Do you spend many hours searching for your kitten in your home? Did you find the kittens under the bed while you searched? You need not worry about your furry friend when it hides under the bed at times.
Yes, your little friend loves to take time off by hiding.
These independent creatures wish to have a separate space in your home. Upon bringing your kitten home, it is usual to notice them hiding under a bed or closet.
Only you may look for a veterinarian if your kitten hides under the bed for a long duration with serious symptoms. If no serious symptoms, give some time to your kitten to recover or cope with the new environment.
Why do kittens hide under the bed?
Kittens hide under the bed or in any safe place in the house to take a nap or if they feel insecure.
The kitten usually prefers to hide in dark places. Hence, the reasons are many for a cat to hide, as follows.
Other kitten posts I know you’ll love:
- Kitten Essentials
- Helpful Tips for Leaving Your Kitten Alone for The First Time
- Can My Kitten Drink Almond Milk?
Search for comfort
Cats are lovers of sleep, and hence they take many hours a day.
However, they love a place that is comfortable and convenient in all aspects.
They always love a place to nap that is protected from any disturbance.
Usually, a place that is hard to find or search for is given preference by the cat.
Illness
Cats are private creatures and hence love to hide in secret places, it is believed.
If your kitten suffers from an illness, it reacts by hiding away from other people or cats in the house.
Whenever your cat feels unwell, the feeling of insecurity raises in your cat, so it loves to hide under the bed.
The cats may be afraid of predators outside, and so they may hide for a while for a long time during illness time.
Anxiety and depression
What makes your cat anxious and depressed sometimes?
A new entry into your house, a new home, or a change in your home settings makes your cat feel anxious.
Automatically, these new situations trigger your cat to hide from everyone.
The kitten remains under the bed for a little while, or some hours, until it feels good to come out.
Your kitten may not come out of bed for a long spell of days or weeks.
The reason is that it may have lost someone in the house or else another kitten that is close to it. The cats are sensitive, and so they are not able to digest the separation.
So, they hide under the bed due to depression issues for many days or hours together.
Is it normal for a new kitten to hide under the bed?
It is normal for your kitten to hide under the bed.
Kittens hide under the bed when they fear a new environment. Sometimes, kittens are overwhelmed by their new surroundings, and hence they hide. Hence, you need not worry a lot about your small friends when they hide.
Kittens love to remain safe and warm at all times, and so they search for a comfortable place or dark place to sleep.
Unless and otherwise, if your kittens show serious symptoms of stress and anxiety, you need to worry.
You can also consult your veterinarian if you see any serious symptoms in your kitten by hiding under the bed all the time.
Here are some reasons you might consider allowing your kitten to hide under the bed in common.
What does it mean when a cat hides under the bed?
The following reasons will give you a better understanding of your kittens that hide under the bed.
Hiding under the bed is normal due to the new environment and strangers.
So, you do not need to panic and do not need to spend time analyzing the reasons unless the symptoms are serious.
Instead, be calm, cooperate with your little friend, and talk to him gently.
Perceiving a threat
Usually, your kitten may perceive a threat in your house, so it hides under a bed.
Your kitten may feel stressed or fearful if it finds anything new or strange in the home.
Yes, cats resemble humans in this aspect when in a new environment or any unusual happenings around them.
Cats find heavy sounds, new furniture, a new person, a big toy, etc., as a threat.
So, they hide under the bed, often in a house. Yet another reason for your kitten to hide is to take the precaution of hiding.
They make sure that there is no danger in the place where it stays by hiding.
Newcomers to your home
You may have new visitors to your house many times.
You will notice that your kitten is hiding due to the presence of visitors in your home.
Yes, new people may unsettle your kitten.
The kitten will come out of the place where they hide only after gaining confidence.
Your kitten can have a new smell if new visitors come.
Your visitor should give some space to your furry friend without disturbing it until it gains confidence.
You can leave your kitten without praising them at the time of hiding.
So give it some time to venture out of the hiding place after some time by ignoring them.
Concerned about the presence of another cat
Your kitten becomes upset if it sees even a neighbor’s house cat walking past the door.
Yes, a sudden upset of your kitten is common, which you will have to understand.
So, you can close the curtains by making your kitten safe and peaceful without allowing it to look through.
Suppose you have a few kittens in your house, then it is common for one of the kittens to hide due to unrest between them.
