This is the hilarious moment a cat caused panic after carrying a live snake into a family's shop in southern Thailand.

Shocking video captured by CCTV shows the feline named Ma Ruay strutting into the shop with a dark-coloured snake in its mouth.

Staff and customers, still in the middle of a hair treatment, ran in terror as the clueless kitty unwittingly brought the serpent closer to them.

Shop owner Wi tried to drive the cat away by throwing hair products at it. She then fetched a broom and struck the snake on the head, killing it and sweeping it out of the salon in Songkhla province on November 14.

She said: 'I was terrified when I saw what was in Ma Ruay's mouth. I can tolerate my cat carrying a cockroach back home, but definitely not a snake.'

Cats sometimes bring animals - dead or alive - to their owners as a gift. The affiliative behaviour is believed to be their attempt to teach their masters how to hunt.