How to get a cat out of hiding?

The cat is a furry one that likes to hide; in fact, it is something he needs to be able to have a little time just for himself. Throughout the day we will see that, without further ado, he goes to his favorite corner of the home to take a nap, away from us.

Even so, when we get home and call him, the normal thing is for him to come, but what to do if after looking for him we have not found him? How to get a cat out of hiding?

Why are cats hiding?

Cats can seem very scary to us, but we see them differently when we know that have a sufficiently developed sense of hearing to be able to hear, with total clarity, the sound emitted by a mouse from seven meters away. It is somewhat ironic that they have decided to live with humans, noisy animals that scream, drop heavy things on the ground, play loud music, and so on).

These cats, like the rest of their congeners, They are stealthy, always try to go unnoticedAnd when, for example, a truck passes down the street from home, the normal thing is that, if they are not used to it, they get under the bed or any furniture. And no, we cannot say that over time they get used to it, because sometimes that doesn't happen.

Every year they shoot fireworks, and every year there are cats that have a very bad time on those dates. It is not a memory problem, but a high hearing sensitivity + survival instinct. Any animal with legs, legs or a body that does not have to be anchored to the ground would move away as quickly as possible from a bomb.

I know. An example of a bomb may be too exaggerated, but it is so that you understand how important it is for cats the tranquility, the moderate tone of voice, ... in short, living without shocks.

So what is it that scares cats?

Anything:

Vehicles that pass, especially if they are large and / or especially noisy
Fireworks and firecrackers
Screaming, speaking in a high tone of voice
That they put something behind it (like the classic cucumbers that we talked about in this article)
Chase them
Abuse, including not only physical abuse, but also harassment and making them angry

As we can see, they are quite common reasons; that is, humans can also be scared by those things. But if we don't respect them, they will never be happy.

How to get cats out of hiding?

Cats can hide for various reasons, as we have explained. Insecurity, fear or wanting to be alone are powerful reasons why they choose to stay temporarily isolated from the family, until they feel better. But if we want our four-legged furry darling to come out, we have to do the following:

The first is make no noise. We will remove the radio, and leave the housework for later. In the event that we have a dog, we will introduce it in its carrier or in a room.
Then we'll get a can for cats (wet food) or a bag of cat treats. We will walk through the house, picking up the ring from the can and making noise (as if we wanted to open it, but not really doing it) or we will shake the bag while we call to him in a very cheerful voice.
Then, we can meow. No, it's not about us turning into cats, but about trying to calm him down. Hearing a soft meow will help calm you down.
Lastly, we have to give him time. We cannot force you to leave if you don't feel like it at the time. Also, you may need to be alone in order to relax. When you feel comfortable, you will let us know 🙂.

Why is my new cat hiding?

If we have just adopted a cat, it is normal for it to seek shelter. For us, housing is a house or a flat, but a home at the end of the day; however, for the feline it is a completely unknown place. So, it is recommended to have it for the first three to four days in a room, with his bed, food, water, litter box (as far from his feeder as possible), and toys.

During those days we have to spend as much time as we can with him, but without forcing him to anything. You don't have to pick him up right off the bat, because what we will achieve this way is to scare him even more (and incidentally, we can take the odd scratch or bite).

When we see that you feel better, more comfortable, we will leave the door open for you to explore the rest of your new home 🙂.

How to catch a scared cat?

Well, when a cat is scared you have to avoid precisely that, catch it, or else it will become much more tense and feel worse. But for example, if it is a stray cat that needs urgent veterinary help, either because you have had an accident with a car or we think you are sick, The first thing is to ensure that the environment is as calm as possible.

Then we put in a few cat trap cages (for sale here) in different corners, hiding the roof with branches and litter, and putting inside a plate with wet cat food.

Finally, we stand aside and wait.

Life or death cases

In the case that it is a cat that we see that it cannot move, that is lame and / or that is dying, taking into account that it is a case of life or death, We will throw a large towel over it, we will take it, and we will immediately put it in a carrier or in a cage-trap. When he is inside, we close the entrance door and cover him with a towel or cloth so that he does not have the possibility of seeing anything from the outside (but he can breathe, eye) and can, in this way, be as calm as possible.

Note: it may scratch and / or bite us. Therefore, it is also important that we wear long sleeves and long pants, or failing that, when holding the cat, we keep it a little away from our body.

How to attract a cat?

To attract a cat what we can do is something that almost never fails: offer him wet food. But no, only with this we will not achieve anything: we must also be calm, avoid making sudden movements and blink slowly to tell you that you can trust us.

If it is a young or very playful cat, we may better attract its attention with something that moves or that we can move, such as a rope or a toy 😉.

My cat does not adapt, what do I do?

When we bring a cat home, we must be patient Well, we cannot expect it to adapt the same day. As we said before, your home is a completely unknown place for him, and it will remain so until he does not explore it many times, until he does not feel comfortable with you, until he rubs himself through the furniture at least a couple of times every day. leaving its smell, ...

Leaving him his space, respecting him at all times and showing him that he can feel good (first in a subtle way, with slow blinking, wet food, toys; and later with caresses and hugs in case he allows himself to be hugged) sooner or later you will get him better.

What if it doesn't fit?

At first, cats take an average of six months to adapt, being the kittens and young cats the ones that take less time (a month or so)

and the older ones that it costs them more. But it is necessary to know that there are different types of cats depending on where they were raised:

Feral: they are those who were born and raised on the street. The normal thing is that they flee from people, or that they only establish relationships with their caregivers.
They are lovers of freedom, and they cannot live in a house, never, because they will not be happy.
Only if they are in danger should we consider moving them, or keeping them in a fence as wide as possible, but not in a home.
Semi-feral: they are cats that have had human contact (or human presence) throughout their lives. They do not shy away from us, although they do show distrust when someone they do not know approaches them.
Sometimes it is the case that someone has a sociable, affectionate character, making him "adoptable", but that does not mean that he can live 24 hours in a house either. These animals know what freedom is, and like any self-respecting feline, they adore it. Therefore, they will only be happy if they have access to the outside (garden or patio type, fenced or with a network).
Homemade or 'indoor'': they are cats that have been born and raised among humans, without any access to the outside. They can (and in fact must) live with people inside the home, as they would not survive on the street.

Why am I telling you this? Good, because it wouldn't be weird if the cat that lives with us isn't actually a house cat. In addition, you have to keep in mind the history of that animal: it may have been abused, or that it has been living with a family that is a bit harassing. If you can tell us at the shelter if something happened to you, fine, but if not ... what do we do?

Well, the ideal is consult with a feline therapist, which fortunately in Spain already begins to have, or with a feline ethologist who works positively.

Let us remember that the first, the second and the last must be the welfare of the animal.

It is very important to spend time with our dear friend and respect him at all times. Only then can he really be happy.

NotiGatos