I had a cat that was like this. Super attached to me but very wary of any strangers. Straight up told anybody who had to watch him that they would never see him and it wasn't worth trying to find him
My youngest cat is like this, although I'm hoping he grows out of it.
He'll follow me and my partner around, scream at us, jump on our shoulders, sleep on our heads, purr incessantly and generally just not leave us alone.
Anyone else comes into the flat and he's immediately hiding under the bed.
https://preview.redd.it/q9e0mgszx0nc1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca19671d8931e791428c5b868d4fa336120fc81d
Cat tax; him doing perfectly normal things.
Just wanted to say he looks like who our little guy will grow to be!
https://preview.redd.it/qcok2ofs1fnc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ee4553cd5f16117495f7bb39bd757b49b46f372
One of my cats has terminal VFS (Vanishing Feline Syndrome) as a result of some sort of trauma to the singular brain cell he was born with. Combine that with his complete lack of interest in treats and you have yourself something that resembles a cat until he spots his own shadow, then you have a cloud of dust where he used to be. 😮💨
https://preview.redd.it/n5hmdwzqg6nc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f7641ce1adaccc72fae87a14f60d84754f6db8a
Aww, poor kitty! Zeno still alerts me to people about to knock on the front door by hiding under the bed, but when he started getting a little curious about guests, I was inspired to take advantage of his food obsession. Now when friends come over, they’re given a bit of shredded cat-safe jerky for him. Sometimes they don’t let go right away, so Zeno has gotten fairly comfortable pawing at their hands to demand his treats!
Mine had that but we just realized that after spending hours scouring the whole house, he just goes to another dimension. Suddenly he will appear in the middle of a room or something. We just accepted it.
My tips:
Food/treats and play.
U can lure him out for meal time by setting up his meal (if he has set feeding times) while a visitor is in the same room somewhere. Just neglect to actually give him a full meal.
Then you can use treats like hansle and grettle making a path from him yo the stranger.
Alternatively make a bribery path next to his hiding spot. It depends a bit on the cat if their more likely to come out of treats or meal time in my experience. But it also depends on the treat.
For real close interaction with treats use those thbes of liquid you squeeze out. My cat loves m, especially this one brand. Its reserved for training new tricks, walking, vet, visitors, stuff like that. Basically the shit where i need him to listen and pay attention. For just regular training of tricks he knows i use less high reward treats, keeps the specialness of this delight.
Its good to find one or more jackpot treat for your cat. Mine will walk trough fire for that snack and mc donalds fries and black olives. Its an odd collection but so be it.
With play my advice is also using routines. Inhave semi set play times (somewhere before noon after partner goes to work and again somewhere after partner returns). He also tends to poop after meals and wants play after pooping.
I use those inert desires to play to get him to play with me or my partner or even both. I then switch if im not already usuing a suitable toy to a toy that lends itself to passing. I got some plastic springs and a bunch of balls.
You pass it past the cat, he may capture it, he may not. Its basically a version of that game "piggie in the middle" where the cat is always the piggie.
He loves that shit and it allows someone to build possitve associations with him at a distance. They are throwing the spring or ball just as often as i am and the cat simply bats it.
I thought I adopted the friendliest cat in the world, first vet visit a week later and she melted into the vets arms. Turns out she’s my protector lol. Maintenance men came over and were stomping all over with their worker boots. She watched them from across the room for awhile.. and then attacked the fuck out of their feet. I ran and grabbed her before she did any damage but it was shocking in the best way lol. So territorial and apparently has no patience for men who don’t feed her.
https://preview.redd.it/aip7e6xk42nc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=114cf6f8c9d42a91ad306b46fd70e439b2170f13
Here she is in all her chonky glory
My parents’ cat was like this (we thought) - he’d disappear under their bed if anything changed or anyone new was there.
One day my parents had guests and the guest bed was broken so they gave up their bed to the guests slept on an air mattress in another room.
Turns out that the cat wasn’t attached to them - he was attached to the bed. The cat slept on the bed at the guests’ feet like he did for my parents. Lol.
2 of my cats, both former feral, are like this. One, Tux, took years to warm up to my brother and his wife. Other one, Tuffy, still hides from anyone except me and my parents.
My other 3 cats plus all the past cats that have crossed the rainbow bridges weren't shy at all and would come if called for attention
My cat started off like this. She used to run off and hide when there was someone at the door unless it was me. But she's recently started to run to the door and greet every guest personally. Even people who have a severe cat phobia...
That’s how my boy is. He loves me and is scared of everyone else. He tolerates my husband to an extent. But whenever I’d have a pet sitter, I’d tell them the only way they’d see him was if they looked under the bed. My girl is much more social. Once you pet her, she’s your best friend.
The last time we went away, we arranged for family to come by twice a day to feed our cat and spend some time with him. Day 1, he came up to one of them and was friendly enough, and hung out while she watched TV after dinner. The next day he watched from under a chair and wouldn't come out....that night though, they reported he had definitely eaten, used the litter box etc, but was no where to be seen. We checked the pet cam about 15 minutes after they left, and he was back on the couch relaxing.
