Gransnet forums

Health

Does your pet sleep with you??

(136 Posts)
StellaGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 17-Mar-21 17:03:00

And if so, does it help you sleep? Or do they keep you awake?

Feel free to share pics of them too!

By posting on this thread you could win one of the fabulous spot prizes we have on offer this week - please see our Sleep Week page here for details of the prizes and for the T&Cs. Don’t forget - we’ll be picking 5 winners at random from threads across the week, so the more threads you post on, the more chance you have of winning!

Don’t forget to stay in touch. Sign up to our newsletter here.

Mollygo Sat 20-Mar-21 16:11:56

HillyN ???
I used to have our goldfish bowl next to the bed. But when I woke one morning to see it leaping out of the water, I moved it away, for fear it might land on my face!

HillyN Sat 20-Mar-21 15:33:39

I draw the line at goldfish in my bed and the budgie prefers his cage. grin

Carado Sat 20-Mar-21 10:57:18

No, my lovely cat Sooty is shut out of the bedroom at night (but has the freedom of the house and outdoors through the cat flap). I did have his basket in the bedroom when he first joined us as a tiny waif but he would wake us up trying to join us in the middle of the night, so it was moved to the hall!

Sarandy Sat 20-Mar-21 10:09:37

No, we have a cat who is not allowed upstairs at night. He has the run of the house during the day and at night he has the kitchen and dinning room. He has his cat flap so has plenty of freedom.

lillyofthevalley Sat 20-Mar-21 09:42:08

My cat sleeps at the bottom of my bed, which is something I love, to hear him deep breathing does help me drop off, just listening to him and knowing he is there is just so reassuring - he often stays there after I have got up - he is just such a lazy cat, or perhaps he is just keeping out of the dogs way. smile

sazz1 Sat 20-Mar-21 09:37:38

My dogs are not allowed upstairs at all ever.
If I have a nap on the sofa I have to put them in another room as one will keep trying to wake me up by licking my face. Never does this unless I'm asleep.

boxfords Fri 19-Mar-21 23:32:11

Always surprises me the number of people who sleep with their pets. My dogs were trained never to even go upstairs. Too unhygienic for me.

mrsmcsporran Fri 19-Mar-21 22:43:40

Absolutely not. They have their own beds and we sleep with the door closed. My husband is allergic, so we don't allow them on the bed at all.

Ziggy1914 Fri 19-Mar-21 20:45:37

Yes our cat sleeps with us although sometimes she does keep us awake as she's up down up down on our bed but its lovely having her with us very soothing and relaxing

Lollin Fri 19-Mar-21 20:06:29

When I had a pet it was never allowed upstairs, so no.

zulianilord Fri 19-Mar-21 20:02:55

I don't have a pet.

SuzC Fri 19-Mar-21 18:43:55

Absolutely not! I love my black lab dearly but was always very certain that upstairs was not for dogs!!

I can keep downstairs clean and relatively hair free with daily vacuuming of rugs & mopping the hard floors. Upstairs is carpeted - this would be impossible to do.

ykellock Fri 19-Mar-21 17:42:53

No pets but used to have a cat and was guilty of letting her sleep on bed but she would scratch to get out during night which was a pain!

Holidayenthusiast Fri 19-Mar-21 17:18:04

My dog is a rescue and when we bought him home, we found it impossible to settle him downstairs in his basket. So now he either sleeps on my or my son’s bed. This works out fine until the foxes start squealing. He finds this scary and goes bonkers, waking the whole house.

fionajk42 Fri 19-Mar-21 16:39:17

My cat sleeps with me. I love having her with me at night. She's 16 years old which may be why she is asleep all night (and most of the day).

sharkgirl Fri 19-Mar-21 15:58:01

I think the whole sleeping with your pet is gross, they aren't clean not matter how much pet owners like to think they are, the worst is they clean their bottoms with their tongues, if they bother at all, it's just not nice, you wouldn't sleep with a human who did that now would you? Yes, I am a pet owner.

