My cat Friendly Good-fellow never brought a mouse into the house. However, as he left on a hunt one day, he heard my four year old grandson say, "I would like to see Friendly eat a mouse." Not wanting to disappoint the child, I explained that Friendly had always eaten in private. Half an hour later, I looked out the patio door and told Gareth, "Well, Friendly must have heard you!" He was eating a mouse right there on the doormat. This is not the only story of a cat responding directly to human conversation. It would behoove us all to let our cats know our expectations/hopes.