Have you ever wondered how other cat owners would answer the question … “Do you let your cats sleep with you at night?”
Well we decided to find out, so we ran a quick 24 hour survey on our Twitter feed and here’s what came back:
There were nearly 300 responses and 88% of them said ‘Yes’. We’ll have to take that as an overwhelming majority! >^..^<
Interestingly it seems that most people ask the question whether it’s healthy/advisable for people to let their cats sleep with them (more on that below), but few (if any) seem to ask whether it’s beneficial for the cats themselves. So we asked our pal and cat expert Dr. Lynn Bahr what she thought, and here’s what Lynn had to say:
“From a cat’s point of view, it’s completely natural to sleep with loved ones. During the first few weeks of their lives, kittens stay tightly knitted together for warmth, security and safety. For many, it is a habit they retain into adulthood choosing to curl up next to their owners for the same companionship and comfort they had when they were young.
Not only is sleeping with a cat good for humans, it is particularly good for the health and well-being of the cat too.”
Sleeping together seems to be of benefit to both felines and us mere mortals…how’s that for good news!
Those of us in the majority already know that sleeping with our cats can certainly be calming, help release stress, and promote bonding with your cat. Unfortunately, sharing your bed with a cat isn’t always conducive to getting a good night’s sleep. This is because cats tend to be nocturnal, which can lead to some pretty irritating behaviors. Which cat owner haven’t been woken up by a cat pummeling their chest or nibbling on their toes?
Fear not – we have some invaluable tips to help you and kitty get enjoy a peaceful zzzzzzzzzz together!
Napping with Cats Guide
The infographic guide (below) is for the majority of us who sleep with our feline friends and it offers tips to help you get kitty sleeping peacefully in your bedroom. The guide offers tips on how to prepare your cat for bedtime and then outlines some negative behaviors and how to correct them.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Do Your Cats Sleep With You? If so, here’s a Guide to Getting a More Peaceful Night’s Sleep” quote=”Do Your Cats Sleep With You? If so, here’s a Guide to Getting a More Peaceful Night’s Sleep”]
Hopefully, this will enable you to have a good night’s sleep and have your cat share your bed. Although, if we’re honest, we all know the cat will get its own way in the end. They always do.
Credit: The above infographic was kindly provided by mattressonline
Summary
Go ahead and let your cat(s) sleep in bed with you. Find the balance that works best in your household and enjoy the experience. What’s your cat sleeping story? Tell us by dropping a comment in the “Leave a Reply” box below.
i have one who sleeps so heavily that i actually have to shake him to wake him. so that part about always alert even when asleep – um no not always. i guess he feels safe enough to be able to relax so deeply in his sleep.
I have one who does the same thing. He was an outside cat with his former owner and I’ve wondered how he managed to survive in our coyote filled area.
Of course – we have 3 that do every night
I had lovely cats , they used to sleep with me , i made separate bed as for them in my room , but always willing to make them sleep on my bed and in the mid of night , they all came on my bed and my kittens as i slept they started coming in my blanket , i miss them lot .I saw this post i thought i should give comments about my experience with cats.
so get some more cats! ❤
I love this!!! Although I’m not sure if the training will go so well. Lol
Great article. We have 4 and they have free access to the bedroom. On a cold winter’s night, we might have one or two at the foot end of the bed but it’s a rare occurrence. To be honest, I think they dislike my husband’s snoring just as much as I do… 😀
Marriage [noun]:
A union of two people, both ready to swear on their life that only the other one snores.
Been there, done that. I’ve been lying awake next to my wife, who sounded like she was taking down a forest with a chainsaw (which I actually found quite relaxing)… only to wake up when I’d get in between being awake and falling to sleep. She would then wake me up to inform me that I was snoring.
She swears to God she doesn’t snore. One of these days, I *will* record it. 😉
Haha! My husband sometimes wakes himself up with his snoring… now that takes some doing 😂
My father used to do that–he sounded like a chainsaw on an uneven run anyway and suddenly he would let out this loud snort that would not only wake him, but everyone else within 40 feet, By this time, anything four-legged was at the other end of the house.
