# Cats on the bed - yes or no?



## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

In a previous post, it was mentioned that you shouldn't let your cats sleep with you for the sake of hygiene (shedding hair, litter tracking, accidents/vomit) and safety. While I suppose this is a good point, there's also the other side that they can make you more comfortable/calm and can actually save your life.

My ex husband's cat probably didn't save my life, but might just have prevented me from becoming disabled (or rather, more than I already am! LOL). Short version: She liked to sleep on my pillow, curled around my head. One morning I had a stroke (TIA), and at first thought she had gotten her claws stuck in my hair from kneading...it was when I realized that she wasn't up there, and it was my head feeling funky on it's own - and when I had lifted my hand to pet her, it was very shaky and uncoordinated - that I realized something serious was wrong. If I hadn't gotten to the hospital as soon as I did, I could have had serious issues from it.

I also heard of a story of a cat that incessantly meowed and licked her owner, when the girl had taken a pain pill to sleep with a heating pad on that short-circuited and started smoking and might have started a fire.

What's your opinion on the matter?


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

My cats are welcome on my bed anytime


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

My cats have free reign of my bed. I would be so sad if Sinatra didn't sleep with me.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Depends....we rely on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms to alert us. Both hubby and I need a good night's uninterupted sleep to function well the next day, so our cats always sleep in a separate room. Only for naps do they sleep with us, so they do get cuddle time and do love to be right under the blankets. But they can also be very disruptive if they think I should be getting up and feeding them or to play with meowing, walking on us, knocking stuff down off our dressers, pushing lamps over. So having them sleep separately works for us. They accept it as part of their routine to go to their room for the night and where they have their evening meal, as they have done this since they were kittens.


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

My cats are always welcome on the bed. Rochelle likes to sleep at the end of the bed near our feet, and Samantha (when she's not sleeping in her cat bed which is like 80% of the time) sleeps next to me or up on my pillow next to my head. We keep our girls well groomed, so shedding is almost a nil point, I've never seen any litter tracking outside of the bathroom (but if there was, the cats have to walk through the kitchen and computer room to get to us in the bedroom so any litter should be gone by that point), and even though I know accidents are always a concern, they aren't frequent enough to warrant me keeping the cats out of the bed (my cats have only vomited once in the time I've had them, and that's cause Samantha ate way too fast).

I understand the concerns, and I don't have any hate towards those that choose to keep their kitties off the bed. I just choose to let them up if they want to. I love snuggling with my kitties. <3


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

My beloved Pumpkin Patch used to sleep next to me all the time in my bed. She is the only cat out of the 4 I have had that did this. All the others either sleep in their own bed or only sleep near my legs or at the end of the bed. I like waking up and seeing my baby Oreo behind my leg or at my feet. If I sleep past 7am, she walks up to my head and starts nudging me to feed her. So cute and warm when she is sleeping against me.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

My suggestion for new cat owners is to just think really long and hard about whether they do or do not want their cat sleeping with them for the next fifteen years, so the cat knows that on the bed is ok or is not ok. And being creatures of habit, I don't think they like having something they are used to taken away which they wouldn't otherwise know to miss.

Unfortunately, I've been going back and forth being wishy washy. For alarms and such, I have better piece of mind with modern electronics, and with my kitties they are more likely to start a fire by knocking something over than alerting me heheh! 

Pros:
-Cats are nice and toasty
-Cuddling is fun for all
-Extra bonding time
-Seems to make kitties happiest

Cons:
-occasionally tracking litter dust and or poo if there is a misstep in the litterbox into your bed
-hair and dander left on sheets (and possibly even fleas)
-sheets can be damaged by claws while cats kneed or play
-playing on bed while you're trying to rest
-eating in reverse-mode on your sheets
-immobilizing a toss-turner sleeper since they like to nudge next to you
-meowing/poking your face at 5AM for some nomnoms. 
-awkwardness if you have guests over (especially if allergic since it will be concentrated in sheets)

For me the number and weight of the cons and having throw up by my head this morning at 5AM has finally made me be decisive that bed is me-time, and I do feel bad I have to take away something kitties were getting used to but at least I can say we gave it a try.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)




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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Ducman69, thanks, that short film is an absolute riot.

