Hiding Cat

Ok, so as of right now, Miki stays on the porch till I can get her a better litterbox and SoftPaws. There is an old fireplace/furnice thing out on the porch that is no longer used. It hasn't been used in years. Well the first day she was there, she climbed into the main part of it and decided to lay down in it. I took her out and placed her on the floor and she never went back in. Then she took up going UNDER it. There is a small space under it that is only accessible from the back, which faces a corner. So its very hard to get her out of it, and when she wants to be in there, she refuses to come out. I think she likes the coolness of it, since its all metal, but she goes under there all the time. My cousin told me that at one point, he thought the cat had gotten loose because he couldn't find her, but when he looked under there, she was there.

Do any of your cats do this? Do they find a spot and just refuse to leave.

Yes! Most cats prefer small, dark spaces. I figure it's kinda a place to 'chill' for them.

Stephanie

Yep, Luna took over a basket of old clothes in closet. She also nests under the bed or behind a curtain in the window.
If VA is still kind of getting into Spring (like Michigan is), I bet it's probably warm in there too. Cats like to be warm.

Yes, cats like to be warm, so being cool under there isn't what draws her there...just her desire to hide away in a small, dark space that she feels safe and secure in. If you don't want her to be in there, block it off with cardboard or something, but instead provide her with a box or cat cave she can hide in.

I've recently begun to think they also like to be in a place where nobody will bother them or be able to reach them...
Zissou's taken to sitting in the corner behind my chair, which is not a small enclosed space at all, but nobody can pet her, pick her up and clip her nails, etc, while she's back there.
It's basically the cat saying, hey I need my space, leave me alone for now!

Yup -- that's a good way to put it -- I've noticed when my cats do that it's like they're "destressing" -- chilling out, or whatever.