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13 signs your cat is secretly stressed, and how to help

Reviewed by Dr Ramin Khan✓, veterinarian (DVM)

By 7 min readPublisher: Saadat Rafiq

Last updated: 9 November 2026References

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Illustration of a ginger tabby cat with a white bib peering warily from between folded towels in an open airing cupboard, a tortoiseshell kitten with a toy mouse on the landing and a puzzled couple looking up from the stairsIllustration
On this page 9 sections

In short

Cats are brilliant at hiding how they feel, but the clues are there: a new hiding spot, a puddle on the bathmat, a cat who suddenly won't use the cat flap. Here are 13 signs to watch for, what to do about each, and the one toilet sign that's an emergency.

Jump to the steps

Illustration of a ginger tabby cat with a white bib peering warily from between folded towels in an open airing cupboard, a tortoiseshell kitten with a toy mouse on the landing and a puzzled couple looking up from the stairs
Illustration

At a glance

Emergency
Straining to pee but passing nothing: call your vet now
Stressed
Flat ears, wide pupils, hiding or getting up high
Relaxed
Rounded ears, half-closed eyes, small pupils
Resources
One per cat, plus one spare
First step
A vet check, because many signs are medical too
Checked
November 2026

When your cat suddenly starts hiding, or leaves a puddle somewhere new, it is natural to worry and to wonder what has changed for them. Please don't blame yourself. This page helps you read the small signs and make home feel safe for your cat again.

For five years Biscuit had a timetable. Breakfast at seven, the sunny windowsill until lunch, Kofi's lap during the evening news. Then two things happened in the same month: Priya started night shifts, and a tiny tortoiseshell kitten called Mango moved in.

Biscuit didn't yowl or sulk in an obvious way. He just started sleeping in the airing cupboard, which was easy to miss. Then Priya found a wet patch on the bathmat.

Cats Protection says cats can be great at hiding stress or pain. In the wild it stops them looking like an easy target. So the signs tend to be small. Honestly, noticing these little changes is the most useful thing you can do, and by reading this you are already doing it. Here are 13 to watch for, and what to do next.

Where they go, and where they don't

  1. Hiding more than usual

    Illustration of a ginger tabby cat peeking wide-eyed over the rim of a rope laundry basket on a landing while a man in a grey cardigan crouches nearby with empty hands
    Illustration

    Hiding is normal for cats, Cats Protection says. It helps them feel safe. What matters is the change: a cat who suddenly spends long stretches tucked away may be stressed, or unwell.

  2. Sleeping in a new spot, or sleeping much more

    Illustration of a sunlit bedroom with an empty made bed under a sage duvet and a ginger cat's tail curling out from underneath the bed frame
    Illustration

    International Cat Care (iCatCare) gives the example of a cat who starts sleeping under the bed instead of on it. Sometimes, it says, the only sign is a cat sleeping a lot more than usual. Biscuit's airing cupboard counts.

  3. Avoiding certain rooms, people or pets

    Illustration of a ginger tabby crouched low on a kitchen floor with his tail on the tiles, keeping his distance from a woven basket where a small tortoiseshell kitten sleeps
    Illustration

    The PDSA lists avoiding places, other pets or people as a stress sign. iCatCare mentions a cat who stops using the stairs. Biscuit started keeping well away from Mango's basket.

  4. Waiting by the cat flap instead of using it

    Illustration of a ginger cat sitting beside a closed cat flap in a wooden back door while a woman in a lilac dressing gown, holding a mug, reaches to open the door for him
    Illustration

    It isn't laziness. Cats Protection says a cat who sits by the flap and waits for you to open the door may be stressed about what's on the other side, and wants a better look first.

The litter tray and the food bowl

  1. Peeing outside the litter tray

    Illustration of a woman in teal scrubs kneeling on a bathroom floor holding a rolled-up grey bathmat and looking with concern at a ginger cat in the doorway
    Illustration

    This is the one people most often misread as bad behaviour. Cats Protection says peeing on the floor is your cat telling you something is wrong, and punishing them only makes it worse. The cause could be stress, a health problem, or the tray itself. The PDSA says cats with stress-related cystitis often pee in the bath, the sink or on cold hard floors, so tell your vet. That is exactly what Biscuit's bathmat was about.

  2. Spraying indoors

    Illustration of a man in a grey cardigan kneeling to wipe the floor with a cloth and a plain spray bottle, wrinkling his nose, while a ginger cat watches from beside the stairs
    Illustration

    Spraying outdoors is normal territorial marking. Spraying inside means your cat doesn't feel secure, iCatCare says. A spraying cat usually backs up to a wall or other upright surface with its tail raised and quivering.

  3. Eating less, or more

    Illustration of a ginger tabby sitting beside a full white food bowl on a sage mat, looking up and away from his food
    Illustration

    A change in appetite isn't fussiness or greed, Cats Protection says. Pain and stress can both change how much a cat eats. The PDSA also lists weight loss as a sign.

Their body and body language

  1. Over-grooming or bald patches

    Illustration of a woman in a cream jumper kneeling by a grey sofa and gently parting the white belly fur of a ginger cat lying on his side to check a thin patch
    Illustration

    The PDSA lists over-grooming, hair loss, skin conditions and a poor coat among the signs of stress. With stress cystitis, it says, the over-grooming is usually on the tummy and between the back legs, so check there gently.

