Is it your cat wants to sleep with you or is it you? Well, cats love to snuggle with its parents and sleep with them. The reasons? This is just the way they are. And for a good reason, you too want your cat to snuggle with you and sleep.

One funny reason that reminds me how silly my cat is is cats believe that the bed is their territory and they are letting you use their bed because they love you! Above all, should you let your kitty nap with you?

Letting your cat sleep with you on your bed can be a big deal and if you’re already doing this, you already know how things go when you share your bed with your feline friend. Many of you must be seeking the solution to the problems you have to face letting cats sleep with you.

1. They Love Warmth

If you have ever noticed, cats will always find the warmest spot in the room and will sit there. When they snuggle us or sleep under the blanket they feel the warmth and will stay there. Cats body reacts to the heat different than humans.

Their normal body temperature is 102 degree which is 3.3 degrees hotter than the human body temperature. This is however surprising but cats do love to basking in the sun to get more warmer while we feel they’re crazy because that scorching heat might burn our skin.

The heat that is too much for us is normal for cats and that is why they can stay too close to the fire or walk on the hot stove. We feel the burning sensation at 112 degrees whereas cats feel this way at about 126 degrees. Your bed, sleeping atop you, snuggling you, sleep beside you under the blanket makes them feel so comfy and warm that they will want to sleep with you.

2. Comfort is above all

Cats are lazy and they crave the comfort. They sleep as much as 16 hours a day and that is too much for humans. If your home doesn’t have any cat bed then definitely they’re gonna infiltrate your soft bed and will make it his territory.

A blanket, a heated room, a soft bed is the perfect comfort for them!

3. They Feel Secured

While they are with you in the same room, they feel more secure. Cats always stay alert, even in their deep sleep. A thud can make them wake them up in an instant and react to it. A slight movement in the environment can make them jump from the spot to save themselves from unknown danger.

So when they start trusting you, they feel secure being in a confined bedroom sleeping beside their parents.

4. Their Innate Territoriality 

The funny weird reason why he wants to sleep with you is his innate territoriality. This actually makes him cuter! While he is home and becomes your family, as a part of his territoriality, he believes that the bed you’re sleeping in is his and he is letting you sleep in it.

If you abruptly stop letting them sleep in your bed they can’t accept this and they will continue to behave weirdly in order to get their territory back and this often leads them spraying in the house.

5. They Love You

Yes, cats love you and trust you! That is the reason why they let you sleep in their territory. The more secure and comfy they feel sleeping beside you, they will feel loved and will love you back. Ever heard their purrs out of love?

Should Your Cat Sleep With You?

Your cat really loves to sleep with you but should you sleep with them? This has become the constant controversy, and you should decide what should be your call. According to the study mentioned by the WebMD, 62% of cats sleep with their adult owners and 13% of cats sleep with children.

Why you have a cat in the first place exactly explains what could be the possible benefits of sleeping with them. In a nutshell, if you’d say you’re sharing your bed with your cat because your cat loves it and it makes him happy and that ultimately makes you happy, that is all avails you to let them sleep with you. 

The Reasons Why You Should Not Share Your Bed With Them

Here are some good reasons why you shouldn’t sleep with them. In the end, read the takeaway that will help you to decide what you can do about sleeping with them.

1.Dirty Feet 

This is the most conflicting factor when you consider them to be sleeping with you. Cats roam around the house, contract harmful protozoans, bacterias, mud, and dust with their paws which can make your bed a home of many health disasters.

In addition to this, if the cat litter box is not clean enough, then all the harmful microorganisms present in the feces and the litter tray will come to your bed along with your kitty. This will again make your bed unhygienic.

2. Cats don’t sleep throughout the night

Felines are nocturnal and humans are not. They do not sleep through the night and this can be the problem. Imagine this you’re in a deep sleep at 4 am and your kitty starts gently scratching on your face starts meowing inconsistently for food.

This can be so annoying because you have to get out of your bed and have to feed them at that hour of the night. This can definitely ruin your sleeping schedule and ultimately the next day when you wake up with sleepy eyes.

3. Allergies

Cats come in the contact with too many microorganisms and they can cause some health issues. Asthma being a more critical allergy should be taken care of while you’re sleeping with your cat.

Fur falling from their coat becomes a problem for Asthma patients. In short, it is better to stay off from cats if you’re having allergies or Asthma.

What Can You Do About This Matter

As I have mentioned the stats earlier in this article, 62% of cats sleep with the adult owners says that you can sleep with them and have a good night’s sleep simultaneously. So what’s the deal with it?

First, dirty feet. Dirty feet can be a serious problem, but you can avoid them in many ways. The first thing you do to mitigate this risk is keeping litter boxes clean and replace the litter regularly. This will automatically reduce the tracking of the harmful bacteria to your bed.

If you have a home cat then contracting disease-causing microorganisms is not a problem at all. If this is not the case, then clean your cats’ paws and trim their nails! And yeah, do not forget to brush their coat and their regular bathing. This will be all to keep them clean.

Second, there is no perfect solution for they do not sleep through the night. They are gonna mess up with you in the middle of your sleep and that will make you sad and angry at the same time.

Well, don’t worry. There’s a simple solution to this problem. As the cat expert, Mr. Jackson Galaxy, also known as The Cat Daddy, has mentioned in his youtube video, dealing with the sleep can be done in three steps.

  1. Change yourself from a free-feeder to a meal-feeder.

  2. Feed in Conjunction with play.

  3. Merge your cat’s energy with your own energy.

Third, the allergies. Well, if you have Asthma or any kind of allergies, I would suggest you make your sleeping space feline free! If your children and the rest of your family cannot live without cats, then restrict the space where you sleep and rest. Moreover, an air filter can be a good idea too.

Your Takeaway

Sleeping with your cat can be so annoying if your feline furballs won’t let you sleep sound. If enough care is taken, you can share your bed with them. And if not, you should not let them sleep with you. Sudden changes in their belongings and environment can cause them stress and spray around your home. So, don’t react immediately. Train them to sleep with you if you really want that.

If you want them to sleep out of your bedroom, you can train them to sleep in cat beds. Do not hurry and do not kick them out of your room immediately. Here are some ideas for the best cat beds you can buy. This will take time. Give them treats outside of the bedroom, make them stay outside, and they will adapt the routine eventually.

Author(s)

  • Nisarg Makwana

    A Freelance Writer and a Mechanical Engineer

    Nisarg is a freelance writer. He started his journey as a professional writer from working for a digital marketing firm. His articles have appeared on some renowned sites like Your Story, BuzzFeed, Thrive Global, and Odyssey Online. His love for nature reflects in his writing and his posts on Instagram.