Hiding Spots for Cats

Cat Hiding Places

Did you know cats love to hide, but sometimes those hiding places can be dangerous?

I recently had an experience with a feline that was hiding, and the situation could have become dangerous if I hadn't found her. I have mentioned my good friend Liza in some of my past tips. She had two cats, but recently suffered the loss of one of them. She now has one kitty and two dogs living with her family. Mike, her husband, is away working on a movie for four months in Miami, Florida. Recently, when Liza and her daughter went away for two weeks at spring break, she asked me to check in on the animals once a day.

Even though she did have a pet sitter staying at the house, the pet sitter has a day job. So, I was going to be the person to check in every day around 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. to make sure they had food and water, and that all was okay on her home front. My lesson came on Easter Sunday, when I got a panic call from Liza that she was not able to reach the pet sitter all day. It was now 8:00 p.m. at night, and Lized asked if I would go make sure the animals were all inside and safe. The dogs just used the fenced in back yard, but her cat was an outside cat during the day. She usually liked to come in at night for dinner and sleep on the front porch.

So, now I have a scared adult cat made even more nervous because her mommy was away, and she is an older cat with the loss of her sister still fresh in her mind. Just to add to the stress of the cat, now I am coming into the house in the dark looking for her. I did find my friend’s cat wedged behind the refrigerator, but I was able to pull the appliance away from the wall just far enough to release her. Needless to say, she seemed relieved to be set free.

Making Your Home Safe

Remember, cats are very curious animals, and, if not scared or nervous, they can be on a play mission, become a bit too curious and quickly find themselves in a jam.

I am sure you have heard many people tell you to make sure your home is kitten proof before you bring home your baby kitten. You should go as far as to get down on all fours and look from room to room to see the possible dangers from your cat’s view, and then make the room safe. This is even important to do if you have moved and have had your pets for a long time. We tend to forget to keep checking from time to see if our home is still a safe place for our cats.

Honestly, my friend had thought after living six years in this home that, of course, the home was safe for all her pets, not just her cat alone. In the six years she has lived here, she has had a child who is now seven years old. Let me tell you, little children do not ever mean to do anything to harm kitty, but small toys, stuffed animals and other potential hazards are often overlooked. My friend went away thinking her home was not only safe, but she was confident nothing at home was going to be a danger to her pets.

Please be sure to at least once a year to get on all fours and go from room to room to do a safety check for you and your cat.

Hiding Spot Check List

Here is a hiding spot check list that will give you an idea of all the places your cat could potentially hide. Some present definite dangers for your pet, while others are simply places you may not have thought of looking in before.

Places to consider and check:

1. Closets
2. Inside shoe boxes
3. Behind washers and dryers
4. Behind the refrigerator
5. Behind any standing structures, such as a built-in book case or dresser
6. Inside the dishwasher
7. Under beds
8. Under any furniture
9. Inside the refrigerator: Believe it or not, catz can get caught inside when the door is open and you do not see Mr. or Ms. Curiosity jump inside for a look around.
10. Behind the bathroom heater
11. Any cubbyholes there may be in your furnace
12. Wood stoves or fireplaces before lighting
13. Open travel bags or even shopping bags they can hide in
14. Inside the dryer before turning on
15. Inside the washer before loading and starting up (My assistant Ruthie told me about a breeder who lost a new kitten this way.)
16. A hole in the screen door
17. Your Christmas tree
18. Doorways: A cat can slip through when you are entering or exiting.
19. Open dresser drawers
20. Be on the watch whenever any workers come to work in your home because they are not thinking about your pets. If they come in with toolboxes or work cases, make sure to check these before they leave. (No joke, Ruthie knows someone that had this happen.)

Be safe and never feel like a fool for getting on all fours to scope out your home. It is when you are on the same level as your pet that you can really get a “cat’s eye view”.

“Remember the animals in your life are not just your pets they’re your friends” WNR

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