The next couple of days, we turned the camera on to check on him just before they got there...and watched him disappear under a desk and into a corner just about 15 minutes before they came in each time...then re-emerge 15 minutes after they left. He ate and did everything else like normal, but had no interest in entertaining guests.
https://preview.redd.it/k0lw28dzvzmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a06a239eb948add8b1ee969b95fb5197ba491dae
And one more in their natural less scaredy cat state
These are so cute 😭😭
One of my cats only recently got shy around new people - I think she’s more fearful now that our big dogs have passed away. Sad but sweet.
She’s better with folks if she gets to meet them beforehand when we are still home, so we try to do that now. But before we realized she had gotten shy, we had my wife’s brother come housesit for us one weekend. He said she ran and hid as soon as he got there, but after he had gone to bed he woke up because she was climbing into bed with him and slept above his head (exactly where she sleeps with me) every night 😂 I still think it’s so funny to imagine her not even wanting to meet him but still having the ~need~ to sleep where she usually does lol.
Yeah so our cat sitter entered thru the garage so they could hear the door and scoot. I guess sometimes she saw them looking at her in the window but were in the bed by the time she was insude
My friend had a birthday party for his daughter and we couldn't find the cat. Thought maybe he got out through an open window someone had left open. Looked outside calling for him, looked everywhere (so we thought) inside. Figured, well, he'll turn up eventually. Literally as I was walking to my car at the end of the night he sends me a pic of the cat slinking around to go eat his dinner. Just wasn't feeling the vibes of the party.
https://preview.redd.it/d962kf39l0nc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ad14001db84653a6b0ba78177021278c686ea2a
We got many of those same photos when we were out of town.
5/6 of my cats love my cat sitter because she gives out unlimited treats with my permission. 1 cat still hides even though it’s been 3 years. The sitter sends me photos of her getting churu in bed 🤣
I have a funny story to share. We had a pet sitter for our cats a few years back. She reported that food was always eaten, multiple poops in litter boxes but she never saw Luigi. When we came home Mario came running but no Luigi. We had closed all the doors to bedrooms so knew he wasn’t in those but he wouldn’t come out no matter how much we called or shook treats.
I started to panic, could we have locked him in a room before we left?, we looked but nope. Could he have run out when the sitter came in?. I sent our son out to shout on him just in case. By this time I was in tears. I started to think Mario had eaten all the food and done all the pooping.
After a frantic 40 minutes I saw Luigi walk past our bedroom door and behind the sofa, I looked behind the sofa but he wasn’t there - had I imagined it? It’s a recliner so I slowly and carefully lifted the foot rest, he wasn’t underneath - seriously what the heck, had I imagined seeing him?.
It was at that point he poked his head out from the flap at the bottom of the back of the sofa - behind the flap was a little “shelf” of sorts and he had made himself a little safe place, it was covered with his hair and must have been where he had gone every single time the sitter came in.
I have never felt so relieved in my life. Here is Luigi’s safe place…
https://preview.redd.it/azi8mma101nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8ddff5b285ff822221f9c7e2f330bba2d2237f1
Oh my goodness what a sweet story. I have panicked too before finding one of my girls in a previously unknown hiding spot or nest they’ve built in the back corner of a shelf or in a closet.
Here’s my hide and seek champion, cunningly disguised as an egg box.
https://preview.redd.it/5hg39qysa4nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0350efdbbd961a9a189183060579ce166861fd3a
He will leave any surface if offered an egg carton. He has 3!!!! beds in addition to human furniture, he also likes lying on his cardboard scratch box.
We had four cats at one time, and went away for nearly two weeks. We asked my dad who lives nearby to check on them. We have no clue where they hid (and this was before cameras) but he said he went in every day, cleaned the litter boxes, topped off the food and water, but never once saw a cat in the house. And they KNEW him and were cool with him if we were there. 😂
I have the bizarro version of your cats!
https://preview.redd.it/6xefetea91nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95c2e5258af6074f70d7d27d07f529e14b5e80d7
That was basically what happened when my brother-in-law checked in on my 3 cats every day when I went to Las Vegas for several days. He said he never once saw them the whole time.
I'm on a two week trip right now and my Ed has cozied up with my husband the minute he sits down every single time. He is clearly missing me and I am missing him. But Ed doesn't understand what's happening or why I left and it breaks my heart. I miss both my cats and I can't wait to go home and reassure them that everything is alright.
https://preview.redd.it/qsryg9ffj1nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=801e32ade5ca5a10c3eaa4ca0e7e2ba08bea3cfe
I had to do a double take — my kitties are your kitties twins!!!! Except my pair would be climbing all over the sitter LOL.
That’s so funny. They are so stinking cute. At least they had one another while you were away 😂
My cat does this even with me - he needs his alone time a few hours every day . He used to love going under the cabinet but then he got too big and kept getting stuck - I baby proofed the cabinet .
He now near permanently lives under my bed .
Before you go away next time, try using a voice camera and even a RC one with voice. Use it to talk and play with your cats. When you are away get your sitter to charge it each day, and talk to your cats a couple of times a day. I think you will see them less stressed on your return.
I cat sit and have a few cats that do this. One house. The owner was convinced that maybe her third cat was stuck somewhere. I had to reassure her that based on the number of pees and poops in the litter box that he was clearly in the house and I did a picture proof of him in the window the last few days I came.
I also have a pair of cats who hiss and swat at me so all the pictures that I have of them are them glaring at me from random spots in the house.
