Content
- Why do cats hide?
- Cat hiding in the closet - what to do to get him out?
- How to get a cat out of hiding?
Cats are animals that love to hide, although they don't always do so for fun or in search of reassurance. There are some situations that can bother your feline, including causing stress, such as the arrival of unknown people the House.
It will not always be possible to know why the cat hides when someone new arrives, especially if your feline has been adopted, but there are ways to help it overcome fear, stress and even encourage it to want to meet new people, always respecting the his emotional well-being and ensuring that a positive presentation is made. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain to you why does the cat hide when people come and we'll give you some guidelines that you can apply yourself. Keep reading!
Why do cats hide?
Although they are especially sociable, all cats hide from time to time in search of reassurance. That's why we recommend that the cat has a safe zone to which you can go whenever you need to take refuge, a private place where no one will bother you.
However, there are other causes that can make a cat hide:
- Socialization: when the cat is still a kitten, it goes through a critical period of socialization. This period starts around one month of life and ends when he completes three months. At this stage, the kitten interacts with its mother and siblings, learns to relate to other felines, learns how its relationship with humans, other animals and everything that surrounds it should be.
- Traumas: a trauma can make the cat become afraid of people. Sometimes it is due to a small detail that is almost imperceptible to us. The feline can develop fear of a single person, a group of people, or all human beings.
- Stress: a move, the arrival of a baby or the departure of a family member can make our best friend suffer from stress. If there has been any change in your cat's daily life, watch him carefully and see if he shows any signs of stress.
- Two cats: if you live with two felines, we recommend that you ensure that there is no problem with their coexistence. For this, make sure that each one of them has its own resources (toys, feeder, drinking fountain, sandbox...).
- Others: there are many other causes that can cause the cat to hide, an illness or something that causes pain, for example. Another possibility is psychological or hormonal illnesses that can be the cause of anomalous behavior.
To find out why your feline hides, you should watch him with attention and noticing the body language he demonstrates at all times, even when there are no other people present. This will help you to really understand what your cat's personality is like and what your cat likes most, as well as what your little one dislikes or fears. By being more attentive to his behavior, you can more easily detect if there is any disease, presence of parasites or something that is bothering him. You may find, for example, that your cat is afraid of the sound of plastic, the male voice, or excessive noise (very common feline fears).
Cat hiding in the closet - what to do to get him out?
When our cat hides, for example in the closet, we shouldn't bother you. On the contrary, we must offer something to help him hide. The fact that he can take refuge lowers stress levels and the cat feels better. Some cats prefer to go into the closet, others hide in drawers or even under the bed.
You should act normally, trying not to make unnecessary noises that might scare the cat, or constantly call for it to come. The aim is for the cat to go out on its own, because it feels safe in your home.
How to get a cat out of hiding?
Reviewing whether you comply with the 5 animal welfare freedoms is essential before starting to work on socializing your cat with people. Remember that in some cases it may take some time, you have to be patient.
The goal is to get your cat associate people with something positive and for that, PeritoAnimal has some advice:
- Whenever visitors come home, leave a bowl with some pate or homemade food in the room where he usually hides.
- If he comes out of hiding when you approach his safe zone, you should immediately reward him with something he likes.
- Consider purchasing synthetic cat pheromones, a product that secretes calming substances that help your cat feel better. We recommend that you look for those that have scientific studies that prove their effectiveness.
- Improve the cat's well-being by taking care of his health, feeding him, playing with him and making him not feel alone. This will help to increase your affective bond, making it feel more secure when you are present.
- Mentally stimulate the feline with intelligence toys or food-dispensing toys. With these types of activities, your feline will be much more willing to do new things and will be more adventurous.
By following these advices, you will observe the cat more active and curious, which will make it easier to reinforce the positive behaviors that may happen: coming into the room, sniffing one of the guests or letting you pet him in the presence of strangers.
We can reward behavior we like in many ways, it's not just about offering a tasty reward: a caress and a higher-pitched word can equally satisfy the cat and make it feel appreciated.
At the beginning of this process, we can reinforce a few things because the cat is inhibited, but over time, it will be easier to see new behaviors appear. It is a lengthy process, but if you don't force your best friend and get him earn your trust, there are many possibilities that the day will come when he does not hide when someone comes to visit the house.
In more serious cases, for example when the cat suffers from a phobia or a sensory deprivation syndrome, it will be advisable to go to an ethologist, a veterinarian specialized in animal behavior and feline psychology.
