Why Do Cats Hide? The Top 4 Causes Explained

We've all been there: our feline fur baby is nowhere to be found. Sometimes it's cause for panic: did they get out while you were bringing in the groceries? Did they get stuck somewhere? Other times it's just worth a sigh, and the knowledge that they'll show up when it's dinner time.

Cats love to hide. As much as we think of them as sunbeam-basking mini-panthers, comfortable wherever they are and lord of their domain, many cats are timid or hesitant, and will hide at the first sign of something changing in their environment.

If your cat is hiding, whether it's from you, from an unexpected visitor, or for unknown reasons, it might be worth knowing what's happening and what you can do about it.

Reason #1 Cats Hide: They Just Like Hiding

Many cats enjoy being in spaces where they're largely covered and enclosed. It's why they like to find places on top of shelves, in drawers, in boxes, in shopping bags, and in dark crevasses. It's cozy! It's kind of like how we people will wrap up in a comfortable blanket to lounge around.

I knew one cat who got herself trapped all the time, because she would find open drawers, crawl in, up, behind, and underneath them, so when the "empty" drawer was closed, she'd be stuck in the cupboard. She'd nap there perfectly content for hours, until her parents panicked looking for her or she got hungry, at which point they'd track down her faint meows.

Cats are also capable of getting into spaces you might think are much too small for them, and being comfortable there. In some cases, though, they can get stuck, so if you have spaces like vents, crawlspaces, and other hard-to-reach spaces, you might consider blocking them off. Instead, get a cat house/condo, a few boxes, or some other spaces your cat can hide.

Reason #2 Cats Hide: Pregnancy

One of the big reasons a cat might hide is if she's pregnant, and it's about time for the kittens to come out. Cats this far along will hide for multiple reasons. The big one is because she's vulnerable, and because her kittens will be extremely vulnerable. Another is just to have shelter, a safe space, and a comfortable climate for having that litter.

Once she gives birth, she'll be weak, and she'll want to stick by her kittens for a while. Ideally, you can prepare a place for this to happen so she doesn't try to make a nest out of your clothes or in an inaccessible place somewhere. That way, you can make sure to bring her food and water while she recovers.

Reason #3 Cats Hide: Stress, Anxiety, or a Sudden Startle

Another big reason why cats hide is because they're anxious creatures, or they're stressed, or they're just startled. If you've ever accidentally dropped something loud and your cat has bolted from the room, that's one example. Cats get lost in their own little furry worlds, and something that startles them can send them into a panic to find a place to get away from whatever it was.

Unfortunately for us, sometimes that's dropping a dish, sometimes it's a loud noise from the garbage truck outside, and sometimes it's just coming home and opening the squeaking front door – at least until they're more used to it.

This kind of hiding behavior is most common in adopted stray and feral cats, in cats with poor socialization, in cats that spend some of their time outdoors, and in cats that are just being introduced to a new place.

In particular, you'll see it a lot with a new cat you're bringing into your household, especially if you have existing cats. The new cat doesn't know the lay of the land, where it is safe, and what territories the other cat has claimed. So they'll find the first place to hide that they can, and if need be, sneak to one more secure. Then they'll gradually explore, until they feel more comfortable, first in a room and later throughout a home.

One risk here is if you have gaps or crawl spaces, especially if there's a risk that they could slip outside through them. Try to make sure to secure things like basement doors and large vents against a cat slipping through them as much as possible.

The more stressed a cat is, the more they'll hide. The more anxious they are in general, the more likely they are to hide. More well-socialized, comfortable, and laid-back cats might not hide at all. It really varies from cat to cat!

Reason #4 Cats Hide: Illness or Injury

At last, we come to the reason no one wants to think about: your fur baby is sick. Cats are generally solitary creatures by nature, even if they'll form colonies and family units with littermates and their people. They tend to be independent as much as possible.

A side effect of being in the middle of the food chain – a predator that is vulnerable to larger predators – is that, if they're weak, sick, or in pain, they'll hide it as much as possible. They'll try to avoid any obvious signs that they're sick when it's minor, and if it's major enough that they can't hide the behaviors, they'll hide their presence.

This is why it can seem like cat illnesses come out of nowhere: it was there, but your cat was good at hiding it from you.

If your cat is experiencing the symptoms of illness or injury, you'll usually be able to see other signs. I discuss those more in a later section, so read on to find out when you should be concerned.

Other Reasons Cats Might Hide

There are also a few other reasons why your cat might hide.

These include:

• Warmth. If it's winter and your house isn't warm enough for them, your cat might seek out an enclosed space where their body heat can keep it warmer for them to be cozy.

