That kind of thing makes me nuts too. I think on some level the giver of the gift is lacking something in themselves, self-esteem, confidence, something. They use the gift, as sincerely as it may have been given , as an odd sort of way to seek your approval, a little hit of, "yeah, I'm good, yeah she likes me because she likes the gift."

As much as I can kind of understand all of what I just said, I probably would have lost it and said something sarcastic by now like, "I get the feeling you don't trust me with Pierre, did you want me to send him back to you, hahaha?" But I'm just horrible that way. ;)