A cat is being hailed on social media for bringing home meaty treats as a gift for his owner.
The owner has set up a TikTok account called Gary the Grill Thief to chronicle his pet’s efforts to “provide” for the family.
In the first viral TikTok clip, Gary’s owner opens the front door to find the cat standing on the welcome mat with a single hot dog between his teeth.
The owner can be heard saying: “Oh my God, he has a hot dog.” Gary drops the frankfurter before backing a few steps away, appearing to present it as a gift.
In another clip, Gary can be heard meowing loudly outside the front door, wanting to be let back in.
As soon as the door opens, Gary races in and places a half-cooked chicken leg on the floor before backing away again to make his offering.
This footage is captioned: “He provides for us.”
Other videos on the Grill Thief account show Gary arriving with a chunk of steak or a buffalo wing, or resting after a tiring day on the hunt.
There are several reasons why cats might bring gifts to their owners, according to the veterinary medicine website PetMD.
“Cats are innate hunters,” it explains. When they bring toys to their owners, they are probably hoping for playtime. When they bring food, other motivations are involved.
It says: “Mothers will bring back dead or live prey to their kittens to teach them how to hunt. Some cats may have similar inclinations to share their prey with their owners.”
Gary’s owner posted the hot dog video on Monday, January 16, and the chicken leg clip a day later. The two videos have already amassed more than 4.2 million views and the account has 1.1 million likes.
Many of the TikTokers who commented on the posts praised Gary and told his owner to treat him well.
TikTok user _abby_normal_too_ said: “The fact he hadn’t taken any chomps out of it and delivered it to you is so selfless and pure.”
Kelkelcas wrote: “Gary was raised right. Never show up empty-handed.”
Liz commented: “He’s feeding you. What a good mama.”
Stephanie posted: “You protect that angel baby with your life.”
However, PetMD warned owners that they should not “inadvertently reinforce their cat’s behavior.”
It explained: “If the cat is holding the dead bird, and the owner tosses her a toy or treat in order to get the cat to drop it, then the cat may learn to bring more prey to the owner in order to get more attention or rewards.”
Newsweek has contacted Gary’s owner for comment.
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