How To Get a Scared Cat Out of Hiding?

ByThePetster Team

So you have one of those pesky house cats determined to stay hidden in the darkest nooks and crannies. The long and short of it is that you can’t force your cat out from under the furniture if it doesn’t want to. The basic premise is that a scared cat will hide, while a confident house kitty might walk about or even greet their human target with a rub on the leg or purr while petting.

But for more challenging cases where there’s no sign of movement from your furry friend, here are some humane tricks to coax them out:

1) Place food on all four corners of the room you see him last frolicking in. If your cat is a picky eater, try food that can be eaten dry or easily mixed with water. Above all else, make sure the food is enticing, and it shouldn’t be left there for more than a week.

2) Besides food, try humming or talking to your cat in a happy tone. If you’re confident that he’ll come out without scaring him away, speak to him in the lightest secure way possible.

3) Try using a toy, such as a ball of yarn or even wrinkled tissue paper to entice your cat from under the furniture. Swat the toy around or throw it towards your cat.

4) Wait for your cat to come out, then give them a nice, thorough rub down. As shown above, don’t rub your cat’s head.

5) Check under the furniture for any treats your cat might try to eat. If you find any food, try putting it inside the cat’s carrier or something where he can’t reach it. This will make him less likely to eat the food without you there to supervise.

6) Try taking a photo of where your kitty likes to hide under his bed or hiding spot and put it in a different room with pictures of cats. This will make him more likely to come out.

7) Try spraying some Bitter Apple onto the furniture the cat likes to use as his hiding spot.

8) Insert a regular room light into an empty paper towel roll and tape it to the end of a broomstick or something easy to manoeuvre. Turn the light on for a little bit; you can even try mixing in some soft music to entice your cat out. Don’t stay there too long if your kitty doesn’t come out.

9) When your cat comes out, rub it down with a towel or give them a treat right away, so they associate being with humans as something good.

The next time you find that your kitty is hiding, think of the above tips as a general guide on how to lure them out.

Why are they scared in the first place?

House cats can become scared of their environment for several reasons. A new family member may have been introduced to the house, such as a new baby, dog, or even a person who’s temporarily staying with the family. Furthermore, changes in a cat’s environment can result in him being scared and may develop into a fear-based issue.

For instance, moving from one house to another, going on vacation, or even just daily noises outside can have him jumping at shadows every time you go to the bathroom or kitchen. This will always make him hide from you because he’ll think something terrible is about to happen.

Other causes for your cat to run scared are the simplest things you may have taken for granted. Maybe your cat has problems with their water dish being empty, or they accidentally got locked somewhere where they can’t escape. Some cats even develop fear-based behaviours after looking out the window and seeing scary creatures like birds, squirrels, dogs, or even people walking by.

If you’ve tried everything above to coax your cat out of hiding, and he won’t come out at all, then you need to consult with a vet or animal control specialist as soon as possible. Something is seriously wrong with your cat that requires professional treatment.

Remember, never force or pull your cat out of hiding because this can cause serious injury to them or even get yourself hurt in the process.

If you think you can get away with it, then try sliding a towel under the furniture and slowly rolling the towel up while gently picking up your cat at the same time. If your kitty is tense at all, then don’t do this. You’ll scare him further, and he’ll run back to his hiding spot faster. It’s better to leave him alone until he’s calmed down.

How long should I search for my cat before giving up?

The first thing you should do is to call an animal control specialist. If you don’t know any other people with pets, look them up on the internet to find one near you. If you still can’t find one, then contact your local police station.

Be careful, though, because if your cat is hiding because he got lost or something else bad happened to him, calling the police might exacerbate the problem since they may take him away forever. So instead of calling the police, try getting in touch with your local animal shelter or searching around your neighborhood for lost pets by posting flyers that describe what your pet looks like.

If you think your cat may have found a new family, then contact the animal shelter in your area, and they’ll put up fliers for a lost pet. You can also check out nearby animal shelters or vet clinics to see if they’ve taken in a stray cat with the same description as your own. If worst comes to worst, put up some signs around your neighborhood that say “LOST DOG” or “KITTEN MISSING” with a picture of your lost pet.

What should I do after I find my kitty?

First of all, don’t grab him and immediately start picking him up. This will only scare your cat further. Instead, try coaxing him out of hiding with some food or something he can’t resist.

If you’ve caught your cat in the act of doing something naughty, then hold off on punishing him for it for a while. This will drive him back into his hiding spot in no time flat to avoid getting into any more trouble with you.

What should I do if my kitty won’t stop running away?

This is a tricky question because there are many reasons why your cat may be scared to come out from his hiding spot. If he’s running away because he got scared by something, then try getting him out of there. If it’s because he was locked somewhere else, try taking a vacation from the house for a while to see if a scared kitty will come out.

If you think your cat may be hiding because he can’t handle being alone for any length of time, don’t leave him alone for too long, or this might cause problems later on when you have to leave him alone again.

What should I do if my cat just won’t come out?

If your cat is just too terrified to come out from under the bed or furniture, don’t panic. It could be that he genuinely loves his hiding spot and isn’t coming out to you. If this is the case, then deal with the problem calmly.

First off, try keeping your cat in there until he gets used to being in his own space again. The next step would be to take away his favorite hiding spot to get your kitty out of hiding. Once again, this should only be done after you’ve tried coaxing him out first with some food. He’ll have a better chance of coming out of hiding if he doesn’t know what’s going on at first.

If all else fails, take away his favorite hiding spot until he comes out. By doing this, he’ll have no choice but to come out of hiding to find you so you can play with him again. Make sure you give him attention every hour that he’s in the right spot or hiding spot.

Should I try to find my cat’s hiding spot?

Never force your cat out of hiding, or you’ll scare them further. If you want to find out where your kitty is, wait until they’re asleep and peek under the bed or furniture. Hopefully, they’re in their hiding spot sleeping when you look, but if not, let them continue sleeping there until they are.

If you notice that your cat is running scared because he got locked somewhere, then take away his favorite hiding place for a day or two, so he’ll have no choice but to come out. But don’t do this for too long, so you don’t frustrate him further.

Why is my cat hiding under my bed?

This question may not even come up as a question for others since they’re used to hiding spots like this. Here’s why your kitty may be hiding under your bed:

Some cats find it fun to hide in their favorite spots. This doesn’t mean that they don’t love their owners, but it does tell that they want to hang out and relax for a bit each day. If you don’t allow them to do so, they’ll probably hide somewhere else or try finding another fun thing to do instead. That’s just the way cats are.

Some cats may be scared of loud noises, or maybe they’ve been attacked by a dog. In these cases, cats hide away from other animals to avoid getting hurt.

If this is the case, then try keeping your cat from going under your bed or furniture. Try putting a towel or a thick blanket on the floor instead to keep your cat from going under there at night, and also play with your kitty out in the open during the daytime to relax him.

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