A cat dropping a dead moth, a chewed toy mouse, or an actual hunted lizard at someone's feet gets read as a present more often than not. The truth is a little less sentimental and a little more interesting: it's largely leftover hunting and teaching behavior from a species that, not long ago evolutionarily, hunted for a living.
The teaching theory
In feral cat colonies, mothers bring prey back to kittens, sometimes still alive, to demonstrate hunting technique. Domestic cats bringing 'gifts' to their humans may be running a version of the same instinct, treating a trusted person a bit like a dependent that needs the hunting lesson too.
Frequently asked questions
Should I praise my cat when it brings me something it caught?
A calm, positive response tends to work better than scolding, even if the gift itself is unwelcome, since a negative reaction doesn't reliably stop the behavior and can create confusion about what earned the response.
Does this behavior mean my cat sees me as prey too?
No, this is a persistent myth. Bringing prey to a person is generally understood as the opposite, a sign of trust and social bonding rather than any kind of threat display.
Is it a problem if my indoor cat does this with toys instead of real prey?
Not at all, indoor cats without hunting opportunities often redirect the same instinct onto toys, which is a completely normal and, frankly, more convenient version of the same behavior.