Your husband needs to get checked for sleep apnea. I used to snore but since I was diagnosed with sleep apnea I sleep much better with the help of a CPAP machine. There are many different masks to choose from so it doesn’t have to be one of the whole face ones. Mine just goes across the nose and is fairly comfortable. Husband and cats sleep better.
My previous cat, a very affectionate tomcat that I could read and write with, slept next to my pillow. He has never woken me up. I would usually wake up the next morning with him being where I saw him last night – right next to me.
During his last days, his mobility was down, so I decided to sleep with him (downstairs on the couch) as I couldn’t bear to leave him alone. It was clear that he appreciated this. He would lie on the armrest of the couch, just above my head. Apparently my snoring did not upset him one bit.
The cat we have now (since three weeks) just wants to keep us in sight. She will be wherever we are… but not necessarily on the bed. Having said that, we still have to see what she’ll do when it gets colder.
Both my cats have access to my Bed. Buster likes to curl up next to my tummy, usually on the covers but sometimes under.
Max sleeps.at the bottom of my bed but will come for a cuddle if I wake. If I’m unwell he will sleep down my back. If I turn over and both cats are sleeping with me they both swap sides!
Our problem isn’t the boys sleeping with us, it’s when they decide in the middle of the night to turn our house into a formula 1 race track! Race upstairs, down stairs and it can go on for almost an hour. Yes it wakes us up, but not the dog of course. Do any other cat owners have this wild ride during the middle of the night?
Yes… Her Ladyship Lucifurr will sleep contendedly somewhere in our room but should I get up to go to the bathroom. .. then it’s playtime! Usually that results in her being shut out of the bedroom for tge rest of the night.
Yes, 1 of my 2 feline friends sometimes does his version of parkour in the wee hours, while the other might trot and meow, but I’m glad they’re expending some energy. I’m a nightowl, so I understand.
When they return to bed, they usually return to their designated usual spots: one nestled by my neck, the other between my legs, or various approximations thereof.
Yes, sometimes mine does it in the middle of the day or in the middle of playing with me.
Yes i do! I swear my cats are playing hide and seek or tag in the middle of the night. They sleep so peacefully during the day….lol
I think it’s all part of play + groomin’, natural behaviour!
Willow Shamillow pitillow my pillow …always sleeps on my head
Yes–I have 3 Maine Coon cats who also have built in alarms. They wake me up at 7:30 every morning to get their breakfast for them.
7:30? You’re lucky, mine sometimes wakes me around 2:30 or 3:00. You are spoiled in my opinion. You should thank you’re cat for being so good to you.
We usually have at least two on the bed. When it is time to get up (their opinion of time) there is usually 4.
Of course, in fact I can’t to sleep when my angel don’t coming soon when it’s bed time. I need before asleep kiss the in hand, caressing and receive the blessing of my cat
Ha, ha, ha, ha …………. What?
Both of mine do. The older one curls up at the end of the bed. The younger one sleeps next to my pillow
yes all the time if they want to I have no problem with it at all they are just babies with four paws
Do I let them? Do I have a choice? 😁
YES YOU DO
EXACTLY😼😹
Of course…the purring is quite therapeutic..
Yuuupp….since I was a baby. For a good while I had 5 that would sleep with me. Usually at least 3 at a time, sometimes all 5.
For sure. I wake up every day to 1-4 cats on the bed and I love it!
Mine does. I should rename her Ambien because every time she lays down with me I fall right to sleep.
Oh man, my cat sleeps in my chest. Never wakes me up, always wake up together. He doesn’t snore or have any other bad habit. Doesn’t even lost hair. IM SO LUCKY.
My cats (5) have always slept on me, since they were born. In the last two years, I’ve been diagnosed with MS and can’t handle them walking or lying on me anymore. I’ve been working on getting them to learn to lie beside me instead of on me, but its still slow going. They’re 10 years old and they look so dejected when I move them over, no matter how gently I do it. Any suggestions?
NO…they did but one of them pee’s on my bed, so no one sleeps with me anymore.
