# Can you teach cats to sleep nicely with you?



## Buggzter (Jun 28, 2011)

My cats would LOVE to sleep in our bed... Smudge was allowed for one night shortly after we got him. All night he was up and down, laying by our faces, walking all over the bed and us as we tried to sleep, and wouldn't quit trying to sleep on us for 2 minutes before moving again.

Smudge is now more than 5 months old. Gandolf is only 10 weeks... Smudge likes to lie during the day on the foot of the bed, although Gandolf just likes to play in our room. 

I would like to let them sleep in my room, but is there a way to teach them to behave at night? Any suggestions in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I want to make them as happy as I can, and I think being able to sleep in our room might be a GREAT way to do so.

Only other caveat will be I have a baby who is due to be born within 4 months. He won't be sleeping in our bed, but we WILL be up and down quite a bit for months at night while the baby is really really young. So that has to be figured into the whole picture. Once the baby is sleeping through most of the night if not the whole night, would the be a better time to let them start sleeping with us? I don't worry about them jumping in the crib, as it will be HIGH bars off the floor and they don't go on the bird cage - thus why would they go on the baby "cage"? 

THANKS!!!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Lolz.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Bad_cancer said:


> Well. I managed to teach them to sleep nice, by doing a little routine.
> 
> I let them come in and as soon as they start to jump around I say no! If they do it again, I take them out of the room and leave them outside for the rest of the night (walking and moving around is fine, but no heavy movements). It took about 2weeks, but it worked. They sleep nice now.


Yes! I did the exact same thing. First night Ice slept with us, he jumped and run over our faces and my bf got pretty ugly scratches on his forehead (it could have been serious, I know!). So we started the "come in, if you mess up you all go out" routine and after 2, 3 weeks he learned he has to behave. It is kind of exhausting to go to bed, get up, take all the cats out, then put up with their cries outside the room (earplugs) but it is worth it. 

I bet the rest of the cats were not really happy about going out because of Ice's fault haha 

Good luck!


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## cdesign (Sep 12, 2011)

I had two cats previously that slept with me all the time. I taught them they had to sleep down by my feet, but sometimes would end up between my legs. I put a throw blanket on the bed and trained them they had to be on the blanket. It worked great for 7 years. If either would start cleaning themselves (which woke me), I would shake the bed or reach down and hold their body. Usually they would stop or get off for a while. 

My new cat Shadow. Hmmm is she still new, since we had her a year nearly? She is about 18 month old stray we took in. I haven't been as particular with her. She kneeds before she lays down, and lays anywhere in the bed (bug generally at my feet or against my stomach). If I move too much, she is off the bed. She only comes in for a few hours at a time. I do need to train her to stay on the throw blanket. I tried to make her stop cleaning once like I would do with the other cats, and she bit me  So I don't do that anymore. She slept at my head one time, but glad she didn't continue to do it. I actually have allergies to cats, but love them.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

My cats never go to bed with me. They were always too busy playing at that time. Every time when I wake up, I will find them sleeping next to me, or on me. The second they saw me open my eyes, they start purring and rubbing. Very sweet 

I think giving the kitty some food before you go to bed can calm them down a bit.


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## ptomas (Aug 22, 2011)

Havent had much experience with kittens, only adult cats. When I first got mine they would play alot at night, still do some nights. I would play with them with a wand toy for about 30 minutes before bed to wear them out. helped them sleep through the night. 

My one cat used to like to sleep at my feet since his previous owner taught him that. I would just scoop him up and curl my arm around him. He now curls up in my arm to sleep and when the other cat started to seek more affection she started to do the same. I end up with two cats curled up in my arm or if I toss and turn at night they just lay next to my shoulder.


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## Salt and Peppy (Sep 17, 2011)

I never didn't allow my cats to sleep in my bed. My Lionel (RIP, baby) would sleep on me, but it didn't bother me because he was still. And, he only slept on me for part of the night. He would be at my feet when I woke up. I remember kicking him a few times, by accident, and he would just go right back to sleep.

Maybe when yours are a little older, they will calm down at night. Or, you can try to tire them out during the day, so they sleep all night. But, good luck with that. LOL! They tend to make their own schedule.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Each cat if different, Samantha would spend time on the bed with me but as soon as I turned out the light she'd jump off and go to one of her many spots in the house, mainly the chair outside the bedroom door.
Her predecessor Meme always slept with me, her favorite trick was to sleep against my back, by mourning she'd be in the middle of the bed and I'd be on the edge in danger of falling off.


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## bkitty (Aug 17, 2009)

Most of the time the crew sleep nicely with me BUT I get rather peeved when the smurgling starts. Methos likes to curl up right against my front & will grab a chunk of hair to slobber over. Bentley sleeps right between the pillows and snores. PuddyWow smurgles when he is settling down & no matter how blunt I've trimmed his claws he still will manage to pierce the blanket. And no matter hoiw stealthy Sasquatch is draping himself across my feet - a 17 lb kitty will feel like an anchor weighing a ton. And Tufty is prone to stretch out to full length. Pixel sleeps on top the hubby, which is his problem. I need a bigger bed. Done whining now.


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## ptomas (Aug 22, 2011)

bkitty, thats a lot of cats. I like the sasquatch name.


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## princessbear (May 19, 2011)

As I sit here, awake since about 4 am because Mimi once again has woken me up with heat butts/rubbing all over my face, I feel the pain of lack of sleep from kitty wakeups. That said, there is NO way I wouldn't let her sleep with me. When she wakes me up I pet and snuggle with her - which I know encourges her to continue to do it. It just doesn't bother me enough to discourage it. I mean, how on earth can I push her away when she is showing me affection (actually, I think it's really just her telling me she is hungry, but snuggles are snuggles)? I just can't. So I deal with it by taking naps when possible. There is nothing like a kitty that wants to snuggle with you!!


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## cloa513 (Jul 3, 2011)

Is your room totally dark? Cats can't see in total darkness so they can easily move and anyway its a clear signal to sleep. If you have moonlight or streetlights or other light, get some heavy curtains and block out the light.


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