How To Get a Cat Out From Under the Bed?

Cats are very interesting creatures! Each cat has its own personality and favorite habits – such as lying on your bed, sitting on the windowsill, or hiding.

How To Get a Cat Out From Under the Bed?

The area under the bed is a favorite hiding place for cats. While hiding is a common behavior for cats, the people they live with may find it annoying or uncomfortable. Depending on why the cat is hiding and how quickly you need the cat to get out, you have to take different actions to get the kitty out from under the bed.

Depending on the situation, you can try to lure the cat out or, in extreme cases, scare your kitty away.

Does your cat regularly hide under the bed? Cats often hide in a corner when they are afraid, they don’t like something, or they don’t feel well. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can use if your cat hides under the bed and doesn’t want to come out.

My Cat Hides Under Beds. What are the Reasons?

I’ll tell you a secret. Cats love to hide all over the house, especially in places you wouldn’t think to look. When you get home, you can often find your cat hiding under bed frames, cabinets, or other pieces of furniture.

But why do cats hide under beds and stay at home? The main reasons for this hiding behavior can be the following:

1. Fear – something has greatly frightened your pet
2. Your cat is anxious or stressed
3. Your kitty is showing signs of illness
4. The cat needs to feel safe
5. Household with multiple cats
6. Pregnancy

I advise you to read our detailed article on 13 reasons why my cat hiding under the bed.

How to Get A Cat Out From Under The Bed? 8 Tips To Follow

As you already know, there can be quite a few reasons for this behavior in cats. Some of these causes are completely harmless, while others require the attention of cat owners to their furry friends.

Now let’s find out what are the ways to lure the cat out from under the bed.

#1 Give Your Cat Time

Sometimes the wisest course of action is to do nothing when your cat is under the bed and doesn’t want to come out. After a few minutes, the cat will probably follow you out of the room. If the cat is still new to your home, it’s also a good idea to close the door behind you to give it a sense of territory within the room. They may feel overwhelmed in a room that is too large.

This method is best if you just brought a new kitty into the house! Your new kitten is in an unfamiliar environment. It is better to let the newly acquired cat be alone for a few days if she does not crawl out from under the bed. Be patient as you give your cat everything she needs, including food (so she can eat undisturbed in a quiet place), a litter box, water, and toys.

The cat will come out from under the bed to explore the area once it has calmed down, first at night and then during the day. Without being too intrusive, try to spend time with your new cat. You want your cat to grow up in confidence and comfort around you.

Advice from one Reddit user: “Come in, lay down on the floor and read for a while, not really paying attention to the cat.” 

#2 Lure Your Cat Out

The second way is to lure the cat outside. To do this, you can use cat food, treats, or toys.

Give your cat a treat or food. Sometimes tapping the edge of a tin can with a spoon or crushing a treat bag is enough. Try putting food or treats next to your bed and calmly wait until your cat comes out to eat if your cat is overly shy or scared.

Foods in cans or particularly alluring delights like tuna, roasted chicken, or chunks of deli meat may be more successful.

Use toys to lure the cat out. Try hanging and shaking your cat’s favorite toy, such as a “fishing lure” on a string, within her line of sight. Noisy toys such as bells can be great for getting a cat’s attention. Place the toy close to the edge of the bed. As soon as the cat starts playing with her, gradually climb up to completely lure her out.

In addition, many cats love to catch a point from a laser pointer. If the room is dark enough, you can start playing with the cat and thus get a cat out of her hiding spots.

#3 Consider Catnip

Is your cat a catnip lover? Then you can use it to easily get the cat out from under the bed. This method is very similar to using strong-smelling food or treats. If your cat loves catnip very much, smelling it, he will quickly run out himself.

#4 Use Essential Oils

The following methods will help not only to get the cat out of the place where he hid but also to prevent him from returning under the bed.

Some essential oils are not liked by cats, mainly because of their strong scent. You can simply make the area under the bed less attractive to your cat by spraying it with essential oils such as citronella oil.

You can use citronella oil, which is non-toxic, to clean the bed frame or spray on it. It will need to be sprayed several times a day for the first few days while your cat is exploring alternative hiding places because the scent of the oil fades quickly.

While individual cats react differently to essential oils, they often find the scents too intense, and this works well to keep cats away from certain areas.

But remember that some essential oils are toxic! Be careful!

#5 Block the Acess

Blocking access to this area is a very easy way to keep your cat from crawling under the bed. To do this, you can use the following options:

• Put towels, cardboard boxes, and used books under your bed so your cat can’t get to them.
• Cut out some used cardboard boxes to fit the space and secure them with tape.
• Close the passage under the bed with plexiglass or plastic tubes.
• Get a bed frame that doesn’t have space underneath.

In the following article, you will find 8 DIY ways to make under-bed blockers for your cat.

#6 Reduce Stress

One of the main reasons for this behavior in our pets is stress. If you do not want to regularly get your pet out from under the bed, try to minimize his contact with sources of stress.

Remove or reduce stress triggers if you think your fluffy is hiding under the bed because she’s worried:

• You can use a special calming pheromone spray for cats, but be sure to check with your vet first!
• Avoid loud noise in the apartment (household appliances, vacuum cleaner, loud music).
• Put on soothing music and lower the volume.
• Keep your kitty away from other animals and people who make her nervous.

#7 Provide Alternative Places To Hide

Your pet will usually use the bed as a hiding place to hide from loud noises, strangers, and maybe even other cats in the house. It is extremely important to give your furry friend access to other hiding places when she feels the need for privacy.

Make sure the shelters you design are warm, quiet, and safe.

Generally speaking, most cats like cat trees, cat beds, bookcases, window perches, and secluded places away from home noise. It can even be a simple cardboard box! Place new sleeping quarters in areas with less foot traffic. Catnip, treats, and blankets can all be used to help your furry friend get used to new sleeping quarters.

You can find more information about how to get your kitty to use a cat bed in our article.

#8 Lay Aluminium Foil Sheets Under The Bed

Most cats do not like wrinkled material. Aluminium foil can make this favorite place look unattractive. Placing sheets of aluminium foil under your bed is another inexpensive solution.

To keep them from moving, fasten them loosely. Cats won’t touch or walk on foil because they don’t like the feel or sound of it. Cats will stop hiding under the bed and look for other places to hide as the aluminum foil will make the space under the bed less inviting.

I like the last method less, as it does not look the most aesthetic and beautiful.

How Do You Stop Cat From Going Under the Bed?

Surely, if you were able to lure your kitten out, you want to make sure that he does not return under the bed. There are several ways to prevent this:

• Minimize sources of stress.
• Make space under the bed inaccessible and not attractive to your furry friend.
• Try to keep the bedroom door closed.
• Provide your furry friend with alternative safe places.

Should You Let Your Kitty Hide Under Your Bed?

In many cases, you don’t need to stop your cat from going under the bed. Most often, this is normal behavior, caused by fear or simply a desire to be alone. Cats choose a space beneath the bed because no one can disturb them there. If you have just brought a kitten home, don’t forget that he is in a new environment with new strangers. Let him hide as long as he wants. He will come out in his own time.

But if your furry spends too much time under the bed, his behavior has changed dramatically, he has become less active – you need a vet visit.

How to Stop Cats From Going Under the Bed? – Final Thoughts

Today we talked about a topic that worries many owners – how to lure their beloved pets out from under the bed. The best way is to try to lure him out with a game or a treat.

If you do not want your kitten to sit under the bed, try blocking access there. It is also desirable that there are no unsafe places for the kitten in the apartment.