Should you allow pets to sleep in your bed?

Hi everyone and welcome to Val Talk’s Pets.  
Question…  Do you let your dog, cat or both, sleep in your bed?  Many pet parents do, but it is surprising how often the question “Should you allow pets to sleep in your bed?” is asked.    

Snuggle up with your fur baby, and let’s find out. 

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about the show, please drop me a line here.

Sleeping on the bed when we are not in it. 

Cats

I think to clarify, there are two options for dogs and cats sleeping on our beds.  Cats often will sleep on a bed when no one is in it and dogs as well.   Let’s explore first the idea of our pets sleeping on our beds when we are not in it.  I’ll begin with cats.  

I think just about everyone who has or has had a cat will have found their feline on the bed.  To me, it is pretty much a given that the cat will be on the bed.  When I got Rory he was a little 9-week-old kitten.  He showed his independence right away.  I let him out of the carrier and he went to explore.  He went out of sight and went to find him.  Guess where he was?  On the bed!  This little kitten ball was on the bed with his little paws folded in front of him.  I took a photo and it’s my screen saver. 

But, how did he know right away, that this is where he wanted to plunk himself?  What drew him to the bed right away without having even been in the house for an hour?  Well, one answer is that he already knew about the benefits of a bed.  He was housed with his mother and siblings in one of the bedrooms in the house where I got him.  So, it stands that being on the bed is something he already knew.  And this speaks to one of the reasons cats like to be on the bed. 

Reasons cats like to be on the bed.  

According to vetexplainspets.com, cats often seek out the bed because it is cozy and comfortable and a great place for a nap.  Other reasons include the familiar scent of us in bed and because cats often bond strongly with their humans, which makes them feel closer to their humans when they are out of the house.  Vetexplainspets.com also points out that it could be a territorial thing where they are claiming a space. 

Sometimes if Rory is on the bed when we are going to bed, Tundra will come in thinking he will join the party on the bed and Rory will get up and meow at him walking around the bed to thwart Tundra’s effort to come on the bed.  He’s even given him a non-claw swat.  I would say that is territorial.  “This is my bed with my humans, go lie on the floor!”  But, many times they also share too.  And one other reason is the idea of routine.  Cats will often create a routine where they wait for their human to leave and then pop on the bed.  I see this routine play out with Rory.  

Is it a problem?

When asked outright whether your cat sleeping on your bed when you are not in it, is a problem, vetexplainspets.com states, “It’s generally not a cause of concern if your cat sleeps on your bed when you’re not around.  It’s a natural behaviour for cats to seek out familiar and comforting spaces in your absence.”  I guess it’s up to the individual whether it bothers you if your cat is on the bed.  I think one issue is the oil in their fur leaving a sort of hue on the bedspread.  If that happens I found having kitty mats placed where they generally sleep, deals with that. 

What about dogs sleeping on the bed when I’m not in it?

Dogs will gravitate to sleeping on your bed for most of the same reasons as cats do.  They seek comfort, your scent and it’s a good routine.  When we first got Tundra and were expanding his freedom, the more we learned about him, the more we wanted to see how he would do on his own. We set up a camera and went to a little restaurant 6 minutes from the house.  There we watched him on the app and saw he was pretty chill. And then we took our eyes off the camera for a second and he disappeared. 

We watched and watched but didn’t see him in the living room anywhere.  So, my husband drove home and went into the house to find him. Guess where he was?  On the bed!  So, yes, Tundra goes on the bed when he feels like it.   The only drawback is that he does lie in the dirt outside, so I do put a towel on the bed and he lies on that, which I can pitch in the wash regularly.  I don’t mind.  He’s comfy.  

What about cats and dogs sleeping with us?

Now, let’s get to the controversial part of pets sleeping on the bed, and that is when you are sleeping in the bed.  This is a question that is asked a lot.  Should I let my dog or cat sleep in the bed with me?  Let’s start with cats.

Should a cat sleep with you in bed?

Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of having your cat sleep with you.