Of course, where else would they sleep?! Slept with cats most of my life. Purring is so calming.
no – but they let me sleep with them [well, it is THEIR house after all]
Lol… Right
I have 4 cats. They all have their own place on the bed. The oldest sleeps on a hand towel right beside my pillow. Maybe I’m used to it, but I usually don’t get woken up during the night. Last night being the exception because I was woken up at 3:00 am when one of them brought in a live mouse (I left the cat door open). The mouse escaped and ran under the built-in dishwasher.
Yes every night. I have the 4 of them. One on my pillow, one under my arm, one beside my leg and one at my feet !!!! It takes some doing to get up and go to the bathroom I’m afraid ! hahaha
Yes three of them do. One of them likes to go under the covers and sticks her head out on the pillow.
My girl is the same. And she always has a paw on my cheek. Love my furbaby
its weird my one cat never does and the other one sleeps with me for about a month then disappears and i wont see him on my bed for 2 or 3 months
Olive almost always sleeps with me. And she is a very deep sleeper and hard to awaken from her “night terrors” – which are her thrashing and running in her sleep, which usually only wakes ME up. She is usually a very well-behaved sleep buddy. Once in a while she has a busy night where she looks around the room for things to scratch and chew noisily or hang from her toes on the lip of the wardrobe and drop from it repeatedly. I will close the door on her if I really need the sleep. We have tried to let Rye out to roam the house at night several times, and every time she will sleep peacefully for a while and then at 3am, she finds the noisiest toy and brings it in to bed to play with it and sing to it. So we keep her in my home office over night and she is very quiet.
This article only addresses DIRECT obstacles to a good night’s sleep.
For those people with sleep apnea and require frequent turning, the cat’s weight (or laying right behind your legs) can stop you from sleeping soundly.
The cat grooms themselves on the bed.
You can’t “punish”/time out the cat for doing natural cat behaviors so this article doesn’t address THOSE issues.
I dont even have sleep apnea and the weight of the cats prevents my sleeping hahaha
Well, the weight on the blankets, tying me to the bed, along with the heat generating from the cats. I turn my ac to 60 and they still cause me to burn up 😀
My cat Zeus sleeps with me and loves it. I have a queen size bed but he likes to lay in the middle and stretch out diagonally. If I move him he meows his displeasure at being disturbed. He also likes to cuddle next to my pillow and get under the covers. There are times when I feel like it’s his bed and I’m his guest. But I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way!
I have 4 cats and they all sleep with me. They take up most of the bed. Good thing I have a king size bed.
My main man ginos loves my bed. He gets. Stroppy if the polar fleece blanket isnt on the bed to snuggle into. As he gets old he often leaves ‘pussy stains’ on the bedding. No wonder i am single! At the end of the day he is the loyal lover every girl dreams of.
Our cat sleeps with me and my children. So far, we have no problem with him because he sleeps early and wakes up late than us. Actually he sleeps too much.
Yes, my cat always sleep with me. I feel happy with my cat. I did not feel any issue.
My cat, Beau, has the awful habit of jumping on me in the middle of the night to wake me so I can watch him eat. I have to watch him eat during the day as well, and I am not getting to bed early because he has this insane need to have me watch him eat at least 3 times before I can go to bed. He usually waits until I’ve just about fallen asleep to do his jumping, which startles me to no end. Not sure why he is doing this. I got him from a shelter, but this nasty habit didn’t start until after we moved from Minnesota to Texas. Love him dearly but HATE his waking me so rudely! 😀
My one year old crazy hiper cat, sleeps with us half the night. Then when he thinks it’s playtime he gets booted of the bed. We tried everything but he just has this never ending battery. We’re waiting for him to get older, so we can start sleeping again for a night straight.
Of course, kitty should sleep close to you. If things go bump in the night kitty will let you know. I really like the nice big Cat Info sheet. Thanks!
My Carmella sleeps very close to me in a “spooning” position. She purrs loudly and often snores. I find these kitty noises comforting and it helps me drift off to sleep. My other cat, Monkey would rather sleep at the foot of the bed or behind me, but prefers not to cuddle. If I try to cuddle him, he runs off the bed! So it works out fine for the 3 of us! I can’t imagine not welcoming my cats on the bed.
