Why is my cat suddenly hiding, scowling, and won't be touched?

It sounds like he should be examined by a vet to rule out a medical problem. He could have an infection, parasite, metabolic, and/or endocrine disease and your vet can run blood work to help diagnose and the determine if treatment is needed. Hope he feels better soon!

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!

Cats are very temperamental creatures and can be thrown out of balance by small changes in their environment. Sometimes these changes are imperceptible to us humans, while others the cause may be something more obvious (the addition of another person or animal, moving to a new location, change of diet, etc). Based on what you are telling me he sounds very stable and overall overtly healthy. I understand it is difficult to get a hold of him, but another reason for him to be acting abnormally would be if he is in some measure of discomfort or pain. I would suggest ruling this out with your vet, and once this is done, begin trying to produce an environment that is as enriching and stress-free as possible for Jhumru. I would not push him too much in an attempt to regain his affection. Allow him to come back into his own and come to you when he is ready. Obviously, if the doctor is able to find something physically to explain this behavior, ideally resolving this issue will also resolve the behavior change. Hope this 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!

Hello. It does sound like some event occurred to him. You indicate he is eating, which is good, but are you sure he is using the litter box, especially urinating? If not, this might be a concern. Sometimes when there is a personality change, it is best to first rule out the possibility of an underlying illness or injury. If he is eating & you are sure he is having no difficulties urinating, just watch him over the weekend, but consider having him examined sometime next week if he still seems off. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

If Major had not been urinating or had been in and out of the litter box a lot then it’s possible he could have a urinating blockage which is an emergency. If he is urinating normally but not eating I would still recommend a vet visit tomorrow. Hiding is something cats do when sick. There are any number of things that could have an older cat not feeling well including dental disease, renal disease or other organ dysfunction. I hope Major is better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach