Why is my cat hiding? What they need, and when to worry
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“Why is my cat hiding?” Most of the time, because they are looking for a covered spot of their own, where they can see without being seen, to sleep or take a breather. That is a normal need. But a cat who suddenly starts hiding and eats, grooms or plays less is a matter for the vet first.
Your cat is hiding: a normal need, or a sign something is wrong?
A cat who hides is not necessarily a cat in pain. You can sort it out with three questions: since when, for how long each day, and alongside which other changes.
The key warning sign is change. According to a consensus of nineteen expert feline vets published in PLOS ONE in 2016, withdrawing or hiding is one of 25 signs judged sufficient to indicate pain, alongside a smaller appetite, no grooming or difficulty jumping. No single sign was judged necessary: a cat can be in pain without hiding.
Lasting stress reads the same way: International Cat Care lists hiding among the signs of chronic stress, along with a cat who jumps at the slightest noise or plays less, and advises contacting your veterinary team if you are worried.
| What you see | What it suggests | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| They vanish to sleep, then come out to eat, play and ask for attention | A need to rest under cover | Leave them their hiding place, and offer one more |
| They dash under the bed when the doorbell rings, then come back once things are quiet | A passing fright | Don’t pull them out: they will come out on their own |
| They have been hiding for a few days for no obvious reason, and are eating or grooming less | Possible pain or illness | The vet, before buying anything |
| They have spent their days hidden for weeks | Stress that is settling in | A vet’s opinion, then look for what has changed |
In the last two cases, a hiding place helps your cat cope with what is wrong; it does not treat it. To prepare for the appointment, see how to take your cat to the vet without stress.
What is a cat looking for when they hide under the bed or to sleep?
A cat hiding under the bed is looking for shelter: a covered spot, often dark and warm, where nobody can come up behind them and from where they can keep an eye on the room. It isn’t sulking; it is how they rest in safety.
You can offer them that spot somewhere other than under a piece of furniture. The felt cat cave recreates what they go looking for there: an opening on the side, an inside sheltered from view, and a hollow on top. Inside to disappear, on top to keep watch.
According to International Cat Care, taking time out is part of a cat’s everyday life, and their “secret hideaways” matter: under the bed, in a wardrobe, behind the sofa. A minimalist living room leaves them few places to disappear; pulling a piece of furniture away from the wall is sometimes enough to create one.
For sleep, the logic is the same: under cover, they can let their guard down. That is why a cardboard box so often beats a new cat bed, as explained in why your cat sleeps in a box rather than their bed.
Why is my cat hiding more than usual?
A cat who hides more often is usually reacting to a change. According to International Cat Care, a large share of a cat’s stress comes from other cats, especially ones they don’t get on with but have to share bowls and beds with; people and the home play a part too.
- Too much contact. A person who wants more closeness than the cat is comfortable with, picking them up often.
- Unpredictable reactions. A cat who is punished may see their person as unpredictable, and avoid them.
- Too few shelters. Restricted access to safe hiding places is one of the stress factors in the home, along with boredom.
Something trivial to you can unsettle them: look at what has changed over the past few weeks before putting it down to their personality. The festive season, for instance, brings several changes at once: guests, a tree in the middle of the living room, New Year fireworks. For the tree, here is how to put it up safely when you have a cat.
A hiding place in the living room, close to you
The felt cat cave gives them the spot they used to look for under the furniture: an opening on the side, an inside sheltered from view, and 30 days to see whether they take to it. Discover the felt cat cave →
Which cat hiding place should you set up, and where?
A good hiding place for a cat is covered, smells of them, and sits in a quiet corner that isn’t cut off. They want to be out of sight, not out of the way: next to the sofa or at the foot of a bookcase, they can disappear without missing out on family life.
- A quiet corner of a room you actually use. How to read their favourite spots is covered in where to put your cat’s bed.
- Something that smells of them inside, such as a throw they already sleep on: a familiar scent helps them accept a new object. International Cat Care advises against washing their bedding too often, as cats gravitate towards what smells familiar.
- More than one hiding place: one per cat, plus one, in different places. That is the rule International Cat Care’s page on stress applies to all of a cat’s resources, hiding places included. A shelter in the living room doesn’t replace the space under the bed; it adds to it.
- Don’t disturb them while they are in it, unless you think they are unwell.
The felt cat cave comes in two sizes: 50 × 50 cm and 20 cm high, or 60 × 60 cm and 27 to 28 cm high. The supplier gives neither the inside dimensions nor a recommended cat size: compare these measurements with the bed your cat already sleeps in. A zip separates it into an open bed with a raised rim and a dome. Covered or open: the choice is discussed in covered cat bed or open basket bed; the rest of their play corner is in the play and enrichment collection.
When is a new hiding place not the right answer?
A new hiding place replaces neither the vet nor the hiding place your cat has already chosen.
- A cat whose behaviour has changed. If they suddenly start hiding or eat less, the vet comes before buying anything new.
- A cat who already has their spot. If they have claimed the top of the wardrobe, leave it to them: a cat cave adds to their choice, it doesn’t replace it. International Cat Care also advises placing a cat bed up high, as many cats feel vulnerable sleeping on the floor: a cave on the ground won’t suit every cat, and one who always sleeps up high may well ignore it.
- Several cats, one of whom blocks the other. The organisation then advises beds with more than one way in and out. The supplier’s photos show only one opening on the felt cat cave: the cat tunnel bed on wooden legs, open at both ends and raised off the floor, is a better fit.
Frequently asked questions
Should you coax your cat out of their hiding place to reassure them?
No. International Cat Care advises letting the cat initiate contact, so they keep choice and control over the interaction; pulling them out from under the bed does the opposite. In practice, sit in the room, speak softly and let them come to you. The one exception, according to the same organisation, is a cat you think is ill, who then needs to be checked.
Should you block off the space under the bed?
Not before offering them something better: the space under the bed is one of the hideaways International Cat Care considers useful. If you have to close it off, set up a covered shelter in the same room, with a fabric that smells of them, and wait until they use it before shutting off the old one.
Is a cat who hides all the time unhappy?
Not necessarily. A reserved cat can spend much of the day under cover and be perfectly well, as long as they eat, play and come to you when it suits them. What matters is the difference from their usual habits: a sociable cat who suddenly disappears deserves a vet’s opinion.
Key takeaways
- A cat usually hides to rest under cover, where they can see without being seen: it is a normal need.
- Hiding is one of the 25 signs of pain agreed by expert vets: a cat who starts hiding and eating less should see a vet.
- A good hiding place for a cat is covered, smells of them, sits in a quiet corner that isn’t cut off, and they are left undisturbed in it.
- Plan one hiding place per cat, plus one; with several cats, choose shelters with two ways out.