My cat miaow to come into the bedroom.
I love sleeping with mine, but I have COPD, and I have to keep a sheet over my blanket because they leave a lot of hair. That is the only issue I have with it. I have 3.
My Flidais even manages to crawl up and inside my arms at night. I love sleeping with her! I just wish she would stop scratching her toes and waking me up for breakfast at five o’clock in the morning!
I let my cats sleep with me but I dont have so much the problem of cats making issues in the night, except the one issue that causes me a horrible night’s sleep and I always wake up, worn out tired. That issue – the cats sleep so heavily, they tie me down to the bed by getting on the blanket, surrounding me hahaha And when I toss and turn, from the stiff position my body must lie in, and from the heat generating from the cats, I have to do this tossing and turning, while remaining in the same spot and that makes my body so sore. I love them, so I let it happen, but there is no good night sleep. I always tell them that their love is very painful haha Oh But I do get the occasional run across the chest or face, leaving me scratched to bits, or the knead to the mouth, leaving my lips with sores for days. However, that is only occasional. The lack of sleep is due to weight.
My beautiful baby slept with me every night on the pillow beside me. He never woke me up and was the perfect sleeping companion. I miss him every night 🦁♥️
We have 8 cats!! But the most on the bed at one time is usually 5 . My 21 year old sleeps next to my head and he is the main reason I have restless sleep. I don’t like to make him move so I end up in odd positions.. I just want him to be comfortable in what ever time I have left with him. I love him so much!! 💘
Ive 2 siblings who both sleep at the bottom of my bed on furry a blanket. My previous cat was 21 wheb sge died. She slept next to me in my arm, on my chest, in my pillow or across my neck. All so very loved.
I have two cats, one sleeps with me, he has to press his back into mine, th other has to sleep wehre he can see me, unless it is summer then he needs to sit on the pillow and look outside. I honestly have a hard time sleeping with out my cuddles.
My ginger tabby sleeps alot in the day. At night, I will carry him to my room & place him on a round picnic chair. At about 3am, he will stand near my door with soft meows. Which means he wants to exit the room.
I have 3 male cats, Simba, Diego and Simon, Simba and Diego are brothers and I have had them since they were 6 weeks old, when they were kittens they slept with us but as they aged they are 5 years now they lay on the floor of our bedroom curled up together. Simon is 4 coincidentally all my cats have the same birthday he was 5 weeks when I got him he picked me curling up on my neck he sits with me on my lap or on the arm of my chair all the time, he is prone to siezures and is a mini I bottle fed him for a while when I got him they were going to euthanize him and my heart said no so I took him home he gets along with the Bros very well they baby him, he sleeps on my pillow beside me every night he has not had a siezure for a few months now and I am hoping he will not have any more, when he does the boys follow him around and former a protective stance they love him too!
My cats always sleep with me. My 20 year old Sophie sleeps on her own pillow next to me. Around 300am she meows and taps me on the head and cheek wanting treats. She’s on thyroid meds, but her levels were just adjusted. I indulge her because she is 20. It makes me laugh. I imagine this is what it feels like to be awaken by Ted. Lol
My last kitty, Herbie, was my “heart cat”. I don’t think there was a night that he didn’t sleep, somewhere on the bed with me. When he was about 6, I had knee surgery. After I came home, he would sleep, not only at night, but any time I was resting on the bed, against the side of my knee, purring all the time. He seemed to know that sleeping on top of it would hurt me. Two years later. I had back surgery. For 6 weeks, he would do the same thing, even when I had my back brace on. The doctors were amazed at how quick my recovery was. Amazed until I told them about Herbie. I miss him terribly, particularly as I will be having more surgery in the near future
I have two, a brother and sister. He is almost like a dog, jumps up with his paws on my hip when I come home, follows me everywhere. Will stand by me in the kitchen and reaches up with his paw sometimes, especially when I am cutting up cantaloupe. The girl is not especially affectionate, the previous owners little ones tormented her a lot. But if I am in the horizontal position, she jumps up to lay on my chest. In bed, I put a lap blanket at the upper corner, and that is where she sleeps. The brother, he sleeps at my feet or curls up behind my legs. He is my little alarm clock some days, meows or licks my face until I get up. That is usually when the food bowl is empty tho. lol
i have 3 cats, not only do they sleep on my bed, but they want to sleep on top of me! And even if I want to move, i won’t because i don’t want to disturb their sleep. I have no problems with sleep at all, since I work night shift, we have the same sleep patterns, we sleep during the day, and active by night 🙂
My cat Audrey will sleep with me most of the time. She gets upset with me if I don’t go to bed when she thinks it’s time. And if I don’t turn off the light soon enough, she gets off the bed and sleeps someplace else. I feel like I am the one disrupting Audrey’s sleep routines.
