Why Do Cats Hide When They Know They are Going to Die
- Pixabay/558124
There’s no scientific evidence that supports that this smell exists, but cats seem to know when death is near.
Your Cat Just Got Lost
Since the myth exists that cats leave to avoid causing their owners any heartbreak as they die, people believe that if their cat flees the house, it must be because they’re sick. Sometimes, cats just get lost.
When cats are in unfamiliar territory, they choose hiding places that will enable them to remain out of sight while they figure out what to do.
Cats often don’t act the same outside as they do inside. Calling your cat and not getting a response doesn’t mean your cat isn’t right in front of you under a bush. If they don’t come out or make any noise, it’s not because they’re dying. It’s because their instincts kick in to keep them safe.
When an outdoor cat doesn’t come home, it means something happened to prevent them from doing so.
When an indoor cat escapes the house and gets lost, they may not know how to come home. Searching for a sick, injured, or terrified cat is even more difficult because they can and will hide for days.
They won’t let you know if you walk right by their hiding spot. Hiding in silence and refusing to meow is nature’s way of keeping a vulnerable animal safe from predators.
Moreover, some speculate that amid the family’s grief of watching their pet slowly suffer, the cat decides to leave to spare the family from further pain. They’ll go off and die alone, out of sight, and not put their grief-stricken family through any more sadness.
This is a nice idea, but it’s unlikely to be the case. This myth was probably invented to comfort sad families who didn’t know why their cats wandered off at the end of their lives. If cats can’t truly sense that they’re dying, they can at least determine that something isn’t right. They know if they’re in pain, sick, or weak.