• Fear. Whether it's a noise outside, the vacuum or dishwasher running, or something that scares them, cats hide when they're afraid.

• Coolness. The opposite of warmth, if your house is too warm for them, your cat might seek out a place where it's a little cooler so they can chill out.

Again, hiding is a pretty natural behavior for cats, but there's one more question to answer.

Is a Hiding Cat Cause for Concern?

One thing many of you are probably wondering is whether or not your cat hiding from you is cause for concern.

The answer is usually no. Most of the reasons cats hide are perfectly normal, and there's nothing to worry about.

That said, there are a couple of reasons why hiding might be worrisome, and you might want to schedule a trip to the vet ASAP. The biggest is illness or pain, as I've already mentioned above. Cats that feel like they're weak or vulnerable will hide, which is why, for so many people, cat illnesses seem to "come out of nowhere." Cats hide their suffering until it's no longer possible, which is usually when an illness or injury is advanced enough that they can't possibly hide it.

For the cat, it's a survival mechanism. Larger predators will target weak individuals, after all. They don't know that they're safe in your home and that you'll care for them, so they instinctively hide.

Fortunately, you'll probably be able to tell if your cat is hiding out of sickness or pain, because there will be other symptoms as well, such as:

• Messy litter box usage, including missing it, failing to bury it, or having loose or liquid stool.

• Going in places that aren't the litter box.

• Not using the litter box at all.

• Missing meal times, or barely eating when they do.

• Failing to groom themselves properly, and looking haggard when you do see them.

• Being irritable, aggressive, or averse to touch.

These are all good reasons why you should take your cat in to be examined. The trouble, then, is getting ahold of them when they're hiding, but that's a subject for another post.

Should You Try to Extricate Your Cat?

So, if your fur baby is hiding, should you try to flush them out or attract them from their hiding space?

Generally speaking, probably not. Cats hide because that's where they feel safe and comfortable. If you try to pull them out, they might fight back, they might lose their trust in you, and it can exacerbate their anxiety. It's a bad thing all around!

The only exception to this is if you think they're sick and you need to get them to the vet. In this case, you may need to try to get them out of their hiding place so you can take them in for a check-up. This is, unfortunately, very difficult, so be prepared if you need to try.

How to Corral a Hiding Cat

If you're really concerned and you need to get your cat out of hiding so you can take them to the vet, how can you do it? Unfortunately, there's no simple way. In fact, if you drag them out of a hiding place, that can further add to their stress, distrust, and fear, and can make them feel like that territory isn't safe. They might also find another, harder-to-reach hiding place for next time.

If you need to get them out, there are a few things you can try.

Wait for them to come to you. All but the sickest cats will still come out occasionally, whether it's to get food and water, to use the litter box, or just because they're feeling better temporarily. This is usually a time when you can try to catch them, though if you make sudden moves and pounce on them like a predator, they might bolt back to their hiding place.

Go fishing with a toy. Sometimes, if your cat is potentially sick or in pain, but they aren't too bad, they'll still have enough of a prey drive to chase after a toy that you wave around. You can lure them out with a toy, give them a treat, and coax them into their carrier for the trip to the vet.

Remove anything that might be causing stress and anxiety. Whether it's an appliance making a noise, children causing a ruckus, another cat chasing them into hiding, or something else, if your cat is being driven into hiding because of these, removing them can help coax your kitty back out.

Try the treats. Some cats are more food-motivated than others, and a high-value treat can pull them out of hiding when they smell it. You can then use it to guide them to their carrier and corral them for the vet run.

What NOT to Do to Extract a Hiding Cat

The worst thing you can do is try to go in after them. A cat is using their hiding space to feel safe and secure. It's also an enclosed space that is easy to defend. That means your cat is already anxious or scared, and if you try to reach in and grab them, they're already primed to swipe at you. You can get some nasty gashes from this kind of defensive behavior.

You should also try to avoid being frantic, grabbing at them, or generally acting like a predator. Even if you have nothing but love in your heart, they don't know that, and all you do is make yourself less trusted, risk injury, and wipe out a hiding place they thought was safe.

Hopefully, if your cat is hiding, it's for more benign reasons, and you don't have to worry about them being sick. Generally speaking, unless you see a cause for concern, leave them be and let them come out at their own pace. If they're hiding in a dangerous or problematic spot, coax them out, block that hiding place, and give them somewhere safer to hide.

Do you have any questions about hiding cats or what to do if your cat is hiding? If so, I'm always more than happy to help, so be sure to leave me a comment down below!