When a cat that used to be around suddenly starts hiding all the time, the question that matters is "is this just a stressed cat needing space, or is something wrong - and is it still eating, drinking and using the litter box?" PetHealthLog lets you log when and where your cat hides and for how long, note whether the basics are still normal, and watch whether the hiding is new or getting worse - so you can tell ordinary cat behaviour from a sign that needs a vet. Free, no account, works offline.
Start tracking - it's freeCats hide illness extremely well. If your cat is hiding and has stopped eating or drinking, has not passed urine or stool, is straining in the litter box, is breathing hard or open-mouthed, seems collapsed or unresponsive, or is hiding because of an obvious injury, this is not a watch-and-wait situation - contact your vet or an emergency clinic now. A male cat straining to urinate with little or nothing coming out is a particular emergency. This tracker is for keeping a record, not for delaying care when a cat is clearly unwell.
Behaviour and veterinary sources agree that some hiding is completely normal: cats seek out quiet, safe spots to rest, and many have a favourite hidey-hole they retreat to every day. What changes the picture is a change - a cat that suddenly hides far more than usual, picks a new or hard-to-reach spot, or stops coming out for food and company. Stress and fear can do it: new people or pets, loud noises, rearranged furniture, a shift in routine. So can feeling unwell, and that is the part owners miss, because cats instinctively hide signs of pain and illness.
The trouble is that hiding is easy to half-notice and hard to judge from memory. Was your cat under the bed for an hour, or all afternoon? Did it come out to eat, or has the food bowl been untouched? Has this been creeping up over a few days? A vague "she's been hiding a lot lately" is hard to act on, and it is exactly the kind of detail a vet asks about.
PetHealthLog is free, asks for no account and works offline, so each time you notice it you can log when and where, how long, and whether your cat is still eating, drinking and using the litter box. The trend is right there, the change is visible, and you have a real record instead of a guess when you call.
A behaviour log only helps if it is quick to fill in the moment you notice and turns scattered impressions into something you can read. Here is how PetHealthLog handles both.
Note the spot - under the bed, behind the washer, top of the wardrobe - and when it started, each landing on the timeline. A new or unusually inaccessible hiding place is the kind of detail that is easy to forget but useful to a vet.
Record roughly how long your cat stayed hidden - an hour, an afternoon, most of the day. Hiding that stretches longer and longer is the change that matters.
Add a quick note on whether your cat is still eating, drinking and passing urine and stool normally. These are the basics a vet asks about first, and a cat that hides but still eats and uses the box reads very differently from one that has stopped.
Record a recent change - visitors, a new pet, a thunderstorm, a house move - or other signs like trembling, flinching when touched, vomiting or weight loss, so a pattern is easy to spot.
Export a clean PDF of the entries, their dates, where and how long, and the eating and litter notes. If you do end up at the clinic, the conversation starts from a real timeline instead of "she's been hiding a lot, I think she's still eating."
General guidance from veterinary sources - when in doubt, call. The tracker helps you spot these, it does not decide them.
When stress is part of the picture and a vet has ruled out illness, owners sometimes keep a few gentle basics on hand to help a cat feel secure: a calming pheromone diffuser, a cosy covered cat cave or hideaway so your cat has a safe spot of its own, or a tall perch for a sense of high, safe territory. None of these treat an illness or replace a vet exam, and none should be used to put off seeing a vet when a cat seems unwell - they just help with everyday comfort while the vet handles the cause.
These search links show popular options on Amazon. They are everyday comfort extras - whether your cat's hiding needs a vet is a question for your vet.
Calming diffusers → Cat caves → Perches & window seats →#ad - affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate, PetHealthLog may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Informational only, not veterinary advice.
You notice a cat hiding at odd moments - the bowl untouched at breakfast, an empty spot on the sofa in the evening, a glimpse of a tail under the bed. The last thing that should stand between you and noting it down is a login screen or a spinning loader.
PetHealthLog stores everything locally on your device. There is no account to create, nothing is uploaded to a server, and there is no tracking. It opens instantly, lets you log when your cat hides or check the trend whether or not you are online, and keeps the data yours. You can export a backup any time and restore it on another phone.
Free, offline, and ready the moment you open it.
Start with PetHealthLogIf the hiding is a brand-new cat settling in, follow eating, litter use and confidence against the 3-3-3 timeline.
If your hiding cat has also gone off its food, switch to logging meals and appetite - a cat that stops eating needs prompt attention.
If litter box habits have changed too, track where and when so you and your vet can spot a stress or health pattern.
For a senior or unwell cat, a simple quality-of-life score over time gives you and your vet an honest picture.
If a vet has linked the behaviour to stress cystitis, log flares, litter box signs and triggers between visits.