Diary of a Cat Mom
Diary of a Cat Mom is a reflective cat podcast created and hosted by Dagmar Gatell about understanding cats more deeply β and creating a calmer, more connected life for both you and your cats.
Based on real experiences caring for over 50 cats throughout her life, each episode shares quiet observations, emotional moments, caregiving reflections, and gentle insights from everyday life with cats. From routines, behavior, and emotional wellbeing to grief, gratitude, overstimulation, trust, and the small meaningful moments many people overlook β this is not a traditional βhow-toβ podcast, but a space for understanding, awareness, and lived experience.
Beyond cat care itself, Diary of a Cat Mom also explores our connection to nature, emotional presence, personal growth, and the way our inner state can influence the animals who share our lives. Because living with cats is never only about feeding and routines β itβs also about energy, safety, trust, patience, and how we show up emotionally in the spaces we create together.
Created for cat lovers who see their cats as family, this podcast offers companionship, reassurance, perspective, and emotional support during seasons of caregiving, uncertainty, healing, change, and letting go.
Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal storytelling podcast and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and medical or behavioral concerns should always be discussed with a trusted veterinarian or qualified professional.
Youβre not alone on this journey.
Weβre learning, loving, and growing together β one paw print at a time.
Diary of a Cat Mom
Ep. 62 - Why Your Cat Suddenly Hides π±π
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
When my beautiful white ragdoll cat SnowWhite suddenly started hiding underneath the bed for days, I feared the worst.
Was she sick? In pain? Preparing to leave the world?
As cat parents, we know how frightening sudden behavior changes can be, especially in senior cats. But what I eventually discovered had nothing to do with illness and everything to do with trust, stress, and how our cats experience the care we give them.
In this episode of Diary of a Cat Mom, I share the emotional journey of understanding why SnowWhite was hiding and the simple change that helped her feel safe again.
What You'll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode
- Why cats sometimes suddenly start hiding
- How stress can change your cat's behavior
- Why medical treatments can affect trust
- How cats create associations with people and experiences
- Ways to make caring for a sick cat less stressful
- When hiding may be related to fear versus illness
Timestamps & Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Why Your Cat Suddenly Hides
00:28 When SnowWhite Started Hiding
01:10 My Fear as a Cat Mom
01:45 The Real Reason She Was Avoiding Me
02:15 How I Rebuilt Her Trust
02:45 The Lesson I Learned About Caring for Sick Cats
This is where Iβve gathered everything that supports me and my cats:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/
About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast
Diary of a Cat Mom is a quiet, personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments, emotions, and experiences from life with cats.
This space is meant for connection, comfort, and companionship. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom and is not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, itβs always best to consult your trusted veterinarian.
Most of all, please remember:
Youβre not alone on this journey. Weβre learning, loving, and growing together β one paw print at a time.
Diary of a catma Today's diary entry while your cat suddenly hides. You're listening to diary of a cat. Your cat suddenly starts hiding underneath the bed and your mind immediately goes to fear. Are they sick? Are they in pain? Are they preparing to leave the world? That's exactly what happened with my cat Snow White. Snow White, she is a beautiful white ragdoll cat. She's loving, social, affectionate, and normally always close to me. But suddenly she started hiding underneath the bed. Not for a few hours, but for dates. She didn't want to come out anymore and I could not understand why. I started getting really worried because she's older now, and as cat mums, we know that when older cats suddenly isolate themselves, it can feel terrifying. I thought maybe something scared her. Or maybe she didn't feel well. Or maybe she wanted to quietly separate herself, you know, from the world. And honestly, I had to start preparing for something bad. But then I realized something. A few days earlier I had started giving her thyroid medicine by mouse and she absolutely hated it. That's when it clicked. Snow White wasn't hiding because she stopped loving me, she was hiding because she connected my hands with stress. And in her mind, Anise the bed became the one place where she could feel safe from me and that the medicine. So I changed everything. Instead of giving her the medicine by mouth, I started putting it into her food. But it still took a few days for her to trust that she was safe again. And little by little she stopped hiding. She came back out, she became herself again. My loving, social snow white returned. This experience made me realize something important. When our cats are sick, they already don't feel like themselves. And sometimes the way we give care can accidentally create even more fear and stress for them. So from now on, whenever possible, I will ask for liquid medication. Because that can be mixed into food much more easily. Not because I want the easy way for me, but because I want my cats to continue feeling safe with my touch, my hands, and my sometime pull off means slowing down enough to understand what our cats are trying to tell us. Thank you for being here with me. This is Diary of a Cat Mom. Don't miss the next entry. There's always another little moment, another lesson, another story waiting to be shared. I will talk to you in the next entry. Diary of a cat mom.