Hiding is a core feline coping strategy, with enclosed spaces providing security, so more hiding after moves, guests, or cleaning is normal.
Healthy hiding keeps a rhythm: the cat emerges to eat, drink, and use the box and roams at night; abnormal hiding is continuous, with refused food and no response to calls.
A previously social cat suddenly hiding for long stretches, especially curled and tense, should be checked for pain and illness before being labeled moody.
Keep permanent retreat boxes and beds, guarantee escape routes during introductions, and never drag a cat out of hiding, which deepens stress.