I usually have at least 4 on the bed with me. When it is cold out all 7 pack on the bed with me. They usually sleep all night but if they decide to get up they come and go very quietly. The only issue I have with them is about the time I go to turn off the lights to go to bed my lynx point will often decide he wants to play fetch. If I ignore him he will drop his pompom on my face.
My cat has to curl up on my chest and belly under the blankets woth me when I lay down. For us its a routine and I will be so close to dozing off that je gets down and goes allowing me to roll over onto my belly to fall asleep.
A nurse at our local hospital to told me this story: She has a dog and a cat, both of whom sleep with her. She had a pet door installed so they could go in and out of the house themselves. One night she woke up with a lot of weight on her feet and found her neighbors’ 2 cats sleeping at the foot of her bed. Her cat was on the bed, the dog was on the floor. Her neighbors cats were “outside” cats and never were let into their owners house. Both of them decided to run away from home to a place where they thought they’d be welcome!
Teena, that’s adorable! My 16 yr old kitty sleeps with me every night… and anytime I take a nap. I have trouble sleeping if he is not there with me. I’ve been known to lie in bed and ask “where’s my kitty? I need a kitty!” I had a second cat who passed last summer. He would sleep on my chest or on the pillow next to my head. Or he’d lie near me with his head or paw resting on my hand. I would sometimes wake up lying on just the itty bitty corner of the pillow while he got the rest of it. Totally worth it. My other cat is still with me. He’s a lap cats hen I sit, and likes to lie next to me either ‘spooning’ if I’m on my side, or he’ll tuck in my arm and rest his head in my elbow when it’s bedtime. Other times he always likes to be near me. I love it. He’s my back up alarm clock.
Hey guys I was just wondering about something… my kitten doesn’t sleep soundly unless I pet her and if I move out of the bed (although) she’s very sleepy, she’d stay awake until i get back in.
Is this normal? Or what?
We have 2 cats, but only my oldest, Echo, sleeps with us regularly. It began when she was about 5 months old. She got out and was only gone 24 hours, but whatever happened during that time caused her to have terrible night terrors. At the time she slept iin her own bed, but her crying would wake us up. So either myself or my husband would get the kitten, wake her up , then try to get her back to sleep, before going back to sleep ourself. After a week of this, Echo ended up in bed between us. Eight years later, that is still where Echo sleeps at night. Now when she comes to bed, she makes sure to let us know it with her loud meows, purrs, and kneading as if to say “Hey, move over and give me some space!” Love it and her!
Even as I write this, she is snuggled up next to me on the sofa. Love it.
We have our first cat he’s 12 months old and has had a rough start to life. He was attacked by the family dog in his first home then bullied by the family cat in his second home . It’s taken time for him to come out of his shell but now he refuses to sleep anywhere else but with us! We wouldnt have it any other way x
My son asked for a cat for his 10th birthday. We took him to the shelter and he picked out a really sweet cat a month ago. They have bonded in a way I never knew cats would (I have never had an inside one before). When the cat is ready to sleep he climbs into bed with my son. They were snuggling this afternoon and the cat was licking /grooming my sons forehead.
My boy Achilles always sleeps with me
I truly love it.
He sleeps right next to me with his head on my heart.
My cat always sleep ON me, but she is king of heavy haha!
Plus, I don’t want to disturb it, so I always end up in uncomfortable position so it could sleep well… Oups!