That said, for me sleeping on the bed is yes, yes yes. To each his/her own, but for me it is for mental health, not physical safety. The way Hersh tucks himself into me is extremely comforting. Little Hersh and Blizzy find nooks and crannies by my legs. It's a nightly ritual now. Does it immobilize me some? Sure, but when I awaken at night and realize they are there, it feels great and I go right back to sleep, smiling. Is it disruptive to be awakened by a cat washing my face at 4 am? Yes, but also flattering and there are many worse things in life (and by my turning my face away gently, he has stopped that particular practice). I will admit that when we all awaken in the morning and Hersh and Little Hersh start to bob and weave, certain body parts are at risk, but so far, so good!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

In the bed. Always. 
The only time I kick cats out of the bedroom is if they are being disruptive to my sleep. There have been a few cats that were permanantly banned from the bedrooms because they liked to play "blanket mouse" with feet, but most enjoy either sleeping w/ me at night or napping w/ me during the day.
_Our cats get their major canned-meal at night before bedtime so we are *never* awakened in the morning for cat-noms and they pay no attention to our alarms._


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Ducman - LOL I can understand your reasoning for not letting the cats with you. I'm not trying to say it's right or wrong, this is just more of a "poll" post.
Nebbie does have the habit of exploring my nightstand, so I have to be careful not to put anything up there I don't want knocked over... alarm clock, heavy lamp, and a water bottle that closes (she never tries to drink my water, just tips glasses over) are basically the only safe things.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

In the bed. Anything they bring with them will help you build a better immune system


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

Dave_ph said:


> In the bed. Anything they bring with them will help you build a better immune system


hahahahhahehehe!


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I wish I could have my cats sleep with us, and they desperately want to! Whenever we nap on the couch downstairs, they sleep all over us. 

The problem is, we tried it out for a few nights when we first got C+A, and Allegro kept waking us up in the middle of the night with his snuggles, kneading, and diesel engine purring. And both of them were playing/wrestling, knocking over water glasses and perfume bottles, and Allegro chewed up my husband's glasses. And THEN, when we kicked them out, they meowed loudly and scratched up the carpet outside the bedroom.

Once we have kids, we'll probably keep the baby crib in our room (our master bdrm is HUGE), so I don't want to have to deal with the cats being in there. 

After our kids grow old enough to have their own bedrooms, we'll definitely sleep with our kitties!


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

I've had two cats "claim" me in my life and each have always slept with me - either on my head or between my legs. 

Peach (my kitty that claimed me growing up) had dander, would snore horribly, and was slightly overweight in her latter years so that when she slept on my pillow she invariable suffocated me at times, but I would never give up that bonding time. It was very comforting for me to wake up in the middle of the night and feel her there next to me. I missed her so much when I moved out of my Mom's house that I got stuffed animals to have next to my head while I slept. That did nothing to fill the void. :-(

When we got Zoe she immediately knew that she was 'my' cat, and has totally bonded to me. She is everywhere I go, and I was thrilled when she started sleeping next to my head when she was a baby. Zoe is small (5lbs) and soft as a bunny, so she doesn't bother me. The only thing that does is when she sleeps between my legs and doesn't get the hint when I want her to move because my legs hurt from being in the same position for 7+ hours.

Asia is welcome to sleep with us, but she never has. Once every blue moon she will sleep between my husband's legs, but typically she sleeps on the dresser next to us. I think it's because when she was a kitten she would go crazy at night and annoy my husband, who she lived with, and he would lock her out of the bedroom.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

We allow the kitties to sleep on the bed when ever they want. Bob and Gracie tend to sleep near our feet off and on during the night. Molly never gets on the bed, although I think she would desperately like to (she is on the bottom of the kitty hierarchy).

Miss Baby and Missy have started to sleep under the covers with me. Missy starts out the night and Miss Baby has the end of the night shift..lol. 

Simba very rarley sleeps with us, but he can be a night time nuisance. He will knock things off of hubby's bedstand stand to try to get his attention. Of course hubby doesn't wake up, I do!!