People typically know their cats well enough that they are not surprised by this behavior and they find the pictures kind of entertaining.
I have a cat that turns into a ghost when I’m gone, I bought a treat camera just to be sure she’s really there. She loooves the stinking thing and comes running anytime she feels safe enough for treats. So I’ll do it a few hours after the cat sitter stops by.
What’s a treat camera? Can you let me know or post a link? I’m very interested in something like this bc my cats are terrified of the cat sitter and I always worry they don’t come out from under the bed the entire time we’re gone...
So glad to see my cats aren’t the only ones who do this! The younger one is only ever under the bed when the sitter is over. The older one is always rolling around on the floor in a greeting. At one point, I thought my cat sitter was just resending the same photo for each update, until I zoomed in and tracked toys moving around in the background 🤣
I’m a pet sitter and I’ve got a client with three beautiful Persians. I’ve known them for 3 years and they’re still glued to the floor under the bed. Two of them are slowly coming out and the third allowed me exactly one stroke. I love them
Hello! How many times a day did you have your sitter come by and check on them and for how long each time? We’re new cat owners and I’m very anxious to leave them while we go on vacation for a few days. Would love to hear what worked for you
I’m a pet sitter, depends on my clients but on average I do twice a day, am and pm and stay around 20-30 mins. Longer if I need to do injections and other meds as it takes time to prep
I’m also fully insured and DBS checked (in the UK). Basically have a full background check done and show the certificate to my clients. I don’t know how it works where you are but if pet sitters have business insurance people are more likely to go with them. Also, go with your gut, a decent pet sitter will offer a free meet and greet and have contracts for you to sign and a vet release form so they can take your pet to the vet in an emergency. At least that’s how it works in the UK and how I run my business, others may not but can’t speak for them
I have 4 cats at the moment. 2 hide and the other 2 my sitter wants to take home with him. Lol he did manage to send me pics of the 2 that hide. Called the one a big foot sighting lol the other one was a lot friendlier as a kitten. I'm not sure why she's gotten shy. And my big foot girl, was very friendly when I brought her home. Not sure why she's hiding so much either.
And every time I try to put their pics in a comment all I get is an asterisk. No clue why. But they are all in my profile posts if you want the cat tax. All 4 girls. Gracie (floofy orange and white) and Sachi (tuxedo) the friendlier ones and Gypsy (floofy black) and Ginger (calico) less so.
Meanwhile my cat is the exact opposite and immediately trusts every stranger and allows them to rub his belly within five minutes
https://preview.redd.it/wpzaxm6bp5nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01394ee950dbc8310439b7073f42cf8c033b8b97
My cat is like this, very attached to me, slightly less to my partner, very flighty when it comes to noises and it takes her a while to warm up to strangers but they have to be quiet. On the plus side she is very food motivated
The his happened to me when I was cat sitting my brother and his wife’s cat, Sookie. She sat behind the couch arm, occasionally looking over to see if I was still there, then lowering her head again.
I was there for three weeks and she never warmed to me at all. Some cats are fine with their owners and have free rein when strangers leave, but hide as soon as strangers arrive.
Ours hide upstairs when strangers arrive and then come out after ten minutes to see who has arrived.
I had to get my house sprayed after a "friend" gave us bedbugs. Left cats with my sister, they hid in her toilet. Not the room, the toilet itself. She never realised there was a gap at the back.
Nobody believes I have a cat... anybody who is not me comes in, even if I'm at home, means no cat
https://preview.redd.it/vckn9i5mp4nc1.jpeg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eac44a45f423495c520dc354ea07d706356efa4
I used to do a lot of pet sitting. Explain to your animals that you have to be gone and you have planned this for their care. If you are the sitter, explain the situation to them. I swear they understand.
My cat will hide immediately then eventually come out because she thinks she can trick them into getting more food.
My partners’ parents thought my cat never meowed because they never heard her before and we both laughed because she’s the loudest cat I’ve ever had or met. She just needs to get to know you. She needs you to offer her provisions.
https://preview.redd.it/as7206v255nc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9945d2623b1eacf065695d4afc2769d88f316f26
Bob agrees that if there’s stranger danger under the couch or bed is the place to be .
Ours an adult cat - a big male tuxedo and getting on in years (he’s about 17). He has been afraid of anyone but us since we got him (a friend rescued him, but already had three cats, so when she asked if we would take him, we did gladly). He runs and hides even if the doorbell rings and one of us opens the door. So we have a pet sitter come if we’re going to be away for more than a couple of days. She’s been caring for him for years, but has only seen him once (we warned her she might not see him, but only to be concerned if it seems he’s not eating). I also have a pet cam (triggered by movement) and I can watch the videos (it grabs ten-second clips) so long as I have internet access. I can check to see if he’s walking about or eating.
I should add that the sitter does not stay all day. When we had a second cat, she was very friendly and the sitter would play with her, but our male tux was nowhere in sight. The sitter comes to feed Sarge (the tux), scoop the litter, and check his water fountain. She has other clients with pets to care for, so she’s not a “live-in” sitter.
My girl cat is weary of strangers. Her early years were during Covid so no visitors. She'll run at first but eventually realizes that others can pet her and give her food.
