If your cat sits in the closet, this post will show you a number of likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat sit in the closet? Likely reasons why your cat sits in the closet are that it feels safer there, it finds it comfortable in there, or that it wants to sleep.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat sits in the closet and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat sits in the closet
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
It finds it comfortable
The cause could be that your cat finds it comfortable in the closet. This would be more likely if your cat has been going there at random times and if it is free to enter and leave the closet when it wants.
Intimidation
Another possible cause is that your cat gets intimidated and going to the closet makes it feel safer. This would be more likely if your cat tends to go there at certain times such as when other people are around or when there are loud noises inside or outside the house.
It wants to sleep
Another possible reason is that your cat wants to sleep without being bothered. This would be more likely if your cat tends to be sleeping when it is in the closet and it does not tend to sleep outside of the closet.
Illness
Cats will sometimes hide when they are feeling ill so that they can protect themselves while they are vulnerable. The reason why your cat has been doing it might be that it has gotten an injury or illness. This would be more likely if your cat has started doing it suddenly, it has been behaving unusually in other ways and if it has been showing other signs of being injured or ill. In this case, it would help to take it to the vet.
It’s looking for a spot to have kittens
If your cat is pregnant, it could be the case that it has been looking for a spot to have kittens. This would be more likely if your cat has started doing it suddenly, it is pregnant and it is about ready to have kittens.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always sat in the closet
If your cat has not always sat in the closet, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due things such as something causing it to be anxious or because you started leaving the closet open and your cat discovered that it finds it comfortable in there.
What is different when your cat goes in the closet
If there is a certain time that your cat goes in the closet, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it more when other people or animals are around, it would be more likely that your cat is hiding in there because it feels safer. Whereas, if your cat does it when it is sleeping and it only seems to sleep in the closet, the cause could be that your cat likes to sleep there.
What to do about your cat going in the closet
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it another place to go
One option would be to give your cat another place where it can go and sit or sleep such as by putting a cat bed on a high up spot. When your cat goes to the closet, you would then move it to the other spot and reward it when it goes there.
Get help
If your cat seems like it might have been doing it due to illness or injury, it would help to take it to the vet for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to deal with medical causes.
Close the door
Another option would be to simply keep the door to the closet closed.
Limit reasons why it might get anxious
It would also help to try to limit reasons why your cat might get anxious when you are not around. Ways to do so could include giving it a safe spot it can go to without you and to feed it before leaving it and to give it access to water and a litter box when you are not around.