In the wild, cat mothers teach their young how to eat their food by bringing home dead or injured prey. Domestic cats are no different. But in this modern age of spayed domestic cats, many female felines have no young to whom they need to pass on their hunting wisdom.
By leaving a dead animal on the back porch, your cat is acting out its natural role as mother and teacher. You, her loving owner, represent her surrogate family. And frankly, she knows you would never have been able to catch that delicious mouse on your own. – LiveScience
No surprise about those dead mouse presents. But the cats who drag in this stuff at O’Leary for News’s swank editorial offices are … all tom cats. No, really. Honestly. I doubt they have ever had or imagined a role as mother or teacher.
Sponge, feckless playboy, layabout, maybe. Not mother or teacher. Sorry.
Don’t bother telling the evo psych prof. His racket works better without incidental hitches like that.
See also: “The evolutionary psychologist knows why you vote — and shop, and tip at restaurants” (As I have said before, evolutionary psychology often feels like emptying Darwin’s wastebasket.)
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