With Father’s Day right around the corner, we should all take a moment to regard the ever under-appreciated Cat Daddy. Yes, Cat Daddy (no, not the 2011 song by Rej3ctz feat. Chris Brown). Cat dads deserve their place in the cat community for everything they do, from cleaning kitty litter from off the kitchen counter (how did it get there? Nobody knows), to scrubbing puke from out of the carpet, to paying that extra $6 for the fancy cat food. So, cat dads, what would you like as a token of appreciation from your beloved four-legged child? Cats can be very creative when it comes to giving gifts, as many cat parents surely know. For our newer kitty fathers, here’s a small list of what you may expect to get from your feline children on your special day.

Dead Things

The 1972 cult film Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things may be insightful in its title, but somehow, our cat children never got the memo. That is to say, cats like dead things. A lot. So much so that their recent kills seem to be their favorite toys. Cats will often “play” with their prey before finally killing them off – fun for the cat, but, as you can imagine, not so fun for their unfortunate playmates. It’s no surprise then that our feline companions love bringing us their “toys”. If you’ve ever opened your door to find a fresh field mouse carcass awaiting you, well, congratulations! Somebody likes you, and her name is probably Mittens.

Insects

Somehow, insects lose about 75% of their “gross” factor once they’re deceased. Sort of like, “okay, this horrible thing is dead. Good. Now I can clean it up and erase this from my memory immediately.” This is one of the reasons cats make such good roommates! Do you need to kill that disgusting centipede crawling up your wall but you’re too irked to get the job done? Mr. Biscuits is on the case. Perhaps cats intuit this, perhaps not. But if I’ve learned one thing from being a cat mom, it’s that my cat loves bringing me dead bugs. LOVES it. Like that one time she left a dead cockroach in my shoe, knowing I’d see it there. And I was just so… um… thrilled… to receive that little nugget of affection. So… yeah. Enjoy!

The Missing Sock

Folding your laundry only to discover that you’re missing one of the matches to your socks is undoubtedly a frustrating, confounding universal experience. A particularly serendipitous moment is when you have two socks with a missing mate, and you can just pair them up. It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a new look. But what a wondrous sight it is when your cat struts up to you with the missing mate tucked between her jowls. Did she really find it all on her own? Or was she the one who stole it in the first place? Who knows – cats are indeed mysterious in their ways. But either way, hey, you’ve got both socks now. Rejoice!

House Of Leaves

Okay, let’s face it. Some cats are better hunters than others. There’s no shame, everyone has their weak points. If you’ve got a cat who’s a little too tubby or disoriented to catch crickets and mice, he might find better luck with… leaves. Yes, leaves. It is not uncommon for kitties to bring home their favorite leaves to their human counterparts. But honestly, how endearing is that? Your little fur buddy found his favorite leaf, and brought it to you. Like, how precious. Just take this precious bean, Baloo, who brings her cat daddy a leaf every morning. EVERY. MORNING. Cue the tears, it’s just too cute to handle.

Literally Anything

All kitties are different, and some kitties especially may have some fun little… “quirks”. This cat, for instance, is a literal cat burglar. Yes, that’s right. For years, Dusty the cat has been sneaking off into other people’s yards and houses to steal things for his adoring parents. While kleptomania of this magnitude may be a bit uncommon, it’s certainly not unheard of. Cats are very good at scavenging, and if they see something they like, they’ll just bring it home with them. It definitely fits in with their “everything is mine” attitude, and if they’re willing to share the pair of underwear they found by the side of the road with you, then that must mean you’re a pretty special dude, and an awesome cat dad! Congrats!

Now that we’ve delved a bit into all the glorious gift options you may get to choose from, it’s important that no matter what your baby brings home, you must always show appreciation! A nice smile and and an emphatic “thank you!” will make your kitty feel like she’s really impressed you. When she’s not looking, of course, feel free to… err… dispose of the “gifts” in whatever way you see fit. So when you see a dead bird, a bug, your favorite sock or what have you waiting for you, just know that someone special is thinking of you this Father’s Day. Enjoy, Cat Daddies!