Senior Cat Hiding or Withdrawing: What It's Telling You

When a cat who used to hold court in the middle of the living room starts spending her days under the bed or at the back of a closet, it is easy to shrug off as an old lady wanting her peace, or as a spell of low spirits. Sometimes that is all it is, but why a senior cat is hiding is a question worth asking. But hiding is also the oldest way a cat has of telling you she does not feel right, and in a senior cat a new habit of withdrawing deserves a careful look rather than a shrug.

This covers what hiding can mean and when to worry, rather than diagnosing your own cat. An old cat hiding away, withdrawn from her people, is showing one of the behavior changes that come with age, and a sociable cat who has turned reclusive is worth a vet's attention, for the reason that runs through everything below: cats conceal trouble, and retreat is often the first sign of it.

Cats hide when they feel unwell

Hiding is instinct. A cat who feels vulnerable, sick, or sore takes herself somewhere small, dark, and safe, the same way her wild cousins would. Sometimes the spot she picks is the litter box, which reads as stranger than it is and has its own short list of causes. It is worth knowing how deeply this runs, because cats are experts at hiding signs of pain, and VCA lists hiding under the bed when guests visit as one of pain's tells when it is not the cat's usual habit. So a social cat gone quiet and hidden is not simply antisocial. She is often uncomfortable, and the withdrawal is the message. This matters most when hiding arrives with a lost appetite, because a cat who is both hiding and not eating is a cat to have seen soon.

Pain, illness, and a changing mind

The reasons behind the retreat are the same ones behind most senior behavior changes. Pain from arthritis, a sore mouth, or a brewing illness makes a cat want to be left alone. The feline dementia does it too: VCA describes cognitive dysfunction changing a cat's social behavior toward becoming reclusive, so a cat who withdraws and also seems disoriented or lost may be showing signs of cognitive change. And a cat whose sight and hearing are fading may retreat to a spot she can still make sense of, where nothing surprises her.

When hiding is a red flag

A cat wanting a quiet nap spot is not the same as a cat who has disappeared. Treat it as urgent, a same-day call, if hiding comes with any of these: she has stopped eating, she is lethargic or hard to rouse, she is hiding somewhere unusual and will not come out for food or affection, or she seems to be in pain. A cat who hides herself away and goes off her food can slide quickly, so this is one where acting early counts.

How to help a hiding cat feel safe

Once your vet has ruled out or treated a medical cause, the aim at home is a world she can trust. Give her safe, easy-to-reach hiding spots at floor level, a covered bed or a quiet corner, so she does not have to climb or squeeze to feel secure. Keep her food, water, and litter box close to where she has chosen to be, so retreating never means going without. Do not haul her out or block her hiding places, since forcing a frightened or sore cat into the open only makes her more anxious. Let her come to you, keep her days gentle and predictable, and use her willingness to emerge as a quiet gauge of how she is doing.

Biscuit has a spot behind the curtain she goes to when the house gets loud, and I have made my peace with it. What I watch for is not the ordinary retreat but the new one: the day she chooses somewhere she never used to, and does not come out when I open a can. That is the hiding that means something, and it has earned a phone call every time. A senior cat hiding is one of the quietest signals she gives, which is exactly why it is worth heeding.

Sources

• ASPCA, Older Cats with Behavior Problems
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Behavior Changes and Pain in Aging Cats
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Senior Pet Cognitive Dysfunction