eat for food, and this is appropriate because, (Og forbid!) we wouldn’t want to “offend or confuse” the little darling. That would be just too, too cruel. Do we have our priorities straight here? [/QUOTE] This is to clarify my post #14. In a previous thread concerning cat behaviour I copied out two chunks of a passage from _Catwatching_ by Desmond Morris. In this thread I decided to paraphrase the author. This has perhaps given the erroneous impression that I agree with him. In addition to ‘owning’ a cat I put out food and water for birds. The birds take priority over the cat. In my case I am fortunate in having a particularly lazy female who spends all day, by her choice, upstairs in a cupboard. (Please note that I am still referring to the cat rather than my female human partner). Therefore a cat/bird conflict does not apply in my case. In the 10 years I have had this cat (and provided for the birds) I have found two dead birds in the garden. She has never brought home dead presents (or live ones) during this time. Cat behaviour varies and the means of dealing with this behaviour will vary accordingly. . . . PS. I will take this opportunity to urge people who are concerned about birds to make sure they have clean water to drink and bathe in during this extremely hot weather. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/71 "2006-07-25T09:43:56Z")
My cat (who is a rather large “lady”) managed to get herself and a pigeon through our cat door and bring it into the living room. How on earth she did it, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/72 "2006-07-25T11:48:30Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] My cat (who is a rather large “lady”) managed to get herself and a pigeon through our cat door and bring it into the living room. How on earth she did it, I have no idea. [/QUOTE] Maybe she passed it thru the pigeon hole? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/73 "2006-07-25T13:44:29Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] The preferred euphemism used to be “altered,” I believe. [/QUOTE] “Had its tripes out?” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/74 "2006-07-25T14:11:45Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] You damn well do, do you? Why’s that? [/QUOTE] Because it’s the polite thing to do as a response to a gesture of affection. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/75 "2006-07-25T23:31:10Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Dogs, on the other hand, just shake them and break their necks. [/QUOTE] My cats (and I don’t think they’re unique in this regard) shake their kibble. Get a mouthful and violently shake their heads, breaking the little kibble’s kibbly neck. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/76 "2006-07-26T00:07:09Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Because it’s the polite thing to do as a response to a gesture of affection. [/QUOTE] My dog brings me socks as offerings. She’ll find one under the bed, or take one from the laundry basket and bring it to us, tail wagging furiously. I thinks he does this because she got confused when I used to take socks from her as a pup-- I’d tell her to drop it and then when she did, praise her. It stopped her from chewing on socks, but now she thinks that I like it when she brings me socks and drops them in front of me. She’s doing it because she wants to please me, and that is something that always deserves reward. I always say, “Thank you,” and give her a scruff-rub. If I just scooped up the sock and tossed it into the basket, I think she’d be dissapointed. Thus, I can see where cat owners are coming from when they want to praise their cats for the bloody little gifts. In a sense, the cat is anthropomorphising (felipromorphising?) the human. It it bringing to the human what the\* cat\* thinks is a great gift. Whether it’s doing it to teach the human to hunt, or to feed them, or even if it’s just to impress upon the fur-less what a mighty hunter he is, the cat is seeking human approval. Nasty as I may find the gift, I would never reject a creature reaching out to me with a sincere desire for my praise and affection. That’s just mean. But I won’t pretend to eat it like my aunt did. That’s just gross. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/77 "2006-07-26T00:18:20Z")
Are cats little humans to be treated with all the manners that entails, or little killing machines that take no notice of you anyway? There seems to be some confusion. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/78 "2006-07-26T00:49:20Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] Are cats little humans to be treated with all the manners that entails, or little killing machines that take no notice of you anyway? There seems to be some confusion. [/QUOTE] Both, depending on how you treat them. Of course, they aren’t human by any means, but they are capable of being as loving and devoted as a dog. ---
**Author:** ![Dancing\_Fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Dancing\_Fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancing_Fool)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/79 "2006-07-26T01:31:59Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Ah, [mode=Aziraphale]an Australian[/mode]. See, in some other parts of the world cats _aren’t_ viewed in the same vein as rats. Call it a foible if you like. Time enough to worry about cats when the rabbit population’s been managed, surely? [/QUOTE] Actually, the rabbits are more of a problem further south. We don’t have much of a rabbit problem in Queensland. But we do have a huge feral cat problem. You don’t hear much about it, but it’s there. Many of the native marsupial species are on the verge of extinction, and feral cats are one of the biggest causes. They are fencing off huge (many square miles) preservation areas with cat-proof fences and spending years killing all the cats inside. They also try and take out any rabbits and foxes, but it’s the cats that are the biggest problem. Also rabbits got hit really hard with the mixamatosis virus. If they come up with a similar plague for cats, just watch the arguements over whether to release it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674/80 "2006-07-26T01:38:03Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] It could be worse, it could be _gloves._ [http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/07/20/cat\_burglar\_suspect\_in\_garden\_glove\_thefts/](http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/07/20/cat_burglar_suspect_in_garden_glove_thefts/) Above the line is a sign that says, in words and pictures, “Our cat is a glove snatcher. Please take these if yours.” On Thursday morning, nine pairs of gardening gloves and five singles were strung up, nicely framed by the Pifers’ flourishing tomato and basil plants. Willy, looking innocent, was playing with a beetle under the Subaru in the driveway and occasionally dashing after Hudson. “This all started about the time people began working in their gardens, I guess March or April,” Jennifer Pifer said. “Willy would just show up with a glove, or we’d see them on the front steps. I guess it’s better than if he was bringing home dead birds.” … “Jennifer was telling me all about how Willy was bringing home all these gloves, and there was a small pile of them outside the door, and then here comes the cat with a glove in its mouth, proud as could be, like he was giving me a gift.” Some of the gloves really are gift-worthy. “A lot of these looked brand new,” said Pifer. “Some of them are really nice.” She doesn’t know how far afield Willy goes to find a glove, but she has learned it takes him two trips to bring home a matched pair." [/QUOTE] This reminds me. When I was about 8 I crawled out of bed one Saturday moring before anyone else to commandeer the TV and steer it towards my preferred cartoons. I knew our cat would be at the back door waiting to be let in so I went to open it. When I opened the door I saw The Offering. Across the top three steps were scattered a rich array of treats. A dead bird. A collection of twigs and sticks. A pot plant’s severed tag. Half a tennis ball. A mouse (wriggling). Rubbish. Soft drink cans, chip packets, bits of egg carton. Bottle caps. Clumps of earth. Strips of bark. And a matching pair of gardening gloves laid carefully beside each other. In the middle of it all was Pickles. Our Neuroti-Cat. Mewing and purring softly, looking up at me. Her whole attitude screamed. ‘OMG - you’re here!. Look. What. I. Have For. You. Love me.’ I just looked at her for a minute. Noticing my lack of significant reaction, her eyes became pleading: ‘D’you like it…? You do… like it… don’t you?’ I fetched Mum with ‘Um, the cat’s doing weird stuff’. My parents weren’t impressed but I don’t think she was punished. Ahhh, Pickles. She only went crazier after that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-serial-killer-cat-leaving-dead-animals-at-my-doorstep/365674.md?page=5)