Do Your Cats Sleep with You? The Advantages and Disadvantages

Cats can be very loyal and loving towards their owners. They can provide much needed companionship and affection. Some cat owners even choose to allow their cats to sleep with them. What are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing this practice?

One of the most obvious advantages of allowing cats to sleep with their owners is that they can provide comfort for their owners. Some cats become very attached to their owners and will want to be with them all the time, even when they are sleeping. Usually, a cat who is allowed to sleep with its owner will curl up into a ball and snooze quite contentedly beside its owner or at the foot of the bed until morning without causing a fuss.

Some cat owners also find it beneficial to have the companionship of their cat in the bed with them, especially if they are living alone, are widowed and suffer from regular bouts of loneliness. A cat will provide unconditional love to its owner. Cats seem sensitive to the needs of their owners and will try to be close to them during their time of need.

However, it is not always advantageous to allow cats to sleep with you. A couple who allow this practice to continue will not be able to have any intimate time to themselves without having to kick the cat off the bed. If the cat has been used to sleeping with you for a length of time, it will wonder why it now has to leave.

A cat can also take up a lot of room and lie in a very awkward position that can make a comfortable night's rest a mere dream. Some cats will bite or scratch if their owner tries to move them to a more comfortable position.

As parents have to train a child to sleep in his or her own bed, training a cat to accept a cat bed when it has always slept with you will also be very hard to accomplish. The cat will resist every effort you put forth to place it on its own bed. The cat will usually get out of its bed and then run back into your bedroom and try to get back on the bed. Cats also scratch and meow pitifully if they are suddenly barred from entering their owners' bedroom.