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

paperbacknovel said:


> I Whenever we nap on the couch downstairs, they sleep all over us.


That's my compromise. Whenever outside of the bedroom, whether I'm working on the computer or chilling on the couch, they can snuggle up and sleep using their organic heated pillow (me). 

And that seems to work out, as the times I'm working is when they like to do their mid-day siestas and the like anyway, heh.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Every night all three of them get a chance to sleep in the room with us at night. Nito sleeps on my pillow every night. He's so good at cuddling! Around 5 AM he ways up and sits there watching my face. I have to hold very still, because any sort of movement sets off his morning food begging. He meows loudly, and gets Chica and Cinder going too. I usually wake up at around 5am to use the bathroom so I just kick them out and they can go cause trouble elsewhere in the house until I decide I want to feed them. 

Cinder sometimes cuddles and other times she is crazy and naughty. She gets booted from the room between 12 AM and 3 AM about 2 or 3 times a week. Naughty girl likes to knock everything off my desk, and scrounge for treats in my drawers. 

Chica rarely sleeps with me, preferring to sleep on the cat tree.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

During the week- Yes. Weekend- Pumpkin & Simone are locked out of my room!! It might be a little confusing to them, but they've accepted it. During the week, I do not mind be woken up a little early, but I like to catch up on my sleep on the weekend (not to say that I ever sleep past 10 am). I've just found that Simone tends to be a little whinier the mornings he couldn't sleep in my room. Pumpkin likes to sleep nestled in my pillows, but to be honest, I'm not sure where Simone sleeps (or if he spends the whole night eating for that matter!).


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

*Egypt sleeps on my bed and...*

Azalia will join her if the mood strikes, but for the most part, it's just Egypt. The cats know that when I get up they will get fed regardless of what that time may be. On the weekends, I sleep in late so they eat late...that's just it. They don't bother me about it. They just snuggle up and nap until it's breakfast time.


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

I loved that video. So funny. Geets will sleep with me in the morning for a little bit. He's usually trying to wake me up to feed him. Once in a while he'll knock the TV remote on my head, or the pen, or anything that's up on the shelf. Usually he claws at my face so I take my little pillows and put them over my head. Can't blame him sometimes though because I used to sleep real late because I went to sleep real late. Razzle doesn't sleep with me I think because I have the fan blowing on me, which he hates, maybe because I move around when I sleep, and now I have to use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. I have longed for a cat that would curl up on my pillow and sleep with me all night. When I go to bed Razzle goes into the living room and sleeps on my chair. Yes sometimes I find cat puck on my bed but that doesn't bother me because I love them so much. Razzle's white fur matches my quilt and bed sheets and Geets doesn't really shed on my bed. 

Kathy


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

My previous foster kitten, Agate, couldn't care less about my PAP machine. He would just snuggle up under my chin, when I wore it. In fact, I actually wore it more last month than usual, because he had a cold and would smear his snotty nose all over my face to nuzzle me...so the mask protected me from boogers! LOL
Nebbie doesn't mind it much either, but she usually snuggles at my hip area anyway.


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## horseplaypen (Apr 1, 2004)

When we first got our cats, we didn't let them in the bed at night because well, they were kittens and they shredded our down duvet and kept us awake all night. :? For two years they were fine with this, until they spent some time at my inlaws house, where they were allowed in the bed. Now that we're on our own again, they think it's their natural right to be on the bed so we let them. 

It definitely is nice to fall asleep to Ariel purring on my stomach, but I am a very light sleeper so every time they jump on or off the bed or move around I wake up - and the lack of sleep definitely affects me during the daytime. I wish they weren't accustomed to being in bed with people but they're so used to it now I would feel bad kicking them out.


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## NinjaCat (Oct 6, 2010)

When they were kittens, they weren't allowed in the bedrooms at night. They would keep us all night playing and pouncing on us. So they were confined to what we called the "bowling alley hallway" at night. During the day, however they could be in the bedrooms and on the beds if they wanted.

Once they got past the kitten stage they were/are allowed in bedrooms whenever they want. My bed is their bed. I've never had an issue with either hygiene or safety. They always get off the bed if you keep moving them around to much. They don't track litter or anything on the beds (and if they vomit or get feces on it, so what? Bedding's washable). Bedding is washed once a week in hot water. I use a Fur-Zoff on the bedding as needed before going to bed. 

