Veterinary behaviorists warn that cats, as mesopredators, instinctively hide signs of illness and stress, which can delay life-saving treatment. Dr. Kate Anderson, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at Cornell University’s Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior, explained that cats are “mesopredators” that hunt small prey but also evolved to avoid being eaten. This “mesopredator status gets cats in trouble because they mask pain, and they mask when they’re not well until they’re really not well,” Anderson said. Recognizing three specific behaviors can help owners intervene early.
Peeing Outside the Litter Box or Straining to Urinate
The most worrisome sign is when a cat tries to pee but cannot, said veterinarians. Peeing outside the litter box is “the number one reason that they get relinquished to a shelter and euthanized in many cases,” Anderson noted. “It is a life-threatening thing for cats when they’m misunderstood.” This behavior is not spiteful; it often signals deep stress or unhappiness. For example, a cat may spray furniture because it feels threatened by another cat or environmental stress. Sometimes the fix is simple—such as adding more litter boxes in different locations, Anderson said.
Owners should seek veterinary help immediately if their cat cannot urinate at all. “Owners sometimes think, ‘My cat is constipated,’” said Dr. Kate Elden, chief medical officer at Dutch. “But in cats, especially male cats, straining can mean they are blocked and cannot urinate. That is a true emergency.” Early intervention is critical: a 2021 study found that cats with inappropriate urination issues were adopted at the same rates as other cats after receiving medical and behavioral treatment. Anderson advised, “People ignore it, and then it gets harder and harder to treat. So [when your] cat’s not peeing where you want them to pee, start working with your vet right away.”
Purring Can Indicate Stress or Pain, Not Just Contentment
While cats often purr when content, purring can also be a sign of distress. “It’s believed that purring may serve as self-soothing behavior and may even have physiological benefits, as the low-frequency vibrations produced during purring have been associated with tissue healing and pain modulation,” said Dr. Cassidy Alvarez, a veterinarian at Family Pet Animal Hospital in Chicago. To distinguish happy purring from stress, owners must observe the cat’s overall behavior. “The key is to not judge the purr by the sound alone. Look at your whole cat,” Elden said. “A cat that is hiding, refusing food, breathing rapidly, sitting hunched over or seeming unusually quiet while purring may actually be in pain or feeling unwell,” Alvarez added. “Cats are masters at masking illness, so it is important to look at the whole picture.”
Hiding Is Not Normal and Warrants a Vet Visit
While cats may be shy around strangers, persistent hiding is a red flag. “Cats instinctively hide when they are sick or in pain because appearing vulnerable in the wild would make them an easy target for predators,” Alvarez said. If a normally social cat suddenly hides under the bed or in a closet for extended periods, especially with reduced appetite, vomiting, or other changes, it warrants prompt veterinary attention. Anderson advised providing a safe haven with litter box, food, and water when visitors are present, but added, “You don’t want to just drag them out and have them interact with someone, because that’s not going to help.” She also cautioned against forcing interactions: “I see sometimes parents encouraging their kid to pet the cat, and the cat’s moving away and saying clearly, ‘Please leave me alone.’”
These three behaviors are often the first warning signs that cat owners should not ignore. “Unfortunately, cats can be very sick, and it can be recognized way too late,” Anderson said, noting that cat owners tend to take their pets to vets less often than dog owners. “Delaying veterinary care because a cat is ‘just hiding’ or ‘still purring’ can allow serious conditions to progress. Early recognition and treatment almost always provide the best chance for a successful outcome,” Alvarez concluded.
