This is the hilarious moment a stray cat carried a mouse into a shop, scaring the staff.

Footage shows the black feline striding into the restaurant clutching the dead rodent in its jaws in Anhui, China.

Workers watched as the moggie dropped casually dropped its motionless prey near the counter in offering.

When they refused to pick up the cat's 'gift', it then launched the carcass into the air, causing them to scream in terror on May 27.

The store owner said: 'The cat had been scavenging for food in our shop for nearly a month, and we were shocked to see it bring a dead mouse inside. We think it was a thank-you gesture for the meals we gave it.'

Cats often bring dead or injured prey to people as part of their natural hunting instinct. This behaviour is believed to be a form of sharing, similar to how mother cats teach their young to hunt.

Experts said that stray cats may offer such 'gifts' as a sign of appreciation, especially when they associate a person or place with food and care.