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Should you let your cat sleep with you?
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What cats do while we are sleeping
Do you allow your cat to sleep with you? Do you wake up every morning with your back or neck hurting? Think it's arthritis or your mattress' fault? Think again!
Cats are nocturnal creatures by nature, that is why most cats sleep alot during the day. It is true that cats can be very loyal and can provide much needed companionship to their owners, especially if they are living alone. However, while it can be comforting to snuggle up with your cat at night, it might not actually be the best way to get a good night's rest. Some, like myself, allow their cats to sleep with them, but is this really a good thing to do?
Ever wonder what your cat does while you are sleeping? Usually, a cat who is allowed to sleep on his master's bed will turn in a circle a few times then lay down and curl up into a ball. You may think that your cat will stay asleep with you all night long but then you wake up to find your cat laying on your chest, lower back, your neck or even on your face! Some cats wake up their owners by sticking a paw in their faces or tickle them with their whiskers. Others will lick their owners' noses with their sandpaper tongue, meow loudly, scratch at the corner of the bed or find some other annoying way to wake him or her up.
Besides the obvious advantages of companionship and affection that cats provide to their owners, cats seem to have an uncanny ability to sense when their owners are lonely or sad. They will try to be close to them and comfort them in their time of need. On the other hand, if you are not alone, you and your partner may want to have some intimate time together. Sharing your bed with a cat in those circumstances would be neither romantic nor practical. And while you may be a catlover, your partner might not be as fond of them and may find having a cat in bed with you objectionable. If your cat is used to sleeping with you and suddenly gets kicked off the bed or even out of the room he may wonder why he is made to leave you and feel rejected.
Carlos and his owner
Some owners allow their cats to sleep in the same room with them but not on their bed. To successfully accomplish this, the cat will have to be trained to sleep on her own bed early on. Once a cat has been allowed to sleep with you it is nearly impossible to train her to accept a cat bed. Too many owners decide, after years of letting their cat sleep with them, to buy him a nice fluffy cat bed, only for the cat to snub his nose at the thing and head straight back up on the owner's bed. If you put the cat bed in another room the cat will probably scratch and meow at your bedroom door until you give in and let him back in the room.
While most of what I have said so far applies to adult owners with grown cats, special care needs to be taken when children or kittens are involved. Read on:
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not all cats are as tolerant to a small child's abuse as Monty
Letting your adult cat sleep with your child is probably not a good idea for much of the same reasons as mentioned above. You want your child to get as much restful sleep as possible. Never allow your cat to sleep in your baby's crib. Infants are at risk from being smothered by a cat making herself comfortable on the child's face. Even older children could end up with some nasty scratches or bites if they try and move the cat to get out of an uncomfortable position. Infact, babies and toddlers should not be left unsupervised with pets. Small children don't always know how to properly interact with cats and may pet them roughly or pick them up wrong prompting the cat to scratch or bite the child.
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