At night, the cat catches 8 birds * 2 = <<8*2=16>>16 birds.

Combined with the birds caught during the day, the cat caught a total of 8 birds + 16 birds = <<8+16=24>>24 birds.

# Answer

24
<|im_start|>system
You are a helpful assistant.<|im_end|>
<|im_start|>user
A cat spends its time hunting birds.  The cat catches 8 birds during the day and twice this many at night. In total, how many birds did the cat catch?
Please reason step by step, and put your final answer within \boxed{{}}.<|im_end|>
<|im_start|>assistant

user
24
A cat spends its time hunting birds.  The cat catches 8 birds during the day and twice this many at night. In total, how many birds did the cat catch?
train