In boarding or at the clinic, the hiding box matters most for shy cats
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Boarding, a veterinary clinic, a shelter: the moment a cat ends up alone in an unfamiliar cage, the setup changes everything. A study compared two simple pieces of equipment — a closed box and an open shelf — while accounting for a variable too often ignored: the animal's temperament. Our setup guidance is gathered in the cat bedding and habitat section.
Contents · 4 sections
Closed box versus shelf, shy cats versus bold ones
Ellis, Stryhn and Cockram published in 2021, in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, a study on cats housed individually in cages, classified beforehand as "shy" or "bold" based on their behaviour (see the study). Each cat had access to either a closed hiding box or a raised open shelf, and the researchers measured both observed behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, a marker of physiological stress.
Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites were lower in cats given a hiding box, and shy cats spent more time in the hiding box than bold cats did. The setup that lowers measured stress is therefore not just a matter of equipment, but also of the temperament of the cat using it.
What the study does not say
The protocol covers cats housed alone in an individual cage, a setting close to boarding or a short hospital stay, not a living room with several cats roaming free — our articles on hiding spot height in multi-cat households and shelves for reducing conflict cover a different environment. The study also does not say how long it takes for a bold cat to benefit from a hiding box over a longer stay, nor whether the shy/bold classification stays stable over time.
What this changes in practice
- Systematically offer a closed hiding box, not just height, during boarding or a hospital stay — the two do not substitute for each other according to this study.
- Watch the animal's temperament before dismissing a setup as useless: a bold cat ignoring the hiding box does not disprove its value for a more fearful cat at the same facility.
- A familiar carrier can already work as a starting hiding spot on arrival at boarding, alongside our article on daily carrier habituation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my cat is shy or bold?
The study relies on standardised behavioural observation done beforehand, not a test an owner can reproduce at home. In practice, a cat that quickly explores an unfamiliar space leans toward the bold profile, one that freezes instead leans toward the shy profile.
Is a hiding box useful even for a sociable cat?
The study shows a stronger effect in shy cats without proving it is useless for bold ones: offering it to both remains the more cautious choice.
Does this apply to a long hospital stay?
The study covers individual-cage housing without specifying a maximum duration tested; it cannot be extrapolated to a stay of several weeks. Find all our guides on the cat hub.
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This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Cats universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.