Using the Fur-Zoff and washing bedding once a week in hot water is only because I'm allergic to cats. :-?


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

swimkris said:


> During the week- Yes. Weekend- Pumpkin & Simone are locked out of my room!! .


We are the exact opposite! Hubby has to get his sleep during the week, or he can't function at work... he lets them in when he gets up in the morning and they both come and cuddle with me for the next hour or so. On the weekend hubby is a night owl, so I sleep, kitties stay up and play with hubby and when he is ready to go to bed so are they.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, lots of people prefer not to sleep with their cats, since the cats keep them awake at night. Fully understandable. Am I the only one with the opposite problem? I would love Muffs and Abby to sleep with me. But, they don’t. I suspect it’s because I roll around too much in my sleep, and thus keep my cats awake at night. So, they prefer not to sleep with me! Sigh...


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## Annie99 (Oct 7, 2010)

Smirkitty said:


> My cats allow me to sleep on their bed. They even tell me when it is bedtime.


ha ha ha

yes. I love my cats on my bed.

Jenna has a very loud purr which makes me happy every time I hear it.


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## icatguy (May 15, 2010)

> it was mentioned that you shouldn't let your cats sleep with you for the sake of hygiene (shedding hair, litter tracking, accidents/vomit) and safety


I'm really sorry and I don't mean to cause any embarrassment; I don't know who first posted that and I don't really care; it's just that I just caught this thread, read those words quoted up there and just

BUSTED OUT LAUGHING SO HARD ....

it very nearly led to a coughing fit.


If I could tell you how LONG I've had to work on my girl cat to get her to sleep with me. And she sleeps on top....won't go under the covers; whereas one of my previous boy cats loved being under the covers....but he's no longer here.

Hygiene? for goodness sake......does this person have a cleaning service or a maid come in to clean up the cat vomit, empty and clean the litterboxes, clean wads and wads of cat hair out of refrigerator coils, and on, and on, and on.......

Barring any immune deficiency disease, all the above stuff is perfectly safe. What's really shocking is what lives in the sponge you use to wash your dishes with.


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## Annie99 (Oct 7, 2010)

icatguy said:


> What's really shocking is what lives in the sponge you use to wash your dishes with.



too true and all the chemicals in cleaning products.

And people worry about a few cat hairs

Pffft!


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

icatguy said:


> If I could tell you how LONG I've had to work on my girl cat to get her to sleep with me.


Thats your problem.

You have to play hard to get.

The french-fry on your plate is never as delicious as the forbidden one on your friend's plate that she really really wants. Kick her off the bed a few times, make it appear you're trying to keep her out, and then she'll insist on it. :wink


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

icatguy said:


> Hygiene? for goodness sake......does this person have a cleaning service or a maid come in to clean up the cat vomit, empty and clean the litterboxes, clean wads and wads of cat hair out of refrigerator coils, and on, and on, and on.......
> 
> Barring any immune deficiency disease, all the above stuff is perfectly safe.


I volunteer at a cat shelter, and I absolutely LOVE it. Yes, it's actually mostly work with some play with the kitties, and sometimes HARD work...but still rewarding. Other volunteers come in and think it'll be "fun", then quit after a couple times when they realize they have to actually sweep the floor of fur fluffs, wipe up vomit and diarrhea messes, deal with cats using their legs as scratching posts (or whole body towers, as we have a lot of shoulder perchers)... and what amazes me most of all, is how many people offer to help, that are allergic to cats! HELLO? What part of "help out at our _*cat*_ shelter" did they miss? So then they quit because it makes them sick.

I admit I have started wearing rubber gloves (like the hospital little disposable ones), simply for the fact it's just more convenient. I don't mind touching puked up hairballs and stuff, but having to wipe/wash my hands so often takes up time. And litter gets stuck under my fingernails from scooping sometimes. So I just wear gloves, then was my hands ONCE when I'm all finished.