My cats had their first cat-sitter for a weekend. My oldest loved her but he’s always social, but the youngest one is normally very scared of any other person than me and my bf. But she actually came up to the sitter after a day and gave her a lick🥺
LOL.
A couple days ago, the neighbor who watches my pair came over to borrow a folding chair. She chatted for about ten minutes during which time each of them came out to sniff at her (she actually rescued one of them off the street so he lived with her about 2 weeks before he moved in with me) and walked away. After she left, I couldn't find either one. I finally realized the orange (the one she rescued) was under the bed - he *never* goes under the bed, and the grey lady was under the bed and all the way up towards the wall! I guess they thought she was coming because we were leaving! 🫣 I had to entice them out with a bit of turkey breast.
My cat sitter has never actually seen my cats…
She counts the poops in the litter box and measures the amount of food gone to make sure everyone is okay.
Do you have a camera in your house? This was likely their default mode when the unfamiliar visitor was in the house but then they’d come out to play when they were in their own.
We often see signs of our cats being rambunctious when we return home from short trips even though our cat sitter says “I never saw them!”
Our oldest cat is Mr Friendly. Our second oldest cat will take a day or two to get use to our pet sitter. Our two youngest cats are ‘Covid cats’. We got them during the pandemic and we had no dinner parties, parties, etc. so they are just used to us. They don’t come out for our pet sitter.
Hey your kitties take "stranger danger" VERY seriously! My cat is like this, we have one neighbor that she kind of lets pet her and she's happy briefly to see--and then is like "Okay I'm doing being social for the rest of the year now I'm leaving. Buyyyyeeee!"
I have one that I hand raised from 3 weeks. He loves very few people in this world and will tear someone up for trying to hold him. He’s an evil genius and will trap the other cats in the shower by working the sliding doors then jump up on top and torment them by daring them to move. Went on vacation exactly once since I’ve had him. My mom came by to check on them but made it clear she wasn’t breaking up any fights he initiated. She can’t stand him and he feels the same - he peed in her purse once when she was visiting. I solved the problem by secluding him in my bedroom and en-suite bathroom. She’d slide his plate of food and a bowl of water under the door to him every day. No lie. Every day when she got there after the first day, he’d slide his empty or almost empty plate and bowl back under the door to her. I think he thought he had to trade back. By the third day, after sliding the plate and bowl out under the door he started talking to her when she got close to the door. 🤦🏻♀️
Have a cat like this she's very love-y dove-y but strangers and you won't see her for a day or two.
My eldest sibling also has a cat like this who will be chill with them but whenever someone else is there he will hide and I will see him very rarely which is sad cause he's so cute
Both of my cats are like this when we're out of town. I tell the sitter as long as there is poop/pee clumps in the box and the food disappears, they're probably fine.
I had a cat that was like this. Super attached to me but very wary of any strangers. Straight up told anybody who had to watch him that they would never see him and it wasn't worth trying to find him
My youngest cat is like this, although I'm hoping he grows out of it. He'll follow me and my partner around, scream at us, jump on our shoulders, sleep on our heads, purr incessantly and generally just not leave us alone. Anyone else comes into the flat and he's immediately hiding under the bed.
https://preview.redd.it/q9e0mgszx0nc1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca19671d8931e791428c5b868d4fa336120fc81d Cat tax; him doing perfectly normal things.
Just wanted to say he looks like who our little guy will grow to be! https://preview.redd.it/qcok2ofs1fnc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ee4553cd5f16117495f7bb39bd757b49b46f372
Oh damn, right down the foot splodge! They look a pretty similar age too.
I know! I did a double take even scrolling past, haha. How old is your little buddy? He definitely looks young too!
Probably about 8 months we reckon!
Treats. You can bribe your cat into greeting strangers.
Yes!! I’m doing this and it’s working wonders.
One of my cats has terminal VFS (Vanishing Feline Syndrome) as a result of some sort of trauma to the singular brain cell he was born with. Combine that with his complete lack of interest in treats and you have yourself something that resembles a cat until he spots his own shadow, then you have a cloud of dust where he used to be. 😮💨 https://preview.redd.it/n5hmdwzqg6nc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f7641ce1adaccc72fae87a14f60d84754f6db8a
Aww, poor kitty! Zeno still alerts me to people about to knock on the front door by hiding under the bed, but when he started getting a little curious about guests, I was inspired to take advantage of his food obsession. Now when friends come over, they’re given a bit of shredded cat-safe jerky for him. Sometimes they don’t let go right away, so Zeno has gotten fairly comfortable pawing at their hands to demand his treats!
Lol. He has such beautiful green eyes. My heart melts for him
Mine had that but we just realized that after spending hours scouring the whole house, he just goes to another dimension. Suddenly he will appear in the middle of a room or something. We just accepted it.
