Is it safe to sleep with a cat?
Sleeping with a cat in the same bed can only be dangerous if it is sick. Most pets are carriers of a variety of diseases that are freely transmitted from animal to person. Fleas, worms and lichen are the most common, but not the most dangerous animal diseases for humans. There are animals that carry tuberculosis, rabies and even bubonic plague.
The carrier animal may look absolutely healthy, but if you come into contact with its blood or particles of feces remaining on the fur and paws, a person runs the risk of getting a whole bunch of diseases. When sleeping, cats often lie on their chest, near their face, or above their head. Thus, harmful bacteria can enter the human respiratory tract.
At night, pets often wake up to play and hunt. The owner's leg, hand, or even nose protruding from under the blanket may seem like an invitation to play to the cat. As a result, she will at least scare or scratch her bedmate.
Based on the above, we can conclude that sleeping with a cat in the same bed is not as pleasant and useful as it seems. But, if the pet constantly lives in an apartment, does not go outside at all, and takes hygiene and veterinary procedures on time, then letting it into bed is no longer so dangerous. The main thing is to be completely confident in his health.
Sleep disturbance
Cats love to sleep and do it for a long time. On average, a cat sleeps fifteen out of twenty-four hours. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other, a problem arises. Fluffy pets and humans do not have the same cycles, so when the owner needs to sleep, the animal begins to be active.
Cat lovers know what it’s like to wake up from the nightly games of an animal or the eternal “tyty-dyk”, which, it seems, is even on the ceiling. But that’s not scary either. A playful kitten wants its owner to pay attention to it and begins to wake it up. They use claws, voice, paws and a tail, which the animal puts under its nose.
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As a result, a person does not get enough sleep and feels lethargic and drowsy the entire next day. According to surveys, twenty percent of cat lovers agree that sleeping together with an animal does not bring cheerfulness.
Who shouldn't sleep with cats
Adult individuals reach a weight of 3 kilograms - this is no longer a small three-hundred-gram kitten, the weight of which is not noticeable on the owner’s chest. It is for this reason that a cat should not be allowed into the bed of infants, and it is also undesirable for children under 3 years of age. The animal may lie on the child's neck, chest or even face, cutting off his air supply. For the same reason, co-sleeping between an animal and an elderly, sick person is dangerous.
Also, to avoid an asthma attack, asthmatics and people with allergies should not sleep with a cat, even if medication has been taken beforehand.
Punishment or ignoring
Is it possible to physically punish a cat? Sometimes this is necessary, and sometimes it can lead to a more severe form of aggression. Having hurt your ward, you explain with your fingers that you are stronger and are able to defend yourself.
If the cause of aggression lies in complexes or insecurity, you humiliate the ward even more than provoke him to more desperate methods of defense. Be that as it may, try to avoid physical punishment, and if the situation is critical, do not break the following rules:
- Do not punish with punches or kicks - a rolled-up newspaper, a thin cord, or the click of a stretched elastic band is much more effective and safer. When struck with a palm, a vibration runs through the animal’s body, affecting not only the skin, but also the internal organs.
- Do not lock yourself in a confined space - this method is necessary only in case of violent rage or an uncontrolled attack of all living things. Locking a kitten in the bathroom “to make it think” is a critically incorrect strategy that humiliates the pet.
- Punish only after the fact of what happened - even 2-3 minutes after the offense, punishment is useless and in the gases of the ward, it looks like deliberate humiliation.
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How to stop a cat from sleeping on your bed?
Soon the kitten will get used to sleeping in its place, the main thing is to be persistent and under no circumstances let the animal onto the bed.
If an adult appears in the house, already accustomed to sleeping in bed with the owner, then you will have to work hard.
When an animal tries to jump onto the bed, stop it with a quiet shout of “No!” If the cat does jump, remove it and lower it to the floor, also commanding “No!”
In your absence, you can put something on the bed that will scare away your pet - a brush from a vacuum cleaner, a large rustling bag.
Buy a special product at the pet store that will scare away the animal with its smell.
Place an old bedspread on the bed and attach double-sided tape to it. A cat will never walk where its paws stick.
Spray the bed with mint and place your pet's favorite toys there. Place the bed in a warm place, for example, next to a radiator.
Be sure to be consistent. If you have begun to wean your cat from the habit of sleeping in bed with its owner, then never, under any pretext, take it to the bed. Even if the pet is sick, or you want to pick it up while sitting on the bed, the weaning process will have to start all over again.
Before we tell you why a cat sleeps on a person, let's figure out in what cases this should not be allowed. There is a risk of toxoplasmosis, which cats contract through eating raw meat or captured rodents. The danger comes from metabolic products that come out along with parasite eggs. Thus, in the process of licking, Toxoplasma spreads throughout the animal’s fur. However, toxoplasmosis is dangerous only for people with low immunity, which is especially typical during pregnancy. In such cases, it is not safe for the cat to prefer your soft pillows. This disease can become chronic and dangerous for internal organs. Not to mention the symptoms in the form of weakness, sudden changes in temperature, headache and muscle pain.
In other cases, the desire to expel a cat from one’s own bed is due to its restless behavior at night or a constant desire to settle down at the feet or head of the owner.
Difficult to retrain
Pets sooner or later develop habits and sometimes it is very difficult to retrain them. This is especially true for cats; they adapt very poorly to external changes. If you suddenly decide that you no longer want to sleep with your pet, then the animal's behavior is unpredictable. The cat may scratch the furniture and start marking its territory.
