Harboring a Fugitive

It's been so unseasonably warm here the last few days that I've taken to opening up my windows in the evening to let in fresh air. Nico loves to sit on my bedroom window ledge and look out over the parking lot. I noticed that whenever anyone walks on the pathway along the front of the building he jumps down so that they don't see him. As soon as they're gone, he jumps back up to his little perch. I feel like he's hiding out. Do you think animals can sense when their owners don't pay the apartment pet deposit?