Cat Collects ‘Treasures’ To Give To His Parents Every Single Day

Gonzo has always enjoyed being outside since his family adopted him as a kitten. He enjoys roaming around the family’s yard and always returns when called. Gonzo enjoyed this so much that he decided to start bringing his family gifts. Eventually, his family started letting him hang out outside unattended because they felt secure doing so — and Gonzo loved this so much that he decided to start bringing his family gifts.

“One day, maybe a few months after letting him wander, he brought home a little shocked, but still alive bird,” Gonzo’s father, Derek (who asked that his last name not be used), told The Dodo. “He carried it directly to the lady of the home (my wife), who saw it and shrieked as if someone had been murdered.” Gonzo was terrified (and me, and the neighbors). We released the bird outside, and it flew away after a few minutes. Gonzo appeared to take that reaction to heart, because since then, the only thing he’s ever brought home has been inanimate things.”

Gonzo began to become inventive after realizing that other animals were not an option for gifts. Anything intriguing or unusual he saw outdoors he would pick up and bring home to his parents — generally rubbish that someone had thrown away. He’s begun utilizing an abandoned storage room beneath his family’s apartment building as his one-stop gift shop, and it’s surely helped him locate a lot of treasures.

“Most days when he walks outside, he’ll bring us one or two garbage gifts,” Derek explained. “Sometimes he doesn’t bring us anything, and other times he brings us a lot.” His current record stands at nine in a single day… He handed us an old Playboy magazine centerfold and an old lightbulb in a box from [the storage area]. He once brought some brand-new plumbing parts from a construction site that were still wrapped in plastic. I gave them back to the employees, who were perplexed when I explained how they came into my hands.”

Gonzo regularly brings intriguing garbage presents home, which made his parents think about all the experiences he must have while out and about. They wondered if there was a way they could find out what he’s up to and where he goes all day, and that’s how they came up with the camera idea.

“My wife and I discussed it and simply felt that it would be a good idea to educate ourselves on what he was up to,” Derek explained. “Even though he clearly enjoyed being outside, we would have considered making him an indoor-only cat if he had been slaughtering wildlife, getting himself into perilous circumstances, or eating strange foods.” Because I’m a documentary filmmaker by trade, it was also a natural extension of my daily routine. I looked online for cat camera collars and could only find one at the moment, which I didn’t like. So I bought a cheap, small spy camera and made my own gear by connecting it to a breakaway collar with a plastic 3D doodle pen.”

Gonzo’s parents started putting the camera collar on him on sometimes to watch what he was up to — and some of the footage they’ve caught has only made them adore Gonzo even more.

“The vast majority of the footage he collects is of him sleeping in the bushes,” Derek explained. “However, on the second day, he returned with footage of his meeting with some newborn possums.” When we viewed it for the first time, we were really anxious. But after that, he just sat out with them in peace. And it was really cute and engaging, and we loved learning about him.”

Gonzo’s family enjoys seeing footage of him collecting garbage presents, in addition to his other misadventures. It’s fascinating for them to observe how he selects each present and where he finds them. Gonzo’s daily routine includes gathering gifts for his family, and now there’s video evidence of it all.

Despite the fact that Gonzo’s family has enjoyed seeing the film of his life, they do not advocate that everyone strap a camera on their cat. They’ve found a technique to do it safely, but it’s not the best option for every cat.

“Gonzo is a huge, strong cat with extraordinary intelligence, but the outcomes will not be cute or safe for many cats,” Derek explained. “We don’t allow Fish, our other cat, go around the apartment complex since she would probably kill wildlife and is prone to panicking and running into traffic.” And we wouldn’t put a collar on her since she’s little and the collar, even if it’s a breakaway, might not release if it got caught. Gonzo hasn’t snagged his collar on anything in two years, and he’s big and powerful, so we’re not concerned. But if enough people attempt this on enough animals, it’s not going to work out.”

In Gonzo’s case, he’s a pro at exploring the great outdoors. From watching his cat cam footage, his family has learned that he’s a pro at keeping himself safe, keeping other animals safe — and of course, finding weird gifts to bring home to the people he loves. That’s his greatest skill of all.

Link to Paws Daily

Views: 0