Man I'm just a big ole postwhore today, aren't I? Anyhoodle, I was talking to a friend tonight and the conversation led to me mentioning in passing about how our cats take up a big part of our bed at night - in fact, one of them likes to burrow under the covers and snuggle up to us while we're asleep. She was startled that we'd even let them sleep on the bed, and a bit grossed out at one of our kitties sometimes sleeping in it.
I guess I never really thought about it. I've had a cat sleeping on somewhere my bed for pretty much all my life (except for the first few years that I lived here and didn't have one) and it never occurred to me that it was weird.
My dogs don't sleep on the bed, partly because they're crated when they sleep inside at night but also just because they're just too darn big - they're not exactly lap dogs lol. But the cats are small and cozy and clean...it's not like they're huge, flea-ridden furbags. ![]()
Do your pets sleep on the bed with you? If they don't, are you grossed out by the idea?
Re: pets and beds?
One cat sleeps right next to me all night, and I wouldn't have it any other way! The other doesn't not, not because she's not allowed to, but because she's not interested (she plays a lot at night). But she often comes and wakes me up in the morning.
I've never heard of someone being grossed out by cats in a bed!
Totally sleep with my pets. I have 2 mini-dachsunds and they LOVE to burrow under the covers and sleep there all night (I don't know how they breath!). Neither one makes a move to get up until we are ready, which is really nice. Now that we have the new puppy, Chloe, our older dog, Zoey, has been spending more time sleeping under the covers in my daughters bed instead of mine. We love it and I miss them when they aren't with us.
The cat is allowed to sleep wherever he wants but it is usually at the foot of my daughter's bed.
Maggie is always on the bed (she's laying up there now and we're not even in it). She won't sleep there though - she always sleeps in her dog bed in our bedroom.
Merlot (the creepy cat) sleeps with me whenever Todd is out of town.
I'm not grossed out by animals on the bed, but we do take the comforter outside at least once a week and shake all the hair off.
I think I take the cake in this bunch so far. We used to have both our 95 lbs lab and our 30 lb shiba inu BOTH sleep on the bed with us, and on my side to boot. Granted, we have a California King, but still, my hubby is about 230 lbs. himself, so that bed was full.
However, now our lab is getting up there in age, and his joints can't take the jumping off of the bed, so we don't put him up anymore. He mainly sleeps on the couch now. The shiba will sometimes come up and sleep at the foot of the bed, but only sometimes. It's nice to be able to stretch my short legs out now!
Ohhhh! I love all manners of greyhounds and whippets. Last weekend, we came thisclose to adopting an ex-racer greyhound. But then I realized that we really can't take on two dogs. Or can we.....?
MH would love it if we slept with our dog every night, but she is a total bed bug. And she has a tendency to flop on me, which usually means one of my limbs falls asleep. Sometimes on the weekend, we let her sleep with us, esp if she's had a lot of exercise b/c then she doesn't move as much. But every night we cuddle while we watch TV. She has the cutest little snores, and we love it when she does that "running/vocalizing in your sleep" stuff.
Yay a fellow Shiba owner! Our dogs both sleep in the bed with us (17lbs and 21lbs) and we enjoy having them with us. Kai lays at the edge of the bed while Sulu prefers burrowing himself in between our pillows.
About a month ago I had mentioned in passing about the dogs sleeping in bed with us and my gf was totally grossed out by the idea. She's entitled to her opinion which I can respect...but THEN she said inhaling pet hairs could affect me getting (or not getting) pregnant!! Can you believe that? What kind of old wives tale is that? I've never heard or read this notion anywhere. Needless to say, I was totally offended and we talked about it in length. She never brings it up again for good reason!
Like Amy, I shake and clean my comforter often and wash the sheets regularly. Shibas have a double coat so we'd practically live knee deep in fur if we didn't! I brush with everyday (A Furminator is a must have) and thank god for my Dyson!
@ Littlefoot: Shibas unite!
I always thought our shiba was a little bigger than normal. Seeing how much yours weigh proves that. She's not overweight, but definitely solid.
And yes...the Furminator is a must! Luckily it's only REALLY bad a couple times a year.
Our 2 dogs, a 15 lb and 25 lb used to sleep with us. Most of the time they always sleep by me and makes it so I can't move around. DH never really liked it and thought it was yucky. Now with our little one coming, he put his foot down and said no more dogs on the bed. So we kicked them off and I sleep wonderfully now. The dogs on the other hand cry all night, pace back and forth... even though we bought them their own comfy, warm doggie beds.
I can see how your friend would think it's gross. I'm liking it so much better now that they are not on there, even though I miss our cuddles sometimes.
This! We crate trained her from the start so she has her own bed in the kitchen. B is a germophobe so he doesn't want her on our bed at all. It's just as well, though, because she moves so much that I'm sure she'd keep waking me up all night and it would drive me nuts.
Heh, you should do what my dad did for his dogs: put a little set of stairs at the foot of the bed.
Yup, he actually did this for one of his dogs! She's not old or arthritic or anything, but she IS short and after he bought a new bed it was too tall for her so he put some stairs there so she could get up and down lol. His dogs are the epitome of spoiled! (I actually have a photo of my stepmom sound asleep, curled up halfway down the bed, with the smaller dog to one side of her and their 500lb [ok not really, but he is BIG] husky lying stretched out at the top of the bed.)
This is actually a big part of the reason that Korben - our cattle dog - isn't allowed on furniture. Cattle dogs are incredibly smart and loyal, but they push you all.the.time for pack dominance and you have to constant reaffirm yourself as the pack leader. It's the same reason why our dogs (both of them just so it's easier, although it wouldn't make much of a difference with Indy) have to do stuff like sitting before going through a door and always allowing people to walk through first, that kind of thing.
Our pugs AND cat all slept in our bed until January...we kicked them out in preparation for Libby's arrival. Now the three of them sleep together on our couch...too cute! Once Libby's transitioned to her crib at night the furbabies will be invited back...they keep us WARM!
That said, we change the sheets often and only have duvet covers (rather than a comforter) that also gets washed all the time. It's a must-have with pets...same for our living room...all fitted, slipcovered furniture with pillows that can also be washed. That's life in a pet-friendly household!
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Yup we wash everything every week...all sheets couch covers pillow cases, everything. we vaccum constantly, swiffer dust every week. I have clients that come over on a daily basis and it drives me nuts that there is fur everywhere, especially the bathroom ... and it's only George's fur, Bosley doesn't shed
No way. First, Lola is 50 lbs and would take up too much space. Second, I don't like the idea of pet hair in my clean bed or on my freshly showered body.
I'm not grossed out by the idea of pets in beds, but it's just not for us. We have a no-pets-on-furniture policy, although my mom thinks that's cruel and sleeps on the floor with Lola when she dog sits for us.