50 Pets Who Thought They Were Hiding, But Actually Weren’t

The concept of hide-and-seek is uncomplicated to us humans — one hides, the other seeks. But our pets seem to have their own idea of what going under the radar actually means. Whether they get scared, chew on something they're not supposed to, or simply want to act all goofy, our companions are drawn to the cozy confines of private spaces. But the truth is, we can often see them in plain sight.

To find out more about this peculiar urge to hide and what we should do about it, we reached out to Kate Mornement, Ph.D., who goes by the handle @petbehaviourist on Instagram. Being a qualified animal behaviorist and founder of the consultancy Pets Behaving Badly, she strives to help people better understand these charming creatures living under their care.

She told Bored Panda that animals usually hide because they're afraid. "When pets hide, they're telling us they're scared or need space. Things that often cause pets to hide include loud noises, unfamiliar people or animals, and things they associate with unpleasant experiences, such as the cat carrier coming out before a vet visit."

Kate explained that some sneaky critters also try to go unnoticed when they have an object they shouldn't have. "They hide because they've learned that that delays or prevents the item being taken away," she added.

It seems this behavior is based on their natural instinct to escape potential danger. "It's part of the 'fight, flight or freeze response' which is a survival instinct," Kate told us. "Hiding when you're eating food is also a survival instinct. If you eat alone, you consume more compared to eating with others competing for the same food."