Jacks10 Fri 19-Mar-21 15:37:31

I love and have loved all my animals of the past. When we were young my husband and I had strict rules of engagement - no pets allowed upstairs. Over the years that rule has become misted in vagueness! We now have a Great Dane, 2 rescue dogs, a Collie and a Maltese and 2 rescue cats. The cats come into the bedroom in the morning - the dogs having been safely esconced there overnight! We all have a routine that suits us. The Maltese on the bed - Collie at the bottom and the Great Dane on his sofa! I can almost hear you all groaning! Great Danes do have to lie on sofas or chairs - Why??? Who knows but peace reigns when they do. I had a major back operation 3 years ago - meant I was mainly flat on my back for 3 months - was not allowed to sit - could only stand and lie flat. Those animals were my godsend. The dogs kept me company in the day and then the cats came in for night duty. They all helped me through a very hard period. They were the most comforting presence. My husband reckons if I cuddled him as much as I do the Maltese he'd be a very happy chappie. Me I doubt - I often wake up to see him with one arm round the dog!

Lorelei Fri 19-Mar-21 14:48:23

My tom cat used to sleep with me most nights - although he was quite nocturnal so would frequently go out, come back for naps or jump into the warm spot I vacated in the morning and sleep his day away. He has stayed in the area with his 'second family' as he would've hated being dragged away from everywhere, everything and everyone he knows - I miss him terribly but get regular updates and photos and he is obviously happy, so know we did the right thing not uprooting him - important to put his happiness and welfare above my own selfish want to have him here with me. Our fluffy girl cat is a proper 'daddy's girl' and while happy to spend her days with me will abandon me as soon as his key goes in the door, spend the evening on his lap or footstool then trot off to bed with him - she's almost like a puppy the way she'll follow him about - if he leaves a room and doesn't come back for more than a few minutes she'll go and look for him, sit outside the bathroom while he cleans his teeth to make sure he doesn't go to bed without her!
My sister had a cat that used to sleep on her head! Wrapped around the top like a Russian hat, lol.

IamaWallis2 Fri 19-Mar-21 13:18:02

No pets at present, but have had many in the past. Found out the hard way that a pet on your bed is a nightmare, purring, clawing, or dog snuffles, then wanting out at the crack of dawn.
So, I say keep pets out of the bedroom. They very quickly realise that it's a no-go area, so start where you would like to finish.

ottypotty Fri 19-Mar-21 13:09:37

Yes, although it was not through choice, when we got him, he slept in his basket - then started to cry and howl at night - so for all our sakes, moved to the top of the stairs in his basket - then gradually started to jump on the bed to curl up and sleep - so we have a blanket at the bottom where he sleeps, so the bed does not get grimy. It's really like starting over with a baby again.

Carooline Fri 19-Mar-21 09:55:15

My wonderful staffie always comes on the bed at night. Staffies always like to snuggle up to you, they were called Nanny dogs back in the day as they used to be put into the Prams with the babies when they were put outside for fresh air as they kept the babies safe.
A more affectionate, cuddly dog could not be found, I love mine totally ❤️

jollo Fri 19-Mar-21 09:39:41

Yes, my lovely cat sleeps on the bed. I find it comforting but it does occasionally keep me awake

Mollybest1 Fri 19-Mar-21 09:38:59

Mollybest1

Yes, my dog has a bed on the floor by my head end. In the mornings about 5 ish she will get up on the bed with us. When my husband is on night shift, she will sleep on the bed with me. She is my life saver, gave me a reason to carry on when things are hard.

My dog is a miniature labradoodle so no hairs on bed. I think if she malted it might be different.

DillytheGardener Fri 19-Mar-21 09:26:57

No definitely not. As another poster said I have enough dog hair to deal with downstairs. However if DH leaves the door upstairs open in the morning they leap into my bed and are very put out when they are sent on their way.

cathyov Fri 19-Mar-21 09:25:56

I do not have them sleeping with me as sure I would not get any sleep. In the evening they come in the lounge and stretch themselves out taking up all the room on the sofa and occasionally snoring so no appeal to have that in my bed!