Hiding can be normal
Cats often choose enclosed or elevated places to rest, avoid noise or feel secure. A familiar cat using a favourite hiding place while otherwise acting normally is different from a sudden major change in behaviour.
Look for what changed
- Visitors, building work, fireworks or unfamiliar smells.
- A new pet, baby or change in household routine.
- Conflict around food, litter trays, doorways or resting places.
- Pain, illness or reduced mobility that may make a cat withdraw.
Make hiding safer, not harder
Do not drag a frightened cat out of a hiding place. Provide quiet retreats, easy access to food, water and litter, and predictable routines. In multi-cat homes, spread resources out so one cat cannot block another.
Contact a veterinarian if hiding is sudden or persistent and comes with appetite loss, unusual thirst, vomiting, breathing changes, limping, pain, toileting changes, marked lethargy or another significant change.
Source and review note
This page uses AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines as a reference starting point. External organisations do not endorse this site.