Why do cats bring home dead animals?

Domestic cats keep a powerful hunting drive; in the wild, hunger is not required to trigger it. Bringing prey back to the home territory lets a cat eat or store it somewhere safe, away from rivals. A popular theory says cats are “teaching” their clumsy humans to hunt, as mother cats bring prey to kittens, but scientists regard this as speculative. Studies estimate that free-roaming cats in the United States kill over a billion birds each year, making them a significant conservation concern. Bells on collars and keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk can reduce kills.