Yes — hiding is the standard first response for a cat in a new home, and in the first days it is usually a healthy sign rather than a problem. A cat who hides is processing an enormous change the only way she knows how, and most come out in their own time: first at night, then for meals, then, finally, to supervise you properly.
Why new cats hide
Everything your cat relied on to feel safe has vanished at once — familiar smells, known hiding places, the humans she recognised. Under the bed or behind the sofa is not rejection of you; it is her rebuilding a sense of control. Some cats bounce out within hours, but many confident, happy long-term pets spent their first three or four days as a pair of eyes in the dark under a dresser. Shelter staff see this constantly, and it says nothing about how your relationship will turn out.
Set up a hiding-friendly starter room
Give her one small room rather than the run of the house. Put food, water, and a litter box near — but not right beside — her chosen hiding spot, plus a scratching post and a cardboard box or covered bed as an official, approved hideout. A hiding place you provide is better than one inside the sofa mechanism. Leave a worn item of your clothing nearby so your smell becomes part of the safe landscape.
Visit regularly and make visits boring and pleasant. Sit on the floor at her level, read or scroll your phone, talk softly, and let her watch you doing nothing threatening. Toss a high-value treat in her direction without looking directly at her, then leave it. Curiosity plus an empty room is a powerful combination; most cats start exploring the moment the house goes quiet.
What not to do
Do not drag her out to be held, have visitors queue up to meet her, or let children reach under furniture for her. Being extracted from a hiding place teaches her that hiding does not work and you are not predictable — the two lessons that make hiding last longest. Block genuinely dangerous hideouts, like recliner mechanisms and open chimneys, but otherwise let her choose.
When hiding needs a vet's input
Hiding alone is normal; hiding combined with warning signs is not. Contact your veterinarian promptly if she has not eaten at all for a couple of days, has not used the litter box, is drooling, vomiting, breathing oddly, or seems to deteriorate rather than slowly improve. Cats who skip meals entirely can become unwell, so appetite is the number to watch — your vet is the right judge, not guesswork.
A quiet safety net while she settles
While she settles, KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System stands ready free in her profile: if a startled new cat ever bolts through a door, the alert shows on the map, and a finder can message you directly through the alert. Knowing that net exists makes the wobbly first days calmer for you, too. You would use her Lost Pet Alert System coverage on KinsLe only if she truly cannot be found indoors or has slipped out: the alert is there at no cost, while anyone finding her can reach you with a direct message.