Why is my cat suddenly scared, hiding, and won't come to me?

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!

Since she was gone for so long, an examine with your veterinarian would be recommended. This may diagnose any underlying injury or infection. Frequently, either can be responsible for a sudden change in behavior. In the meantime, give her space and time to reacclimate to you. Don't force her to be held or pet. Offer treats and praise when she comes close. A pheromone product, such as Feliway Spray or plug in diffuser, may help to decrease any anxiety.

Cats may hide if scared or not feeling well. Try to determine is anything has changed around the house that may have spooked her. Any new people or pets, a move, or sudden change in schedule. If you can't think of anything then monitor health closely. Eating, drinking and litter box habits. Notice any vomiting or diarrhea. And if she is acting ill take her in for a vet visit.

It sounds like something is making J-Cat nervous. I think I’m understanding that she has housemates but typically she gets along with them. It could be something outside that she heard or something she saw inside that is making her anxious. Even though she doesn’t seem obviously painful if this behavior continues I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian to rule out pain as a cause.

I would be concerned that Elvis could be painful somewhere or not feeling well. Sometimes they will have a change in behavior if they are painful, have a high thyroid, or even if they have a GI tract or urinary tract infection. I would have your vet do a thorough exam on him to rule these things out. Your vet will be able to determine whether he is painful, perfect a urinalysis, fecal or blood work if needed. If your vet thinks he is normal then I would be concerned about anxiety. You can try feliway diffusers which are cat pheromones that sometimes help to calm them. It doesn't work on everyone. Cats usually become anxious of anything that has changed in their environment like new people, new pets, normal people gone too much, construction in or out of the home, new feral cats outdoors, etc. I hope this helps!

Cats are very temperamental creatures and can be thrown out of balance by small changes in their environment. Sometimes these changes are imperceptible to us humans, while others the cause may be something more obvious (the addition of another person or animal, moving to a new location, change of diet, etc). Based on what you are telling me he sounds very stable and overall overtly healthy. I understand it is difficult to get a hold of him, but another reason for him to be acting abnormally would be if he is in some measure of discomfort or pain. I would suggest ruling this out with your vet, and once this is done, begin trying to produce an environment that is as enriching and stress-free as possible for Jhumru. I would not push him too much in an attempt to regain his affection. Allow him to come back into his own and come to you when he is ready. Obviously, if the doctor is able to find something physically to explain this behavior, ideally resolving this issue will also resolve the behavior change. Hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It could be due to the stress related to that event you describe. Cats can sometimes be very sensitive to things that scare them. If this is the case, things should improve shortly. If no improvement is noted in the next few weeks or your kitty develops symptoms like inappetence or lethargy have your veterinarian take a look. Good luck!