Veterinarians advise first to please the cat with something new, to switch its attention. For example, a new toy or a special tree on which the animal can play will do. When the furry one is busy doing something interesting, he will not want to go to war with you.
Why does a cat sleep with its owners?
Cats do not want to go to bed with a person because they love the bed. They don’t care at all what material was used for your bed linen - satin or calico. There are two main factors that determine a cat’s desire to be near its owner at night:
1) Warmth.
It is known that cats have a body temperature higher than human, so they tolerate cold better. However, cats' desire for warmth is due to the high sensitivity of their temperature receptors and association with the comfort of the proximity of the mother cat. This is why cats lie on sore spots (organs) in humans that have an elevated temperature.
2) The best seat in the house.
A cat, out of selfishness, chooses only the best for itself, in its opinion.
Treatment of diseases
Cat breeders often believe that cats have extraordinary energy that they share with people. They even take on chronic diseases, which is why they go to bed with the owner. Scientists explain this behavior differently. Heat-loving pets are placed on the diseased organ, since it emits the most thermal energy. With their rumbling they can calm the nervous system, relieve stress and fatigue, but nothing more. Cat treatment does not help with serious disorders in the body.
Is it possible to wean a cat off the bed?
Having understood the reason for such a persistent desire to be with the owner, let's figure out how to wean a cat from the bed, and whether it is possible.
- Isolate yourself from the cat during the rest period by simply closing the door. However, if you are concerned that not understanding your sudden behavior will have a negative impact on your pet's behavior, this option is not suitable.
- Get another animal , in the company of which your cat will comfortably spend time outside the owner’s bed.
- Scare away the animal . However, it is useless to spray water, glue tape and lay out foil, use aromatic repellers, as well as “bark” and order. A cat can be seriously and for a long time frightened by something unidentified, for example, a moving electronic device that makes loud noises, and appears suddenly and unexpectedly for the cat.
- Insulate the cat's place in order to redirect the cat's desire to it. If you have a heating pad, that will do, but you still have to visit the store and spend money to get an electric blanket.
There is practically no reliable way to drive a cat out of bed, since cats are selfish and capricious. Therefore, when you get an animal, think about whether you are ready for this.
Many people experience inconvenience because cats jump on the bed and it is quite difficult to drive them out of there. Even in cases where they can be driven away, when everyone in the house falls asleep, they lie down on the bed again. On the one hand, this is not very pleasant for many, but on the other hand, there is nothing bad here, because for a cat this is normal. |
Revenge is a dish served cold
An offended kitten who is trying to punish you for a “misdemeanor” looks funny, even a little ridiculous. A grown-up baby deliberately makes a puddle on your pillow, and you don’t laugh. An older cat begins to “pump up” and you look around with caution as you enter the room - this is the boiling point.
The good news is that you can always make amends to your pet. Even if you don’t understand why the kitten is offended, accept it as a fact. Affection and attention will dissolve the offense without leaving a trace. Naturally, there is a “but” - control the ward and make sure that you are not manipulated. Cats are smart, they are able to understand the “get offended and get your way” pattern.
How to wean a cat from sleeping with its owners! (repost)
Here you need to beware of only one disease - toxoplasmosis. They can become infected with it through food, usually eaten somewhere on the street. Raw meat can also be the source of the disease. As a rule, cats are chronically ill and the disease does not cause them much concern, but they can spread it through airborne droplets. To be on the safe side, it is best to always wash your hands after your cat. The disease causes general malaise, neurasthenia, fears, insomnia, and tachycardia in people. Toxoplasma can also cause problems for an unborn child if it enters the blood of a woman who is pregnant. But, of course, it is not always possible to go to the shower immediately after getting out of bed, so we recommend that you do not train your animal to sleep next to you all the time. This is not an easy matter, cats love independence and can begin to take revenge. There are two options to solve this problem. You can immediately start scaring them away, for example, using a spray bottle or using verbal abuse. This will make it easier for you to get them out of bed at night. It is best to do this before the cat develops the habit, otherwise she will not understand why, for no apparent reason, she was forbidden to sleep on the bed. You can also leave the animal in the room where its main place is located. In this case, the cat will behave more restrained, but perhaps at first she will still ask to come into your room. You can also attach tape to the bedspread, which is glued on both sides. The cat will not feel comfortable with its paws stuck. She would prefer to look for something more comfortable.
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Allergy
Studies conducted by doctors and scientists confirm that approximately thirty percent of the world's population has a predisposition or developed allergy to dogs and cats. This is due to the fact that wool contains special substances that cause a reaction.
Another study confirmed that reactions to cats are much more common than to dogs. In this case, there is only one way out - to isolate the animal from the allergy sufferer.
If there is no disease yet, but there is a predisposition, then it is enough to close the door to the bedroom at night and not allow the cat to walk around the room during the day.
Preparing for independent sleep
In order for a cat to agree to go to sleep in its own separate place, you need to ensure the convenience of its location and the comfort of the pet. First, you need to make sure that the bed is warm and cozy. You should put a warm soft blanket or downy scarf in the crib. The cat itself will show which material is more comfortable for it, you just have to watch.
If warm bedding is not sufficient, you should consider placing a heater nearby or placing a heating pad under the bedding. An alternative option in winter is to place your pet's bed near the radiator.