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My Cat Is Scared of Something I Can’t See: Common Causes & Advice

Written by: Ashley Bates

Last Updated on February 9, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

scared cat hiding behind the door

My Cat Is Scared of Something I Can’t See: Common Causes & Advice

It’s a tale as old as time—cats can see ghosts, right? While this is perhaps an ideology stemming from myth and fable, there may be some truth to it. After all, cats are capable of using their senses in ways we can’t directly fathom.

So, if your cat is seemingly scared but you don’t see anything and you’re wondering what they’re scared of, we will explain what we know about a cat’s senses and what they might be experiencing. If you want to divert their attention, we have a few pointers for you, too.

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Why Might My Cat Be Scared?

Here are a few things that might make your cat a little skittish or frightened.

1. Unfamiliar Smells

Your cat could be sensing a new and unfamiliar smell in a specific part of the household. You may have a new fragrance diffuser or put a new item in a drawer. Our cats’ senses are so much stronger than ours in certain regards. Sometimes it slips right past our senses, but our cats can certainly pick up on it.

If it’s a smell that makes them uncomfortable in some way, it might cause a reaction in your cat that seems like they are unsure or scared. It could even confuse them, making them seem a little more flustered than normal.

What causes stress in cats and what are the signs of stress in cats?
Image Credit: PhenomArtlover | iStock / Getty Images

2. Unusual Vibrations

Our electronic devices and appliances can let off some vibrations while they run. If your cat isn’t familiar with a certain area holding a vibration? They may be sensing something we don’t even really think about.

If it makes them uncomfortable in any way, they might have some pretty confusing behaviors that you could mistake for fear.


3. Personality

Some cats are naturally more skittish than others. They might get very freaked or stressed out after several environmental changes. Nervous cats tend to be a little bit more skittish with touch and may only come out when the coast is clear.

If your cat is naturally prone to displaying more nervous traits, it might not necessarily be something that’s wrong in the household, but rather they’re experiencing something that’s just overstimulating for them.


4. Household Change

If something has recently changed in the household, whether a new person or pet has started living there or you’re recently renovating, your cat might not be fully acclimated or adjusted to these changes and could be displaying skittish behaviors for no apparent reason.

If something has been moved—like a piece of furniture, for example—it might frighten your cat when they see it. After all, it might look threatening, like a figure standing in the darkness.

scared British blue-point cat hiding under the bed
Image Credit: Zossia, Shutterstock

5. Seizures

While uncommon, your cat could be having a seizure. Signs of these episodes can come across in various ways, depending on what type of seizures your cat has and how they respond to this particular trigger.

Some cats might stare blankly off into space while others might erratically shake and convulse. If your cat is having a seizure, prompt medical attention is absolutely necessary. The ultimate treatment will depend on the type of seizure and its severity.

Signs of seizures in cats can include:

  • Convulsions
  • Limb paddling
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Abnormal vocalizations
  • Loss of urinary control
  • Loss of bowel control
  • Tail chasing

However, they can just present as staring fits with odd behavior after. You must seek veterinary attention if you suspect your cat has a seizure. If your cat is diagnosed, they will likely have to take medication to control them.

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What to Do If Your Cat Seems Scared

Now you have a better idea of what could be scaring your cat—even if you can’t see it. In most cases, you won’t know what exactly they are scared of, and there is nothing you can do except let the feeling pass for your cat on its own. Most of the time, scared cats can retreat to a quiet area to calm themselves down, or they will adjust to whatever new change made them scared. Petting them if they’ll let you can be one of the most effective ways to calm them down; otherwise you’ll just need to let them calm down on their own.

However, if your cat seems to be in obvious distress, they may not be scared at all, but may be suffering from a seizure or other medical condition. If this is the case, it’s best to contact your vet for advice on what could be wrong with your cat and if you need to bring them in.

A scared or nervous orange cat hiding under the couch.
Image Credit: Rawpixel | iStock / Getty Images.

Why Do Cats See Things We Can’t?

Your cat seems to stare down something in the darkness, hair erect, vision unstaggering—what exactly is causing this reaction? If they do it frequently in the home, it can really start to freak you out if it’s something you cannot perceive.

In comparison to humans, cats only have roughly 20–40% of the visual acuity we do. So, while they might not see better than we do, they outdo us in other ways. Cats are nearsighted, which actually works to their advantage for hunting purposes.

Cats also have six to eight more rods in their eyes than we do, making them much more efficient in low-light settings. So, if your cat is getting frisky in darker settings, they might just see something you cannot.

Cats also have a wider view than humans—they see roughly 200 degrees, while humans are capable of 180-degree visual fields. Again, this makes them sharp and efficient hunters, while humans don’t have the same instinct.

Lastly, cats have a tapetum lucidum, which helps to bring more light into the retina. It is also responsible for the reflection in a cat’s eyes when light hits it at night. However, cats don’t have the same color spectrum as humans, meaning they have fewer colors on their radar.

The Science Isn’t Foolproof

Regarding cats and what they can perceive, the science is still being determined. We don’t have all the information we need to determine just what cats can register that we cannot. However, we have some pretty good leads.

cat lying on the floor and looking up
Image Credit: DimaBerlin, Shutterstock

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Conclusion

The bottom line is that our cats see the world very differently than we do. We don’t quite understand exactly what they see, but science has uncovered some amazing things about our visual differences.

If your cat seems scared, they could be seeing something as simple as a weird reflection or experiencing something as serious as a seizure. Pay close attention to other signs to pinpoint what the trigger might be.


Featured Image Credit: Maistet, Shutterstock

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