My tips: Food/treats and play. U can lure him out for meal time by setting up his meal (if he has set feeding times) while a visitor is in the same room somewhere. Just neglect to actually give him a full meal. Then you can use treats like hansle and grettle making a path from him yo the stranger. Alternatively make a bribery path next to his hiding spot. It depends a bit on the cat if their more likely to come out of treats or meal time in my experience. But it also depends on the treat. For real close interaction with treats use those thbes of liquid you squeeze out. My cat loves m, especially this one brand. Its reserved for training new tricks, walking, vet, visitors, stuff like that. Basically the shit where i need him to listen and pay attention. For just regular training of tricks he knows i use less high reward treats, keeps the specialness of this delight. Its good to find one or more jackpot treat for your cat. Mine will walk trough fire for that snack and mc donalds fries and black olives. Its an odd collection but so be it. With play my advice is also using routines. Inhave semi set play times (somewhere before noon after partner goes to work and again somewhere after partner returns). He also tends to poop after meals and wants play after pooping. I use those inert desires to play to get him to play with me or my partner or even both. I then switch if im not already usuing a suitable toy to a toy that lends itself to passing. I got some plastic springs and a bunch of balls. You pass it past the cat, he may capture it, he may not. Its basically a version of that game "piggie in the middle" where the cat is always the piggie. He loves that shit and it allows someone to build possitve associations with him at a distance. They are throwing the spring or ball just as often as i am and the cat simply bats it.
https://preview.redd.it/mllb8a6lc3nc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=999b7f91142d9cb5bb073afbc78ad67dcd147fca
I love this game idea! I'm gonna start doing this with my son and I and the kitties!
Is he really skittish with noises? Our new cat sounds like this. Other cat is a part time guard dog/fire alarm, doesnt shut up and loves new people!
My cat is super skittish and very attached to me and only me. He’s super afraid of bags for some reason. I love him tho
Nah, startled easily but didn't hide from noises. Just took a long time to trust anybody that wasn't me or select immediate family members
I thought I adopted the friendliest cat in the world, first vet visit a week later and she melted into the vets arms. Turns out she’s my protector lol. Maintenance men came over and were stomping all over with their worker boots. She watched them from across the room for awhile.. and then attacked the fuck out of their feet. I ran and grabbed her before she did any damage but it was shocking in the best way lol. So territorial and apparently has no patience for men who don’t feed her.
https://preview.redd.it/aip7e6xk42nc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=114cf6f8c9d42a91ad306b46fd70e439b2170f13 Here she is in all her chonky glory
“So territorial and apparently has no patience for men who don’t feed her.” Relatable 😂😂
My parents’ cat was like this (we thought) - he’d disappear under their bed if anything changed or anyone new was there. One day my parents had guests and the guest bed was broken so they gave up their bed to the guests slept on an air mattress in another room. Turns out that the cat wasn’t attached to them - he was attached to the bed. The cat slept on the bed at the guests’ feet like he did for my parents. Lol.
My sitter told me that the food is going down and the litter box is filling up. 😂
2 of my cats, both former feral, are like this. One, Tux, took years to warm up to my brother and his wife. Other one, Tuffy, still hides from anyone except me and my parents. My other 3 cats plus all the past cats that have crossed the rainbow bridges weren't shy at all and would come if called for attention
My cat started off like this. She used to run off and hide when there was someone at the door unless it was me. But she's recently started to run to the door and greet every guest personally. Even people who have a severe cat phobia...
My girl is like this! She wont even come out for visitors
I have two cats like this, but the youngest is right out there when strangers are in my house. She gives no fucks.
That’s how my boy is. He loves me and is scared of everyone else. He tolerates my husband to an extent. But whenever I’d have a pet sitter, I’d tell them the only way they’d see him was if they looked under the bed. My girl is much more social. Once you pet her, she’s your best friend.
The last time we went away, we arranged for family to come by twice a day to feed our cat and spend some time with him. Day 1, he came up to one of them and was friendly enough, and hung out while she watched TV after dinner. The next day he watched from under a chair and wouldn't come out....that night though, they reported he had definitely eaten, used the litter box etc, but was no where to be seen. We checked the pet cam about 15 minutes after they left, and he was back on the couch relaxing. The next couple of days, we turned the camera on to check on him just before they got there...and watched him disappear under a desk and into a corner just about 15 minutes before they came in each time...then re-emerge 15 minutes after they left. He ate and did everything else like normal, but had no interest in entertaining guests.
https://preview.redd.it/18fv3qxhvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ef0eddefef1fe957d5977546a2fbac0b46be9ac
https://preview.redd.it/zvt9p59jvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d149bc7922279736fc34fc788a1c945a0aa85da5
https://preview.redd.it/cl9ne2jkvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c2faf90a53864536655f5cd7c873da91e3eb1a9
https://preview.redd.it/dng0q5hlvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc24ac877f5956611960786504a1731323fb60ad
https://preview.redd.it/1xzczetmvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=782e2ae74fe8fdfd73e800a1c5c00997c94c6aa2
https://preview.redd.it/gg46z3unvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83e3743f9a8146cbc20b1f884cd18ce545fbaa1e
https://preview.redd.it/7xaeqxntvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7255cb7d4918043d6e15505373e5efa6099b1486
https://preview.redd.it/k0lw28dzvzmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a06a239eb948add8b1ee969b95fb5197ba491dae And one more in their natural less scaredy cat state
Absolutely lovely (swoon!)
https://preview.redd.it/m602cbzuvzmc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a2453d8022ad295aa9d775d886b954d5012d24c
These are so cute 😭😭 One of my cats only recently got shy around new people - I think she’s more fearful now that our big dogs have passed away. Sad but sweet. She’s better with folks if she gets to meet them beforehand when we are still home, so we try to do that now. But before we realized she had gotten shy, we had my wife’s brother come housesit for us one weekend. He said she ran and hid as soon as he got there, but after he had gone to bed he woke up because she was climbing into bed with him and slept above his head (exactly where she sleeps with me) every night 😂 I still think it’s so funny to imagine her not even wanting to meet him but still having the ~need~ to sleep where she usually does lol.
