Back in the day (~1930), my grandparents had a "semi-pet" rat terrier (a small working dog), and kept a fair number of animals (chickens, a few pigs, cow, etc.). When the rat terrier was feeling ignored/unloved, it would head back to the barn and start hunting rats. Lots of rats. Which were all brought back up to the house (dead), and lined up on the little walk to the kitchen door - for grandma to notice, and happily fuss over the dog for having killed.
When the dog was not feeling insecure/unappreciated, it didn't seem all that interested in hunting rats.
That’s their behavior when a kitten needs to learn to hunt and kill. They’re literally saying they’ve never seen you hunt and kill prey so they want you to learn.
It's possible it's both. Natural instinct to bring prey animals for the kitten so it learns might have been adopted to gives proofs to humans that cat serves useful purpose.
My wife used to have one day a week when a succession of music students would come to the house. She insists that on that specific day of the week her cats would line the front path with "offerings" for the expected visitors. They had a keen sense of hospitality.
My semi-barn cat would present me with mouse entrails; arranged like an anatomical model. Once he even presented them on a bed of grass like a fancy chef! He had to bring the blades of grass up a cat ramp and through a cat door. I think he'd predict when I would visit so as to have a display ready for me. Once I came early and a lot more mouse was present, but I came back in a bit and it was just entrails.
Although he has been spending a lot of time in the house this winter, and it's been months since I've gotten a present.
I mean, probably not, but wahtever.