Yes, one of the kittens may feel threatened by the other one, and hence they search for a safe place in your home.
As the person in charge, you can provide your kitten that does not feel safe with a protected space to feel psychologically light.
How long will my new kitten hide?
The time duration to hide may vary from one cat to another cat in your home. Yes, some cats take a while to come out of the place where they are hidden.
Others may take a long time to hide under the bed or in a safe place, it is believed. So, there is no concrete answer to this question as it depends upon the kitten you have.
Some cats even take weeks, days, or hours to hide in the same place. Experts say that the kitten’s age and experience play a vital role in the duration it takes to hide.
A cat may take a long time to hide if it finds the new space more comfortable and safe than other areas.
Some cats take a long time to hide because they do not feel comfortable with the new person that enters the house.
The kitten feels nervous and anxious due to strange noises, smells, and situations in the home. Hence, it may take a long time to hide and come out only if one gains courage and peace.
Only after feeling brave does the little kitten come out gradually to explore the new place.
The way you handle the kitten when it hides may affect the duration.
Yes, aside from the environment, the way you handle the kitten decides the duration of hiding. In general, kittens are sensitive and vulnerable.
So, you will have to understand the reasons for their fear or stress to hide. Kittens behave differently towards different owners depending upon their experience and behavior.
If you have the knack for raising cats, the time taken by a cat to hide is less.
You can get the kitten out of there much faster than an inexperienced person. Yes, knowledge and experience guide you in the right direction when you have kittens.
How Can You Help Calm Your Cat?
- Avoid scolding your small furry creature.
It is not a good or positive sign to scold your cat if it hides under the bed.
Do not control the cat by forcing it to come out of that place where it is hidden.
Correcting your kitten in a high voice may not yield good results, and it may aggravate your puss’ anger on the wrong side.
Your kitten may feel more anxious than before, and the habit of hiding may continue further.
If you understand the basic reason for your cat’s hiding, the urge to scold does not arise.
Instead, understand the reason for stress so you can pacify the kitten in a friendly way.
Checking out the ways to reduce the anxiety of your furry friend is a good idea on the whole.
Home is a relaxing place
It is vital to encourage your pet to remain confident and firm in the environment where it lives.
Give your kitten basic training or psychological courage to cope with the new environment’s challenges, if any come across. You can teach it to play a hide and seek game in your house whenever you have time.
Through training activities, you can acclimatize your cat to adjust to a new place or any environment.
For example, you can make your puss remain in a lonely room or a free space without people.
A private room in your house makes your cat feel comfortable and warm.
Provide your puss with a blanket, toys, and favorite food items. Instill confidence in your kitten in the private room so he can stay alone without fear.
This task makes your cat gain courage and feels secure mentally.
These precautions help to reassure your small animals of their safety, ensuring that they are never anxious.
It prevents the cat from getting into the habit of hiding anywhere else, including under the bed.
A relaxed and comfortable environment in your house helps elevate the positivity in your cat.
The cat does not look for a place to hide in any situation, including stressful times.
Ensuring your home has relaxing vibes is the prime task for you to protect your kitten from hiding.
Developing a sense of bravery
You should praise or appreciate your little friend for their positive acts. Give them the praise they deserve.
Never neglect your cat and be friendly with it by playing, feeding, and sitting close to it.
Your cat may feel stressed due to hunger, so provide food on time with good treats it likes.
Praise the cat if it responds to your words and actions.
Instill positivity in your furry friend so your cat starts developing interest and love for feeling courage without hiding anywhere else.
Your close connection with the cat gives enough mental stimulation to help your cat feel brave.
Understand your cat’s behavior.
Unfamiliar situations or people bring a sense of fear and anxiety to your cat.
You know that your cat feels happy and comfortable in familiar situations.
Yes, it is apparent when you bring the cat to a veterinarian clinic for treatment.
Yes, it behaves awkwardly in the new place, which you will have to take care of. Here are some tips for you to cope with your furry friend.
- Your kitten may take some time to adjust to new places and people.
- You can spend some time with your cats by taking them out of the house at least once a month, so they become familiar with the new places.
- Praise or give some treats to your pet animal for its positive behavior. Praise the cat if it remains calm in new places.
- Never leave your cat stressed for long because the sense of stress affects its health a lot. Try to keep your little friend happy and peaceful as much as possible. Peaceful and happy cats remain calm without any confusion to give you the utmost sense of happiness without the need to control them.