Pros

I’ll look at some of the pros as set out by catster.com

One of the benefits of having your cat sleep with you is the therapeutic benefits.  Who doesn’t love cuddling with your kitty?  As we have often heard petting a cat or dog for that matter can be relaxing and “lower blood pressure, lessen stress and promote healing” Studies suggest that a cat’s purr can do all this as well.  Rory doesn’t usually cuddle when we go to bed, but he’ll sneak up in the middle of the night and snuggle in.  Also, on mornings when I don’t have to get up, he’ll come in and especially in the winter, he’ll paw at the covers, and I’ll let him in, and he’ll snuggle up against me and go sound to sleep.  Sometimes, he’ll come up and lie down beside me, and I’ll open my eyes and he’s right there with his head on the pillow, silently watching me.  

Another pro set out by Catster is the heat benefit.  There is nothing like a purring, soft hot water bottle up against you when the temperature is chilly. 

As well, allowing your cat to sleep with you is a really good bonding experience.  This trust and affection are all worth a little cat hair in the bed.

Now this pro is a good one from Catster.  As we know, cats are often up at night, and a cat that decides to have the zoomies or flip toys around at 3 am is not necessarily welcome.  But, if the cat is allowed to sleep with us, there is a possibility that it will adopt our sleep routine.  That’s a bonus!

Cons

As for the cons, let’s look at what Catster has set out.

I think this one is probably a given.  Having a cat sleep on or in the bed will increase cat hair and possibly some kitty litter that has been tracked from their paws.  I think an obvious thing would be that if someone were to have an allergy to cats they shouldn’t let the cat sleep in the bed.  It was mentioned by Catster that having a cat on the bed either sleeping with you or just using it as their napping place does mean that they could have an accident, especially with hairballs and throw up on your bed.  Yup, I think all cat owners are nodding their heads right now.  

And if you are a robust sleeper let’s say, it may be safer if the cat doesn’t sleep with you to avoid getting hit or rolled on.  

Dogs sleeping with you.

Let’s take a look now at the pros and cons of having our dog sleep with us.

Pros

According to dogsandclogs.com, research has shown that sleeping with your dog can improve your sleep and not just yours, but your dog’s as well.  A night of good sleep will reach a threshold of 80% sleep efficiency.  Studies found that in humans the sleep efficiency was 81% when sleeping with a dog, and the dog’s was 85%.  

Another perk would be that being near your dog could release a rush of oxytocin, aka “happiness hormones”.  

Just like cats, sleeping with your dog strengthens bonds and the dog feels very much a part of the pack.  

The other thing dogs and clogs set out is the feeling of security your dog can give you.  Dogs are generally light sleepers, so they can alert their sleeping human quickly if something is amiss.  

Dogs also help with not feeling lonely.  Just knowing they are there as a companion can go a long way to easing that feeling of loneliness.  

Cons

On the flip side, let’s take a look at some of the cons of having your dog sleep with you. 

Dogs have some unpleasant sleeping habits that can interrupt your sleep.  Dog and clogs point out that dogs can hog the bed.  I find this.  Tundra insists on lying across the bed not lengthwise.  This means I can hardly get in the bed and have to push his bum to straighten him up so I can get in.  They also can snore, twitch, dream and get up in the middle of the night, waking you as they jump down.  

There is also the issue of fur on or in the bed.  And as I deal with them, they can be dirty from their outside time.  They can also bring fleas, ticks and spiders into your bed as they are in the dog’s fur without knowing it.  

But, the bottom line, is that there isn’t any serious reason to not let your dog sleep in bed with you.  The old thought that this would set up the dog to think it is Alpha has long been disputed and thrown into the rubbish bin.  It comes down to your preference.  We let Tundra join us for a little while on the bed and usually, he will get down on his own, mostly because he is too warm, or we will tell him it’s time to get down so we can get snuggled into sleep.  He’s a big dog, so he takes up quite a bit of room.  

In conclusion

So, is it okay to sleep with your dog or cat?  The answer is, yes it is.  Is it okay to let your cat or dog sleep on the bed when you are not in it?  Yes, it is. There are some drawbacks with the hair or fur, washing sheets more frequently, perhaps your dog twitching and whining through a dream, but these are things that are either accepted by you or managed by you.  Everyone has their rules and preferences but if your preference is to have your dog or dogs even, in bed with you at night, then so be it.  Enjoy their warmth, their cuddles, their gentle breathing or not, as they sleep.  And probably a relaxing toot or two.  It’s all up to you.  Because a good snuggle with your fur baby is all about knowing and caring.  And isn’t that what I always say?!

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about the show, please drop me a line here.

Tagged as: should you let your dog sleep with you,  should you let your cat sleep with you.