Why is my cat suddenly scared, jumpy, and hiding in corners?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kitty Mucher. If she spends time outdoors, then I worry that she sustained an injury. Cat bite wounds are common and could explain her abrupt change in behavior. If she is not acting normal by the time you return home today, then she will need to see her veterinarian. If she does have a wound (and they can be hard to find), she will require treatment. I hope this information helps!

Looking for a pattern such as a noise that startles him, certain time of day it happens, or if you were doing an activity with him prior may help you figure out the cause behind his behavior. It is possible that he may have had a strange dream, or something is waking him quickly and startling him. Sudden behavioral changes can also indicate issues such as pain or underlying illness, so if the behavior continues or the cause isn't found, scheduling a vet checkup to look for any health issues is a good idea.

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.

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 think you are right to think that something must have spooked her near that door. Or, something is still spooking her. One simple way you can attempt to find the problem is by getting on the cat's level and looking at the area that she seems skittish of. This means you'll have to get on the ground and spend some time looking around. Look for something new in the area, or anything that may be scary to a cat as you look outdoors. It's not always obvious...even a simple move to furniture may be spooky. I hope that helps.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that you try a product called Feliway which can help cats deal with any stress inducing situations like the one you describe. You can buy this as a spray for example at your local pet store or online. If she does not improve, the other thing that should be considered is if there is a medical reason for all of this which is certainly possible. If her behavior does not improve, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. She is adorable! Good luck!