 Another poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human guardians . Ethologist Paul Leyhausen proposed that cats adopt humans into their social group and share excess kill with others in the group according to the dominance hierarchy , in which humans are reacted to as if they are at , or near , the top . Anthropologist and zoologist Desmond Morris , in his 1986 book Catwatching , suggests , when cats bring home mice or birds , they are attempting to teach their human to hunt , or trying to help their human as if feeding " an elderly cat , or an inept kitten " . Morris 's hypothesis is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey , despite males having no involvement with raising kittens . 