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Susan said:


> Am I the only one with the opposite problem? I would love Muffs and Abby to sleep with me. But, they don’t. I suspect it’s because I roll around too much in my sleep, and thus keep my cats awake at night. So, they prefer not to sleep with me! Sigh...


Nope, I have that problem too.... I keep so still if they grace me with their presence, but it's extremely rare that they will come to bed with us and stay there. On the weekends Fern will come under the covers shortly before we get up, and snuggle with me, and I feel so special!

Yes, they do wake us up in the middle of the night sometimes wanting to play.... We just roll over and ignore them and they stop. I would never kick my babies out of the room just because they come up to me looking for attention!


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

I'm a sleep mover. Fay stays away from me because she's been elbowed and rolled over. I put a 'Quiet Time' bed in my bed so she has a safe place to sleep and she's back to sleeping there though she'll ocassionally, like this morning, move up next to me but still keps a foot between us.


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## icatguy (May 15, 2010)

Ducman69 said:


> ....You have to play hard to get....


Ya, for sure .... funny, isn't it? You want a cat to stay out of a room; closing the door doesn't work. A closed door is always an invitation for a cat to find out what's going on in there, and you're going to hear a door being scratched to get let in. :roll:

I've tried that, Ducman......you don't know my Ms Em. She's coming around, though. I like to think I'm more stubborn than she is. :smile:


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## Goobr (Aug 10, 2010)

Ducman69 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q


Ducman, that was absolutely hilarious. I viewed it about 0530 this morning and about spit coffee out my nose. LOL I've forwarded the link to my sisters whom are "kitteh friendly". 

My orange boyz, Rex and Hoss, aren't quite a year old yet but there's no way I would deny them the foot of my bed. They are sort of like wearing furry slippers at night while curled around my feet. It's mutually inclusive, I love my boyz, they love me. 

Now, Sat/Sun mornings are a different thing when I can sleep in past 0500 and they're up ready to eat and play like they do during the week. Yep, I usually get the baseball bat upside the head like the youtube vid. LOLOL That vid is so me and the boyz. I wouldn't trade it for the world.


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## Annie99 (Oct 7, 2010)

icatguy said:


> Ya, for sure .... funny, isn't it? You want a cat to stay out of a room; closing the door doesn't work. A closed door is always an invitation for a cat to find out what's going on in there, and you're going to hear a door being scratched to get let in. :roll:
> :smile:


ha ha ha

so true 

The best way to get attention is to READ THE NEWSPAPER, WE HAVe a big one here called the Sydney morning Herald which you need to spread out.
I can guarantee you will have a cat on it within 1 minute!!!!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Can't read the newspaper? Don't get me started! I have a small pile of newspapers next to the couch in the family room. Am determined to read them. No matter how much time I give the kittehs, as soon as I pick up a newspaper to read, I start counting, and I can't even get to 10 before one of them PLOPS into my lap. Then it's two. I end up with three, most times. Ever try to read a newspaper--or do anything, for that matter-- with three cats trying to get comfy on you? Not that I'm complaining, but...

I think I'll have to get me an iPad for the holidays. Let them sit on THAT!


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## Annie99 (Oct 7, 2010)

NewRescueDad said:


> I think I'll have to get me an iPad for the holidays. Let them sit on THAT!


oh you silly man ; -)

don't you know cats love I-pads.!!!!

google cats and ipads and yes, cat LOVE THEM!!!


ha ha ha


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## SlightChanceOfFurries (Oct 1, 2010)

In my years as an analyst, I have discovered cats can often gain a sense of comfort from being essentially "spooned" while in the bed. However, in such a case, one must be certain not to fall asleep in such a position as the potential for rolling over and suffocating that cat may become a serious concern.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

WhiteKitties said:


> Yes, they do wake us up in the middle of the night sometimes wanting to play.... We just roll over and ignore them and they stop.


Yeah, see, Buttercup's idea of midnight play involves administering foot reflexology therapy, in which she mimics acupuncture of my feet through the sheets with her claws. 

I have not yet learned to appreciate the therapeutic affect while clenching my teeth into my pillow, and so they get the insta-boot.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

Of course the cats sleep on the bed; we took a democratic vote and I lost... :lol:


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