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Yesterday afternoon, my cat suddenly got really skiddish. Anytime someone would even really face him, he would run off and hide under my bed. It's like he doesn't recognize us for a second. He sees me, starts to run, but if I kneel down and put my hand out, it's like he recognizes me and he comes to me and rubs against me and purrs. He is being a lot more cuddly and clingy than normal then. Once he "recognizes" me, he sits in my lap and won't leave (not usual for him).

We haven't had any changes in his routine other than two strangers coming to the house yesterday. He was really friendly with them though, and no incidents involving him happened.

Any ideas why my cat is doing this? He is hiding under my bed as I type.

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    how old is your cat,the age is important when answering your question.if a cat changes behaviour unexpectedly you need to take him to your vet.
    – trond hansen
    Commented Nov 22, 2019 at 5:30
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    I agree with trond hansen. If you have no idea go to the vet to eliminate health reasons like bad vision or pain.
    – Allerleirauh
    Commented Nov 22, 2019 at 8:49

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Is he neutered?

Cats behavior, especially males, can be radical when they become sexually mature. Our cat was kinda like that right before we got him neutered. He was all over the place! Cuddly one minute, scared the next, and then wild and playful after that.

If you are sure no event happened to him (that would scare or traumatize him) maybe the difference are the people that came over. Just this weekend my parents came to stay with us and the cat smelt their bags and peed on their bed next to everything. He has never done that before! His behavior was off for the whole weekend. I really thing the impact of different scents (from the people), their presence, and everything else made him totally not normal. It’s taken him a bit to be comfortable with just us now that my parents are gone.

One other thought is he could not be feeling well. Cats like to hide and be secluded when they don’t feel good.

To help him not be scared, I would try to be quiet and gentle. If you approach him, do it tenderly and offer your hand out for him to sniff. Maybe even crouch so you aren’t a tower over him. Perhaps offer him treats while snuggling. I wouldn’t pull him out of hiding, as that shows he can’t find a safe place to hide. Just give him extra kind attention and care.

I hope things are better!

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