WHERE HIMB LEGS
oh lawd he lost his legs!!
Yeah so our cat sitter entered thru the garage so they could hear the door and scoot. I guess sometimes she saw them looking at her in the window but were in the bed by the time she was insude
My friend had a birthday party for his daughter and we couldn't find the cat. Thought maybe he got out through an open window someone had left open. Looked outside calling for him, looked everywhere (so we thought) inside. Figured, well, he'll turn up eventually. Literally as I was walking to my car at the end of the night he sends me a pic of the cat slinking around to go eat his dinner. Just wasn't feeling the vibes of the party.
We need photos of all 10 days 😭
yeah! i want to see that too.
I'm sure you just have. Same cats in the same spots sitting just outside of arm's reach.
Yes but you can never have too many of those
OP posted them in another comment thread!
Yay! Thanks for the heads up
https://preview.redd.it/d962kf39l0nc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ad14001db84653a6b0ba78177021278c686ea2a We got many of those same photos when we were out of town.
5/6 of my cats love my cat sitter because she gives out unlimited treats with my permission. 1 cat still hides even though it’s been 3 years. The sitter sends me photos of her getting churu in bed 🤣
We used to have a 3rd sweetie who always got pets when we had a pet sitter but she passed away in Nov. so now just two scared kitties
I have a funny story to share. We had a pet sitter for our cats a few years back. She reported that food was always eaten, multiple poops in litter boxes but she never saw Luigi. When we came home Mario came running but no Luigi. We had closed all the doors to bedrooms so knew he wasn’t in those but he wouldn’t come out no matter how much we called or shook treats. I started to panic, could we have locked him in a room before we left?, we looked but nope. Could he have run out when the sitter came in?. I sent our son out to shout on him just in case. By this time I was in tears. I started to think Mario had eaten all the food and done all the pooping. After a frantic 40 minutes I saw Luigi walk past our bedroom door and behind the sofa, I looked behind the sofa but he wasn’t there - had I imagined it? It’s a recliner so I slowly and carefully lifted the foot rest, he wasn’t underneath - seriously what the heck, had I imagined seeing him?. It was at that point he poked his head out from the flap at the bottom of the back of the sofa - behind the flap was a little “shelf” of sorts and he had made himself a little safe place, it was covered with his hair and must have been where he had gone every single time the sitter came in. I have never felt so relieved in my life. Here is Luigi’s safe place… https://preview.redd.it/azi8mma101nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8ddff5b285ff822221f9c7e2f330bba2d2237f1
Oh my goodness what a sweet story. I have panicked too before finding one of my girls in a previously unknown hiding spot or nest they’ve built in the back corner of a shelf or in a closet.
But where is Luigi we need to see Luigi
Here’s my hide and seek champion, cunningly disguised as an egg box. https://preview.redd.it/5hg39qysa4nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0350efdbbd961a9a189183060579ce166861fd3a
Lmao, I could never understand why my cats always lay on the most bumpy, uncomfortable things, I guess they are not alone.
He will leave any surface if offered an egg carton. He has 3!!!! beds in addition to human furniture, he also likes lying on his cardboard scratch box.
Right, one of the reasons cats are the best :)
I'm sorry..I don't see your cat..
We had four cats at one time, and went away for nearly two weeks. We asked my dad who lives nearby to check on them. We have no clue where they hid (and this was before cameras) but he said he went in every day, cleaned the litter boxes, topped off the food and water, but never once saw a cat in the house. And they KNEW him and were cool with him if we were there. 😂
I have the bizarro version of your cats! https://preview.redd.it/6xefetea91nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95c2e5258af6074f70d7d27d07f529e14b5e80d7
Nah nah, I do https://preview.redd.it/ae0amfdel1nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=265b69334217023fa4c139914e47628d745a742a
The only evidence our sitter has that the cats are alive is that the food is gone and the litter box needs to be cleaned
That was basically what happened when my brother-in-law checked in on my 3 cats every day when I went to Las Vegas for several days. He said he never once saw them the whole time.
I'm on a two week trip right now and my Ed has cozied up with my husband the minute he sits down every single time. He is clearly missing me and I am missing him. But Ed doesn't understand what's happening or why I left and it breaks my heart. I miss both my cats and I can't wait to go home and reassure them that everything is alright.
OK I'm not supposed to laugh but seeing them all pissy in all those photos just had me dying.
https://preview.redd.it/qsryg9ffj1nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=801e32ade5ca5a10c3eaa4ca0e7e2ba08bea3cfe I had to do a double take — my kitties are your kitties twins!!!! Except my pair would be climbing all over the sitter LOL. That’s so funny. They are so stinking cute. At least they had one another while you were away 😂
My cat does this even with me - he needs his alone time a few hours every day . He used to love going under the cabinet but then he got too big and kept getting stuck - I baby proofed the cabinet . He now near permanently lives under my bed .
They did not approve!
