Should I be worried that my cat has found a new, highly secluded nest?

March 25, 2019 8:34 AM

My cat has started climbing 4 sets of shelves in my closest to reach a "nest" (piles of towels) in the back corner of the highest shelf. She can spend 18 hours up there. In general, she's a very active (but old) indoor/outdoor cat so wonder if this might be a sign of something bad.
posted by Jon44 to Pets & Animals (13 answers total)

yeah, that's not a good sign. especially if she starts purring strangely. I would suggest taking her to a vet asap. make sure she has access to plenty of fresh water.
posted by evilmonk at 8:37 AM on March 25, 2019 [8 favorites]

Yeah I was going to say, this seems a lot like hiding, which is not a good sign. Vet time.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2019 [3 favorites]

You don't mention how old or how long this has been going on. It might be concerning and it might be normal. I've got four cats, and I've had a few times when they've found new hidey/resting spots and didn't do much, and then they've gone back to their usual routines.

When in doubt, though, I always check in with my vet.
posted by jzb at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2019 [3 favorites]

I would say this is vet time. When one of our previous cats found a new hiding spot underneath our bed and refused to come out for either of us, we took her to the vet and discovered that she had developed diabetes.
posted by Roger Pittman at 8:57 AM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Sometimes they choose new spots, but yeah, hiding is a bad sign. I found my super cuddly boy cat hiding after noticing he hadn't greeted me for a few hours Saturday night and he definitely needed to go to the vet Sunday for I guess a leg injury.

Check that they're using the litter boxes, eating/drinking and try playing with them. Purring can be both a sign of contentment and stress relief when sick. I was concerned because my boy cat wouldn't purr when petting him so that's how I knew he wasn't right at all.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 9:32 AM on March 25, 2019 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for the input. The odd thing is that when she's up and about, her behavior is normal. She plays with me and the other cat. Purrs and is affectionate. Only thing is she might be a little pickier than normal on food....
posted by Jon44 at 11:13 AM on March 25, 2019

Since you have another cat, it's entirely possible that your other cat is expecting more activity than your senior cat wants.

If the vet trip shows nothing wrong, I would try to find some new toys to push for more independent play to tire the other kitty out so she doesn't resort to hiding in the closet for a bit of peace.
posted by politikitty at 11:33 AM on March 25, 2019

Adding a vote for bring her to the vet. It could be anything, or nothing!
posted by clone boulevard at 12:07 PM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Decreased appetite + hiding = vet.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:56 PM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Also put a trash bag under the towel stack, just in case there's pee, because you don't want pee on your wooden shelf or whatever. One of my cats took to sleeping on top of an old duffel bag shoved in a weird corner of the closet in his old age (and refused attempts to give him a cushion or towel -- he wanted That. Bag.), which wasn't ideal but it was clearly where he felt comfortable and safe, so we just put some plastic under it so it could just go through the laundry after the inevitable accidents and let it be his bed for his last few months with us.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:25 PM on March 25, 2019 [5 favorites]

Per your update: Remember that animals will try to behave as normally as possible, so they don’t seem weak and vulnerable. It may be taking a lot out of your cat to play ‘normally’. It a survival instinct to not look weak, not odd at all. Or you cat may just have that much energy and then need to go hide again for 18 hours. This is a definite vet visit.
posted by MountainDaisy at 5:36 PM on March 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

When cats get sick, it get bad fast. I'd take her to the vet.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:12 AM on March 26, 2019

It depends whether it's normal for your cat, but since you've flagged it as Maybe Odd you'll have peace of mind if you get her checked out. A blood panel and urinalysis is never a bad idea for senior pets.
posted by rawralphadawg at 3:37 AM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]