Many vet practices have separate cat wards, but not all provide hospitalised cats with a hiding place in their kennel. Cats have 3 ways of coping with stressful situations – escape, hide, or go ‘up high’. Since a kennel environment prevents escape, emphasis should be placed on providing a hiding place and, if possible, a corner shelf from which to observe their surroundings without fear of approach from behind. Research has shown that providing a ‘Hide and Perch’ box, as opposed to an open cat bed, improves rescue cats’ welfare and reduces their stress levels. They were also more likely to get along well together. The UK’s Cats Protection charity have developed a cat hide to mimic this in the veterinary hospital – www.cats.org.uk/cat-care