Since the domestic cat still shares over 95% of their DNA with tigers, it isn’t surprising that they have a tendency to want to hide out and blend in sometimes like a big cat will do in the wilds. Where does your cat hide? Is he a climber who perches above everyone or does he shelter under the bed? When you can’t find the cat do you start opening cupboards or do you beat the bushes outside for him?
At my mother’s house, Smokey (aka Rags in the Klepto 
Cat Mysteries) often had Mama screeching his name for all the neighbors to hear in hopes that he’d walk out from behind a shrub or from around the side of the house or over the wall from a neighbors. However, she’d often find him napping in the rafters in the garage. He loved 
hanging out overhead like that.
I’ll never forget the day I discovered that Max had found his way into the lining of the box springs. Often I thought for sure he was lost to us forever when I couldn’t find him. Then he’d appear as if by magic. We 
finally discovered his secret.
Lily would hide under the covers. Little did she know that the lump in the bed was a dead giveaway. We’d also find her in my closet—often closed in and patiently waiting for someone to slide the door open. She eventually taught me never to close that door completely.
It seems that each cat who comes into our 
home finds a special place to hide where they feel safe and comfortable. Not all the time, of course, but when they hear thunder, certain visitors show up, or the vacuum cleaner is running. We know of some of Sophie’s hiding places, but there’s still at least one that we’re not aware of. It’s worrisome. What if there’s a disaster and we need to get her out of the house? Now that could be a problem.
I think the most interesting, clever, and memorable cat-hiding experience I had was when a friend of my young daughters brought a kitten to show us. When she was ready to leave, we could not find the kitten. She decided to go on home and we’d let her know when we found the little thing. It happened quite by accident as I was preparing dinner. I opened the lazy Susan cupboard and twirled it around looking for a particular can of something and there, just waking up from a nap was the kitten right next to the can of something I was looking for.
Where is the most unusual place you’ve found one of your hiding cats?
We have a Captain’s bed–it’s got drawers on each side, right? Just the other day, I couldn’t find our Zoey, our “problem child”. I know better then to leave those drawers open, so she can crawl into them and then under the bed. So, frankly that was the last place I looked, but sure enough, I Had left a drawer open and she Was under the bed, and would you believe it, but she moved whenever a drawer opened looking for her, so it was hard to see her. (Little Brat!) I took the drawers out and she eventually came out looking very smug!
It can sure put us into a panic when we can’t find our cat. I remember an evening running around outside with my robe on soliciting neighbors to help me find Lily. I knew she must have sneaked out with the men who delivered our new bed. There was no place where she could have hidden that we weren’t aware of. We’d looked everywhere three times or more. She didn’t even come to dinner. That’s when we KNEW she must have gotten out or been carried away in the bed wrapping. Then we saw something move behind the TV–Yup. She’d bamboozled us. She was fine, just frightened. Our cats like to keep us guessing.