Cat hiding, why and what you can do?

Why do cats hide excessively?

Cats usually hide more when they feel threatened.

Many things can cause hiding:

• People: cats commonly hide from visitors
• Noises
• Recent changes at home: adding new furniture, building work going on, new baby in the family...
• another pet in the home or nearby: cats don’t like sharing resources like litter box, food bowls, etc… This may cause one cat to hide.
• Recent change in your routine: has your usual schedule changed leading you to be busier and less available?
• Also, several medical conditions cause pain or discomfort and maybe a reason for your cat to hide. If you cat spends most of its time hidden, check with your vet.

Do not stroke your cat during hiding. You may accidentally increase the cat hiding with your loving attention.

Wait for your cat to spontaneously come out and ask for cuddling.

Reward your cat for brave actions shown during potentially challenging situations. This encourages them to be brave again!

If you have several cats, give each cat their own food bowl, water bowl, litter box, etc. Put them in separate areas to avoid tension caused by competition (to separate, you can put bowls on different levels: one on the floor and one on a higher spot).

Using FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser will help keep your cat feeling secure and playful.