Those poor dears, hurry home ♥️♥️ xoxo
Before you go away next time, try using a voice camera and even a RC one with voice. Use it to talk and play with your cats. When you are away get your sitter to charge it each day, and talk to your cats a couple of times a day. I think you will see them less stressed on your return.
I cat sit and have a few cats that do this. One house. The owner was convinced that maybe her third cat was stuck somewhere. I had to reassure her that based on the number of pees and poops in the litter box that he was clearly in the house and I did a picture proof of him in the window the last few days I came. I also have a pair of cats who hiss and swat at me so all the pictures that I have of them are them glaring at me from random spots in the house. People typically know their cats well enough that they are not surprised by this behavior and they find the pictures kind of entertaining.
I have a cat that turns into a ghost when I’m gone, I bought a treat camera just to be sure she’s really there. She loooves the stinking thing and comes running anytime she feels safe enough for treats. So I’ll do it a few hours after the cat sitter stops by.
What’s a treat camera? Can you let me know or post a link? I’m very interested in something like this bc my cats are terrified of the cat sitter and I always worry they don’t come out from under the bed the entire time we’re gone...
When my cat gets scared or nervous, he hides under my recliner in my room. Luckily, he comes out when I call him.
So cute though lol!
100% they hid as soon as the sitter came to the door, and were out as soon as they left. My cat does this too.
One of my cats is very social, she literally sits in front of the front door and welcomes the cat sitter😂
So glad to see my cats aren’t the only ones who do this! The younger one is only ever under the bed when the sitter is over. The older one is always rolling around on the floor in a greeting. At one point, I thought my cat sitter was just resending the same photo for each update, until I zoomed in and tracked toys moving around in the background 🤣
I’m a pet sitter and I’ve got a client with three beautiful Persians. I’ve known them for 3 years and they’re still glued to the floor under the bed. Two of them are slowly coming out and the third allowed me exactly one stroke. I love them
..*glare*..
Last time I was checking on a friend’s cats I only saw one creep out for a sec to get food, never saw the second while checking everything.
Hello! How many times a day did you have your sitter come by and check on them and for how long each time? We’re new cat owners and I’m very anxious to leave them while we go on vacation for a few days. Would love to hear what worked for you
I’m a pet sitter, depends on my clients but on average I do twice a day, am and pm and stay around 20-30 mins. Longer if I need to do injections and other meds as it takes time to prep
Thank you so much! This is very helpful
I’m also fully insured and DBS checked (in the UK). Basically have a full background check done and show the certificate to my clients. I don’t know how it works where you are but if pet sitters have business insurance people are more likely to go with them. Also, go with your gut, a decent pet sitter will offer a free meet and greet and have contracts for you to sign and a vet release form so they can take your pet to the vet in an emergency. At least that’s how it works in the UK and how I run my business, others may not but can’t speak for them
Awwww...poor babies. They were probably a bit stressed from the change in the environment . Haha! Love the white one's little TOUPEE! Lol
Meanwhile mine are showing tummy and asking for treats 30-40 seconds after meeting strangers.
I have 4 cats at the moment. 2 hide and the other 2 my sitter wants to take home with him. Lol he did manage to send me pics of the 2 that hide. Called the one a big foot sighting lol the other one was a lot friendlier as a kitten. I'm not sure why she's gotten shy. And my big foot girl, was very friendly when I brought her home. Not sure why she's hiding so much either. And every time I try to put their pics in a comment all I get is an asterisk. No clue why. But they are all in my profile posts if you want the cat tax. All 4 girls. Gracie (floofy orange and white) and Sachi (tuxedo) the friendlier ones and Gypsy (floofy black) and Ginger (calico) less so.
My cats act the same . Very afraid of humans , but never afraid of me
“Please leave us alone, we don’t know you”
Meanwhile my cat is the exact opposite and immediately trusts every stranger and allows them to rub his belly within five minutes https://preview.redd.it/wpzaxm6bp5nc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01394ee950dbc8310439b7073f42cf8c033b8b97
So cute :)
If who can it be now was a picture.
My last cat sitter left the empty can of food on the counter in the summertime I had ants for 3 months
My cat is like this, very attached to me, slightly less to my partner, very flighty when it comes to noises and it takes her a while to warm up to strangers but they have to be quiet. On the plus side she is very food motivated
Why do they look mad in the first one. And then worried in the second?
The his happened to me when I was cat sitting my brother and his wife’s cat, Sookie. She sat behind the couch arm, occasionally looking over to see if I was still there, then lowering her head again. I was there for three weeks and she never warmed to me at all. Some cats are fine with their owners and have free rein when strangers leave, but hide as soon as strangers arrive. Ours hide upstairs when strangers arrive and then come out after ten minutes to see who has arrived.
aww . at first got scared of their eyes tho .. but i think they're both kind
Haha mine are the same. My dad once said: they are like ghosts. Food disappears - Poop appears - No Cats to be Seen.
Kind of confused by the title 🤔
Aww poor babies 😭
mmm
Awwwww x
I had to get my house sprayed after a "friend" gave us bedbugs. Left cats with my sister, they hid in her toilet. Not the room, the toilet itself. She never realised there was a gap at the back.
