I remember a time when my pet cat disappeared when I was distracted and doing chores around the house. Ultimately, running the blender is what may have spooked him.
For the next five hours or so, I couldn’t find him. Eventually, my little feline came out with calculated steps from under my king sized bed. He also tried to scratch me when I tried to grab him. And as you probably know, cat scratches hurt a lot.
As a cat parent, all of us have gone through a situation like this when our furry friends decide to take a hideout under our beds.
Before going into the details of how to prevent this behavior, let’s review the possible reasons of a cat taking a hideout under the bed:
Reasons of a Cat Going Under the Bed:
Nature has programmed cats as hunting beings. Have you seen how your cat behaves around a roach or a lizard? She takes an aim and jumps towards the insect exactly like a lion that attacks its prey.
With this instinctive behavior, these felines have a behavioral pattern of preparing themselves for a potential threat. Here are some of the potential threats that can make your cat go under your bed:
- Loud, Unsettling Noise:
Cats are usually scared of loud noises around the house. In my opening story, I mentioned a loud noise that spooked my cat. Almost all the cats behave the same way around loud noises. They make them frightened, so they get under a hiding place which is mostly under a bed.
- Unknown Visitors:
Felines identify humans through their smell. If they encounter a being whose smell they don’t recognize, they will behave oddly. When someone visits your house for the first time, your pet cat is most likely to hide under a bed.
They will come out only when they’re confident that the unknown visitors have left the place.
- Tension between the Kitties in the House:
Your cat can take a hideout under the bed if they feel unsafe around another kitty. Any of the other cats in your house may make your cat uncomfortable. Similarly, a cat may get upset by encountering any other cat from the neighborhood as well.
How to Stop a Cat from Going Under the Bed?
Now that you know the reasons for your little feline going under the bed, the first step is to ensure that they feel safe at your home. Some steps that you can take to make your pet secure at home includes:
- Remove the Triggers From the House:
While in the case of a new visitor or another cat, it is almost impossible to remove the trigger from the house, but you can train your cat with positive reinforcement to stay calm. You can minimize the effect of any other trigger such as loud noise by taking the cat away from the source of the sound.
- Encourage Them to Get Out from Under the Bed Without Being Harsh:
Cats are sensitive beings, and they can behave aggressively if you choose to behave aggressively with them. Whenever your cat tries to go under your bed, be gentle in coaxing them to come out. If you do otherwise, you may end up with a scratched hand.
- Give them a Space Where They Feel Safe:
Instead of the place under your bed, your cat can feel cosy in a place of her own. You can have any installation such as a cat house or a cat tree where your feline friend feels comfortable in tense situations.
- Use Bed Blockers or Scat Mats:
You can find out many bed blocking options online as well as in stores. Choose one to prevent your cat from going under the bed. Another option is to use scat mats. These mats send a small pulse when a pet touches them. Hence, by using them, your pet will identify certain territory as a no-go area.
- Utilize the Under Bed Space as a Storage:
If you don’t want to invest in a bed blocker or scat mat, just store some of your belongings under the bed. It will block your cat’s way and make it avoid going under the bed.
These are some simple techniques with which you can train your feline cuties to stay on the floor rather than going under the bed. Hope they solve your problem.
