kitten hiding spots

Hi everyone, I just brought home Bob, a 3 month old tuxedo rescue, and I am a bit worried about his safety with our other cat, Luna (7 calico). Luna is very territorial and I have noticed Bob trying to hide under the bed or behind the sofa when she walks by. I know he is young and needs to feel safe, but where is the best place for a new kitten to hide when the other cat is around? I want to make sure he isn't trapped or stressed. Any advice on creating a safe zone would be appreciated. I am trying to be very patient with the introduction.

Short answer: high places. My Maine Coon Bear is 2 and still likes to perch on top of the bookshelf. A 3 month old will likely want vertical escape routes. Check out Do kittens need high places or is floor okay? for some ideas on wall shelves. Floor hiding spots can feel like traps if another cat blocks the exit. Get a tall cat tree or install some floating shelves near a quiet corner.

Heather is right about vertical space, but don't forget the classic 'room separation' method. Since Bob is only 3 months, I would actually keep him in a separate room for the first few days. I do this for all my fosters, you can see the setup in Setting up my foster room for new intakes. It includes a litter box, food, water, and a hide box. This prevents the older cat from bullying the new one while they get used to each other's scent. Once they are calm, you can swap places or open the door with a baby gate.

I don't think you need a whole room. My two Bengals are 6 and they fight over the best spot. I built some sturdy hideouts out of plywood and covered them with carpet. See Built some sturdy hideouts for my Bengals for the specs. A good hiding spot is just a box or a small enclosed area where the kitten can retreat. Make sure it's not in a hallway where traffic is high. If the older cat is aggressive, the kitten needs a place the older cat can't easily reach.

It is so important to let the kitten choose the spot. Olive, my 5 year old DSH, used to hide in the laundry basket when we first brought her home. She was food sensitive and a bit shy, so I just left the basket in a quiet corner and let her emerge when she was ready. You can read about our slow introduction in Introducing Olive to the new house cat. Don't force Bob out. If he is hiding under the bed, that is his safe place for now. Just make sure Luna can't corner him there.

I use baby gates to control access. My diabetic cat Copper (5 rust) needs to stay out of the kitchen, and my deaf cat Orchid (3 white) gets spooked easily. A standard gate isn't enough because cats jump. I found some tall mesh gates that work well. Check Gates that actually stop cats from jumping over for the type I recommend. You can put a gate at the door to the room where Bob is hiding. This way, Luna can smell him but not physically reach him. It's a good middle ground between full separation and free roaming.

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. I think I will try the separate room idea first, as fourrescues suggested, because Bob is very small and Luna is quite large. I will also look into the baby gate option to see if it is feasible in our hallway. It is nice to know that some people have had similar experiences with shy rescues. I will update you on how it goes.