Cats/dogs on the bed - what are your thoughts?

Gloomendoom

Had cats and dogs.

Cats on the bed OK. Dogs on the bed not OK.

NoAngel

kloana wrote: »

Don't really have any opinion on the hygiene side of things, but...

...I'll never forget a news report I saw about 5 years ago. Woman was letting her beloved, mild-mannered greyhound sleep in her bed with her, and had done for many years. One night, the dog got 'spooked' (bad dream?), lashed out, and pretty much bit the woman's face off. Horiffic injuries.

Of course it was nobody's fault (she kept the dog), and it could have happened outside of bed, too, but after hearing about that, I'd be nervous of being in such close, unguarded proximity to a dog in such an 'intimate' setting.

My dog is a total grump. He was obviously mistreated in his previous home and whilst DH likes to cuddle him in bed, I'm not keen as I am a little nervous that something like this is possible. So he normally sleeps on the floor, but occasionally I'll go to cuddle DH and realise he's spooning the dog...

valk_scot

Three cats here...they all sleep on all the beds in rotation during the day but at night two sleep on our bed and the third one sleeps in a cold draughty corner of the hall for some reason. Of the two that sleep with me (they never go near OH's side!) one sleeps across the top of my pillow behind my head and the other one prefers under the duvet down near my feet. It's better than one of my previous cats though, she liked to sleep on top of my chest. It's no doubt a bit unhygenic but I've not caught anything yet and tbh the miserable yowling if I shut them out the bedroom is ten times worse. It's not like I'm licking them or anything and they're indoor cats so they don't get the chance to pick up fleas or worms.

I'd never sleep with a dog though. I'm a lot less keen on dogs than cats!

Gloomendoom

valk_scot wrote: »

I'd never sleep with a dog though. I'm a lot less keen on dogs than cats!

It's not too bad if you don't mind wearing a gas mask to sleep in.

TeamLowe

I've put 'don't mind' cos really its his choice! Lol he only seems to sleep on the bed when I'm alone- I'm one of very few people I reckon to have a guard kitty.
If its cold he'll sleep on DH who is a natural heatsource, like a volcano.
He usually sleeps on the floor at the side of the bed, if we shut him out he whines periodically then sleeps right next to the door bless him.

Oh, and we've recently discovered that he's taken to opening the divan drawer and sleeping in that. Just glad it's the one with our 'dirty jobs' clothes and not the one with the clean linen. Only when we're out though, can only tell cos he leaves it open...

KxMx

On the bed yes, under the covers, no.

I even have a special blanket in winter (on top of both sheets, duvet and blanket) or half throw cover in summer (on top of both sheets and duvet) for cat to sleep on during the winter, so none of her bedding and my skin comes into contact.

Also helps cut down on the hair which gets onto my bedding!

any_name_will_suffice

My dog often sleeps on the bed, he smells a bit fusty, sheds hair like it's going out of fashion and expands in his sleep so by morning he has 2/3 of the bottom of the bed.

But I find his snoring oddly comforting.

That said, I have just bought a plush new dog bed for the bedroom, so I am hoping he'll prefer that to the inevitable shoves he gets in the night!

Shutting him out the room has never been an option. He had terrible separation anxiety when he was younger. Now, he copes fine with being left home alone but has never been able to cope with being shut out of room we are in (or being confined full stop), although he sometimes goes to sleep on the settee of his own accord.

*max*

valk_scot wrote: »

It's not like I'm licking them or anything

:rotfl: Weirdest mental image!

Mine licks my face all the time, I have to actually push her away or I'd have no skin left (sandpaper tongue...).
An ex-bf was completely astonished, he never even knew that cats lick (groom) people like dogs do.

Fire_Fox

All my cats have slept on the bed and none of them have been happy if shut out of the bedroom. Lulu sleeps curled up next to my belly, behind my knees or by my feet, I turn over carefully to avoid disturbing her. :rotfl:

seven-day-weekend

I would prefer animals not to be on the bed, but don't mind a cat too much. A dog would be an absolute no-no.