  2. Licking their lips a lot

    Close-up illustration of a ginger tabby licking his upper lip in a living room
    Illustration

    Some signs are so small we write them off as a quirk, Cats Protection says, and frequent lip licking is one of them. If it's new, mention it to your vet.

  3. Flat ears and big pupils

    Illustration of a ginger tabby crouched flat on top of a tall bookcase near the ceiling, ears flattened sideways and pupils wide and black
    Illustration

    In Cats Protection's guide to cat body language, a stressed cat has flat ears and wide pupils, and may hide or get up high. The PDSA adds slinking low to the ground, crouching or arching. A relaxed cat looks very different: soft, rounded ears and half-closed eyes with small pupils.

  4. More meowing or yowling

    Illustration of a ginger cat meowing up at a man in a grey cardigan sitting on the stairs in warm evening lamplight, listening
    Illustration

    Meowing or yowling more than normal is on the PDSA's list, along with low energy and a playful cat who doesn't want to play any more.

  5. Hissing or swiping at people they love

    Illustration of a ginger cat on a sofa with narrowed eyes raising a paw to swipe at a man's open hand, the man staying calm
    Illustration

    Cats usually prefer to run away and hide, Cats Protection says, so aggression is normally a last resort. Please don't take it personally; it is a sign of how your cat is feeling, not of how they feel about you. A cat who lashes out may be stressed or in pain, so take them to the vet.

What to do

  1. See the vet first, then remove the stress

    Illustration of a ginger tabby curled up asleep on a man's lap on the sofa in the evening, a tortoiseshell kitten asleep on her own window shelf and a woman in scrubs smiling from the doorway
    Illustration

    Many of these signs can be medical too, so the PDSA says to contact your vet first. iCatCare suggests filming the behaviour so your vet can see exactly what you mean.

    Try saying (to the vet): "He's been hiding in the airing cupboard for three weeks, he's peed on the bathmat twice, and he's eating less. It started when we got a kitten and my shifts changed."

    Then look at the cause. The reason this comes second is that a health problem needs ruling out first. The PDSA suggests keeping to a routine, plenty of hiding places (including high ones), and enough of everything. For more than one cat, that's one food bowl, water bowl, litter tray, scratching post and bed per cat, plus a spare, spread around the house. It also suggests washing bedding a bit at a time so something always smells familiar. A plug-in pheromone diffuser can help, Cats Protection says, but only alongside medical and behavioural advice. If the stress doesn't ease, ask your vet about a behaviourist registered with a regulated body such as the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC).

    Try saying (to the family): "Mango gets her own bowl and tray upstairs. Biscuit keeps the windowsill. Nobody picks him up when he's in the cupboard."

    The vet found nothing medically wrong with Biscuit. A second tray, a high shelf by the window and Kofi's lap at the same time every evening did the rest. Three weeks later, he was back on the sofa.

Stressed or relaxed? Read the face

CueStressed (Cats Protection, PDSA)Relaxed (Cats Protection)
EarsFlat or backRelaxed, forward and rounded
EyesWide open, big pupilsShut or half closed, small pupils
WhiskersPointed forward or curving downRelaxed and closer to the face
Where they areHiding, or up high (PDSA adds slinking low)Their usual spots

Sources: Cats Protection and PDSA.

Stress-spotting checklist

  • I know my cat's normal: where they sleep, eat, go to the toilet and hide.
  • I've noticed any new hiding, avoiding or cat-flap hesitation.
  • I've checked the coat, tummy and litter tray for changes.
  • I've booked a vet check and filmed the behaviour.
  • There's enough of everything for every cat, plus a spare.

When to get help now

  • Your cat is straining and repeatedly trying to pee but passing nothing: this is an emergency. The PDSA says to contact your vet immediately, or an out-of-hours emergency vet.
  • Blood in the urine, or any change in toilet habits: contact your vet promptly. Stress can trigger painful bladder inflammation (feline idiopathic cystitis).
  • Medicines: never give your cat anything your vet hasn't prescribed.

Your turn: what was the odd little thing that told you your cat wasn't OK? Tell us in the comments. It could help another owner spot it sooner.

Questions readers ask

How can I tell if my cat is stressed?

Look for a change from their normal: hiding more, avoiding a room or another pet, peeing outside the tray, eating less or more, over-grooming, or more meowing. Stressed body language includes flat ears, wide pupils and slinking low to the ground.

Why is my cat suddenly peeing outside the litter tray?

Cats Protection says it is your cat telling you something is wrong, not being naughty. The cause could be stress, a health problem or the tray itself. The PDSA says stress can trigger a painful bladder condition, so see your vet.

When is a cat's toilet problem an emergency?

If your cat is straining and repeatedly trying to pee but passing nothing. The PDSA says this is an emergency, so contact your vet immediately, or an out-of-hours vet at night.

Do pheromone diffusers help stressed cats?

They can help as one part of the plan. Cats Protection says a plug-in diffuser should be used together with medical and behavioural advice, not on its own.

How many litter trays do I need for two cats?

The PDSA suggests one per cat plus one spare, so three for two cats, spread around the house. The same goes for food and water bowls, beds and scratching posts.

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