My cat hides in the closet and eats fast. Is she scared or anxious?

I would recommend taking Lilly to the veterinarian to have her looked at. Sometimes when cats are not feeling well they start acting differently. Your veterinarian can evaluate Lilly to see if there is something underlying medically causing this issue. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! I wonder if something is making him anxious in the evening, such as some noises outside, perhaps a cat in the neighborhood roaming outside, a person in the household who is only around in the evening, etc. I would consider getting a Feliway diffuser (a plug-in product that produces pheremones that calm cats) and starting a calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure. These products can all be purchased online or in some vet clinics. If you are seeing no improvement with these products I would recommend a trip to his vet to ensure there are no medical issues.

This takes lots of time and patience to improve. You can try a Feliway pheromone spray or diffuser. That often relaxes cats and reduces their anxiety. If she enjoys grooming brush her for a short time each day. Usually then they will start coming out to get groomed and be with you. The loud noises are hard and there is not much to be done other than act calmly like you are doing. I never force a cat to come out or do do things that make them anxious as this will only worsen the problem. Make sure she has a quiet, private 'safe' place to go. With time she should improve, it's hard to get over bad kitten experiences. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Princess.

Just like people, some cats are quite introverted and it can take a fair amount of effort to get them out of their shells. For many of these cats, their “shyness” is actually a sign of stress and anxiety, which is often fear-related. Try to find something your cat enjoys – a special treat, ear scratches, playing with the laser pointer – and encourage your cat to approach you. Do not force any interaction, as this often makes stress and anxiety worse. It may take a bit of patience and time. Calming pheromones, such as the Comfort Zone® Calming Diffuser, can help to minimize some cats’ stress, as can anti-anxiety medication prescribed by your veterinarian. If these strategies are not successful, it may be best to consult a [veterinary behaviorist](www.dacvb.org) for further advice.

From Gati's point of view moving house is a very scary experience. Cats are very sensitive to stress. Let her hide where she wants and I would suggest putting her things in that room so she feels safe. Make it easy for her to access food water and litter in this room. Give her some space and time and she will become more comfortable and gradually explore the house. You can get diffusers for cats that release pheromones they can help.

Many cats like to hide in the closet, usually to sleep there, as long as she is otherwise eating normally and behaving normally it is not considered to be a problem. if this is new and she is hiding in the closet all day then she is probably hiding a health condition and you should take her to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.