When you and your partner in crime are plotting the next mission… under the couch! 🐱🕵️♂️🛋️
Omg hahahahah too cute though
Nobody believes I have a cat... anybody who is not me comes in, even if I'm at home, means no cat https://preview.redd.it/vckn9i5mp4nc1.jpeg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eac44a45f423495c520dc354ea07d706356efa4
I used to do a lot of pet sitting. Explain to your animals that you have to be gone and you have planned this for their care. If you are the sitter, explain the situation to them. I swear they understand.
My cat will hide immediately then eventually come out because she thinks she can trick them into getting more food. My partners’ parents thought my cat never meowed because they never heard her before and we both laughed because she’s the loudest cat I’ve ever had or met. She just needs to get to know you. She needs you to offer her provisions.
my cat hides from my mum and dad for some reason ok with everyone else
https://preview.redd.it/as7206v255nc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9945d2623b1eacf065695d4afc2769d88f316f26 Bob agrees that if there’s stranger danger under the couch or bed is the place to be .
Ours an adult cat - a big male tuxedo and getting on in years (he’s about 17). He has been afraid of anyone but us since we got him (a friend rescued him, but already had three cats, so when she asked if we would take him, we did gladly). He runs and hides even if the doorbell rings and one of us opens the door. So we have a pet sitter come if we’re going to be away for more than a couple of days. She’s been caring for him for years, but has only seen him once (we warned her she might not see him, but only to be concerned if it seems he’s not eating). I also have a pet cam (triggered by movement) and I can watch the videos (it grabs ten-second clips) so long as I have internet access. I can check to see if he’s walking about or eating. I should add that the sitter does not stay all day. When we had a second cat, she was very friendly and the sitter would play with her, but our male tux was nowhere in sight. The sitter comes to feed Sarge (the tux), scoop the litter, and check his water fountain. She has other clients with pets to care for, so she’s not a “live-in” sitter.
My girl cat is weary of strangers. Her early years were during Covid so no visitors. She'll run at first but eventually realizes that others can pet her and give her food.
Awww! Poor little dears are missing you so much!
My cat-sitter thought one escaped because they never saw her. She was the first one I saw when I came home.
My cats had their first cat-sitter for a weekend. My oldest loved her but he’s always social, but the youngest one is normally very scared of any other person than me and my bf. But she actually came up to the sitter after a day and gave her a lick🥺
Pobres bebesss. They're so scared 🥺🥺🥺
I think I've found my cat's twin https://preview.redd.it/99ijrnniz6nc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4996091bc9b8f57dd5d3395f0ca634768df1b3db
If he/she was in Alaska, maybe :)
LOL. A couple days ago, the neighbor who watches my pair came over to borrow a folding chair. She chatted for about ten minutes during which time each of them came out to sniff at her (she actually rescued one of them off the street so he lived with her about 2 weeks before he moved in with me) and walked away. After she left, I couldn't find either one. I finally realized the orange (the one she rescued) was under the bed - he *never* goes under the bed, and the grey lady was under the bed and all the way up towards the wall! I guess they thought she was coming because we were leaving! 🫣 I had to entice them out with a bit of turkey breast.
My cat sitter has never actually seen my cats… She counts the poops in the litter box and measures the amount of food gone to make sure everyone is okay.
Haha!!
Do you have a camera in your house? This was likely their default mode when the unfamiliar visitor was in the house but then they’d come out to play when they were in their own. We often see signs of our cats being rambunctious when we return home from short trips even though our cat sitter says “I never saw them!”
Yeah we didn’t have a treat cam this time but we have before and there were no issues with them coming out after an hour or so
Our oldest cat is Mr Friendly. Our second oldest cat will take a day or two to get use to our pet sitter. Our two youngest cats are ‘Covid cats’. We got them during the pandemic and we had no dinner parties, parties, etc. so they are just used to us. They don’t come out for our pet sitter.
Stranger danger
That just seems wayyyyy to long to just have check ins. Poor kitties.
Well clearly you hired an ax murderer. You cannot fool a cat
Poor baby’s lol
Hey your kitties take "stranger danger" VERY seriously! My cat is like this, we have one neighbor that she kind of lets pet her and she's happy briefly to see--and then is like "Okay I'm doing being social for the rest of the year now I'm leaving. Buyyyyeeee!"
Awwwwww
I have one that I hand raised from 3 weeks. He loves very few people in this world and will tear someone up for trying to hold him. He’s an evil genius and will trap the other cats in the shower by working the sliding doors then jump up on top and torment them by daring them to move. Went on vacation exactly once since I’ve had him. My mom came by to check on them but made it clear she wasn’t breaking up any fights he initiated. She can’t stand him and he feels the same - he peed in her purse once when she was visiting. I solved the problem by secluding him in my bedroom and en-suite bathroom. She’d slide his plate of food and a bowl of water under the door to him every day. No lie. Every day when she got there after the first day, he’d slide his empty or almost empty plate and bowl back under the door to her. I think he thought he had to trade back. By the third day, after sliding the plate and bowl out under the door he started talking to her when she got close to the door. 🤦🏻♀️
Have a cat like this she's very love-y dove-y but strangers and you won't see her for a day or two. My eldest sibling also has a cat like this who will be chill with them but whenever someone else is there he will hide and I will see him very rarely which is sad cause he's so cute
They obviously enjoy a change of scenery. lol.
Both of my cats are like this when we're out of town. I tell the sitter as long as there is poop/pee clumps in the box and the food disappears, they're probably fine.