Thursday 9 April 2020

H is for Hiding


When I first brought one of my cats home from the shelter, he spent the first two weeks hiding under the bath. He eventually came out and a few days later it was as if he'd always lived with us.

Hiding is instinctive for cats. In the dim and distant past their ancestors sought out secluded spaces to give birth and to hid from predators. Many cats naturally seek out hidden spots, like the back of the closet or under the bed.

However, if your normally social cat suddenly starts hiding something different might be going on.

They could be ill or in pain. When they are sick they hide so take them to a vet for a check-up.

They may be stressed or anxious. Has something changed at home? Have you introduced a new pet? Having you started playing the TV at high volume? Stress hiding doesn't usually last too long as they get used to the new situation.

If your female cat hasn't been spayed she might be pregnant. Pregnant cats don’t always look pregnant and it’s possible for their condition to go unnoticed until the kittens are born. A few days before they give birth, pregnant cats will seek out a hiding place. 

Make sure you cat doesn't have fleas. If they are being bitten they think they can hide from the fleas. If they have taken to hiding up high, that's another sign. They think they can avoid the fleas by getting away from where they are e.g. in furniture, pillows and carpets.

Never forcibly remove your cat from his hiding place. This will stress him out even more. Coax him out or gently remove him.

My sassy, grumpy cat Toffee is also taking part in the A to Z Challenge. Take a look here: www.notsosweettoffee.com

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If you are a cat lover - especially a lover of the grumpier members of the species, this is the book for you. Written by Toffee who, despite her name, is the least sweet cat you can imagine. The world according to Toffee exists to serve her and woe betide anyone who forgets it. Paperback on left, Kindle version on right.


            





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5 comments:

  1. Wise words. Thanks for sharing and be well, my dear.

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  2. Lucy will go under the blanket covering her spot on the couch- I think she does that to get even more cozy. But now I'd better pay a bit more attention and make sure she's ok. Thanks!

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  3. Unless the house is on fire...

    When I was a kid, we had a fire in our house. My mother had to search for the cat. She was hiding in a closet.

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  4. Great post and makes me think of Mia, who is in cat heaven now. She was very nervous when we got her and so she his under the bed. It took a while for her to come out and then, she stayed in the bedroom for a long time until, one evening, we saw her in the hallway looking at us. We coaxed her to come to us and she did and rested beside us on the couch. She never did like the other animals though.

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Thank you for your commenting, Purrfect.