My orange tabby has actually never woken me up– not in a long time at least. Probably because she tends to sleep by my feet (sometimes on my back, but thats more during the day when I’m on my phone) and very rarely attacks them. My kitten, however, does wake me up. The first time was because of her crying, this morning I’m not really sure how she did, but she did. She was right by me, since I accidentally fell asleep with her on the bed, snuggled up by my face lol. (She’s 6 weeks, so I usually keep her in a large kennel at night)
My cats Annie, Ana and Pebbles sleep with me every night. Pebbles sleeps in one arm, Ana sleeps in the other (or wedges herself under my butt), and Annie sleeps on my legs or between my knees lol. These girls love cuddling at night. Other than Ana walking on my boobs and Annie occasionally stepping on my head in an effort to get up and get food, drink or use the litter box during the night quietly,without waking me up, they’re pretty gentle. My only problem arises when i have to get up to use the bathroom and I’m dead weighted to the bed by three snoring cats! I love when they cuddle with me, though. They’re all so warm and soft and loving. They blink slowly at me, purr and snuggle close. I sometimes even wrap my arms around Pebbles or Ana and lay my head on or by them and give them kisses while they sleep. Its always comforting to have your three best kitty friends with you in bed. There’s something healing about it.
All
Cats
Are
Beautiful
I have 2 cats. my son’s cat always sleeps on his bed. but my daughter’s cat prefer to sleep in my bed.
Cats can carry viruses, fleas, and skin mites that can cause problems.
Cats are known to claw beds, puke on the human’s bed, and urinate or spray to mark territories.
Guests with lowered immune systems or compromised health issues at at risk in a home where cats use their owner’s bed as their own.
I have an acquaintance who actually feeds her cats in bed with her…they barf, and have urinated in her bed..the un-neutered Male sprayed her room to mark his permanent territory….that odor hasn’t gone away in a year and a half.
I am surprised that no one in this forum has addressed the health hazards of co-habitation with animals.
They have anuses, fecal matter, fleas, dander, scabies, and possibly other health issues that could cause health issues for other humans.
I love cats.
Mine have a bed, litter boxes, great food, weekly brushouts, a great vet, licensed, shots, flea collars, and they are pampered, loved on, don’t mark territory in the home, and their urges to climb into bed with my wife and I were stopped when they showed an interest.
Our immune compromised daughter is healthy, the cats are happy and healthy, and I believe it’s important for cat people to recognize the importance of practicing safe health habits with animal.
Do you?
I have a female cat, it’s the first time that she is sleeping against my vagina is that normal??
She usually sleeps on top of the blanket or beside me…..
My cat Sissy sleeps with us everynight. I don’t think I could get to sleep without her in bed with my husband and I. l
She has her favorite place to sleep to, she lays on my pillow next to my head and I usually have my arms a round her.
My cat is 8. And she sleeps at my feet at night or during the day if I’m on nights. She good regarding sleep patterns and easily match my routine. X
My cat Dahlia has pillow behind mine that she sleeps on she is there almost the whole night and is pretty well behaved and doesn’t wake to up except occasionally playing with the door jam springs in the hallway
My kitten Whiskey has slept with me almost every night since he stopped nursing. My only issue is I keep my door closed so he wakes me up to let him in and out throughout the night. At first I thought he was just a noisy kitten, but as long as he gets to sleep on my chest every night he doesn’t complain about a thing…..
Mostly good suggestions, but the graphic showing a cat being walked on a leash is WRONG. Cats should never have leashes attached to their collars, only to harnesses designed especially for cats i.e. figure-8 cat harnesses. Cats are NOT dogs and they can be harmed by tugging on their collars from leashes.
Of course I sleep with my cat! I’ve slept with a furbaby since 1998 so I can’t sleep the slightest if I’m not feeling a warm little furry body beside me. I’ve been blessed to have very loving and affectionate kitties and doggies who always wanted and wants to sleep with me.
I have 8 cats who mostly sleep on the bed with me. Some nights they are restless and some nights I don’t realize they are there.
me too i have a nice cat slept with me every night