A cat who’s taken to bringing home an eclectic assortment of odds and ends through his cat flap is apparently on a mission to “keep Britain clean,” according to his owner.
Tofu, the stray kitten Jane Sweet took in from Stevenage, Hertfordshire last September, has been quite industrious in his efforts. His haul includes crisp packets, cardboard containers, and even a roll of unused dog poo bags.
“I joked with friends that he was single-handedly tidying up Britain’s streets, one piece of rubbish at a time,” she chuckled.
Miss Sweet installed a camera to monitor Tofu and his adoptive sister, Sushi, as they came and went. While Sushi, a six-year-old calico cat, proudly brings home mice, Tofu seems equally content with his findings, be it the occasional worm, caterpillar, or wet leaf he drags through the cat flap.
But Tofu has since elevated his game. “The camera caught Tofu bringing me presents,” she recounted.
Miss Sweet openly acknowledges that her cat’s “gifts” are often “random bits of rubbish – it’s mostly odds and ends.”
The first unexpected item Tofu presented to his human mum was a filter tip from a cigarette.
“From there, I’ve received a bag of fish food pellets, a Nutella lid, a jam doughnut box, a lamb shank bone, crisp packets, and even dog poo bags. The variety is endless,” Miss Sweet shared.
Cats, being natural hunters, often bring home “trophies” as a display of their hunting prowess. According to cat biologist and behaviorist Roger Tabor, these trophies typically consist of food scavenged from bins. However, some cats, like Tofu, go beyond traditional prey and bring back an assortment of human-associated objects, which Tabor refers to as “real cat burglars.”
Tabor suggests that this behavior might stem from a lack of proper hunting education from their mothers. In Tofu’s case, his adoptive sister Sushi seems bemused by his treasures, indicating a departure from typical feline behavior.
Miss Sweet initially assumed that Tofu found his gifts in people’s gardens or bushes. However, her perception shifted when Tofu brought home a bag of cat treats, prompting her to suspect that he might be entering people’s homes.
Feeling compelled to address the situation, Miss Sweet posted an apology on the local Facebook group, expressing her concern if Tofu had been pilfering from neighbors. However, the response from the community was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing delight in Tofu’s quirky gifts.
It seems that Tofu’s antics have brought joy to many faces, and Miss Sweet hopes that others will continue to appreciate his peculiar and endearing habits.