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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to just not understand how people can let their pets share their bed?

117 replies

irishchic · 02/10/2012 12:28

Is it just me who finds the thought of dogs, cats and guinea pets sharing their owners bed absolutely disgusting? And btw i like pets, I just think they do not belong in the bedroom. Think of the fur, danders, fleas etc...ugh!!

OP posts:
FairPhyllis · 02/10/2012 16:02

I am a bit hazy on the logistics of having a guinea pig in the bed - what is to stop them from running away and hiding under the floorboards?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 02/10/2012 16:06

I wouldn't let the GPs (guinea-pigs) share my bed- our little GP definately isn't pillow trained.
But my DD brings them up to see me on a weekend morning when I'm having a lie-in.
GP1 is a gentleman whilst he's in a ladies' boudoir, he wouldn't dream on peeing.

My DD always asks me to tell her the story of when I "Punched My Guinea-Pig In The Face"
DISCLAIMER - I did not "punch" him. He was in my sleeping-bag when I was on holiday (I was 9yo) .I had a nightmare about water rats.When he scuttled up to see me I sort of "pushed" him. He wasn't hurt- honest Shock

So to avoid our pigs suffering the same fate, we don't co-sleep with the GPs.

akaemmafrost · 02/10/2012 16:11

My hairy boy (terrier) sleeps on my bed every night. I love having him there. I'm a lone parent and yet I am never lonely because my boy is always there. If I am awake he is awake and I love that. He has got me through so much pain and loneliness over the years that he has earned a place on my bed and anywhere else he might choose to drape himself. I love him to bits. He's gives so much more than he takes (as do all dogs). He's getting on a bit now and I feel cold and teary whenever I imagine life without him.

higgle · 02/10/2012 16:16

You don't know the bliss of having a snoring Staffie under the bed clothes until you have tried it. My ( now sadly deceased) old dog trained me that this was the way it had to be.

monsterchild · 02/10/2012 16:23

The monsterkitties all sleep on the bed, except for the toxic one. She has to sleep in her own bed due to excessive demands throughout the night. She will actually hit you if you dare move!
The boys don't get on the bed til the wee hours (lots of other things to do, apparently). Old lady cat sleeps on my pillow (which is a lot better then sleeping on my head, which was her first choice!).

I agree that it's lovely having little warm bodies all snuggle around. Right now I'm pregnant, so I wake up a lot, and it's extremely comforting to just pet one of them until I fall back to sleep. So even though I'm not getting near even 6 hours of sleep, I'm pretty relaxed!

dondon33 · 02/10/2012 16:53

I don't find it disgusting but don't allow my cat to sleep in the bed with us.
Number one reason is I'm asthmatic and don't deal very well with my allergy towards him in the rest of the house.

He's completely banned from our room, the door stays closed and I clean it thoroughly every few days to remove any hair/dander/dust. It's the only place in the house where I can breathe easy.

Another reason is the bacteria risk, same as he's been taught not to jump to benches and tables too. He's clean enough though, quite likes a bath and accepts that I sometimes like to dettol wipe clean his feet.

He's an outside cat really and god only know's what he kills/eats comes into contact with.

He usually sleeps on the landing, in the computer chair, in his own cat house or on a big comfy cushion that sits on HIS :) reclining leather living room chair. The little sod won't let anyone sit on it if he's in the house :)

LadyBeagleEyes · 02/10/2012 17:02

I'm divorced, and I've grown to love having my bed to myself.
My dog is too fatbig and takes too much space, but my cats are so small and soft and snuggly and purry.
Far better than a sweaty man with morning breath who takes up all the space IMO.
And of course they don't have fleas.
YABVVU.

halcyondays · 02/10/2012 17:56

Nothing nicer than a cat curled up with you in bed.

OldCatLady · 02/10/2012 18:09

I've had my cat since I was 6 and since DAY ONE she has always slept on the end of my bed, it would be pretty mean to kick her off now considering she's an old lady. Though we have trained her to sleep on her special blanket, which I place on the end of the bed, so technically she does not touch my bed. But I think it's lovely to have such a close relationship with an animal :) though I'm an 'on top if the duvet' not 'under the duvet' bed sharer!

mathanxiety · 02/10/2012 18:09

Dogs no way, but a cat -- any time. My own cat died last week and we all miss her curling up on top of us (not in the bed but on it). She used to adopt whoever wasn't feeling well and curl up with them. She spent a lot of time in the morning carefully grooming DD3 who is a ginger just like the cat was. She was an indoor cat, never had fleas. We taught her to keep off tables and the counter.

Canidae · 02/10/2012 21:51

Looks over at the golden with her head on my pillow.

Preferthedogtothekids · 02/10/2012 22:02

You might guess where I stand on this......

Tangfasticlady · 02/10/2012 22:20

I've got three cats that share my bed. They've never had fleas/worms, are regularly furminated, so shed very little fur and I wash all bedding twice a week so I can't see a problem with my pets sharing my bed. One of them snuggles down with me every night when I go to sleep, which as a single parent is quite a comfort. Blush

hiddenhome · 02/10/2012 22:26

My cat sleeps next to me all night. When I had kittens they used to sleep on my pillow.

I never catch anything.
I'm never ill because of it.
I don't smell.
The bedding is changed regularly.

I love my kitties Smile

Soupqueen · 02/10/2012 22:26

My indoor cat is probably cleaner than DH or I. Our doors don't close properly, I really don't fancy our chances of keeping him out (cat, not DH).

He sleeps curled up at our feet, what's not to love about that?

Nahla321 · 02/10/2012 22:27

I don't see anything wrong with them sleeping at the end of the bed, I think they like it because it is so much comfier and warmer than a cold dog/cat bed!

catsmother · 02/10/2012 22:36

I've had up to 5 cats at a time sleeping on my bed Blush .... I admit that was a wee bit crowded. However, I usually have at least one now and I personally find it very soothing to fall asleep to the sound of purring - I find it a very relaxing sound. The only problem I have (cats are regularly treated against fleas) is them wanting to go out in the middle of the night so I have to get up and let them out as for some reason I hate sleeping with the door open. Oh - and muddy paw prints on the cover but hey, you can wash that!

hiddenhome · 02/10/2012 22:40

Actually, my life was probably saved many years ago by some cats sleeping with me.

I'd gone out with some friends to the movies. I was about 17 and stayed over at my friend's house. She was a bit daft and couldn't figure out how to put the central heating on. Her family were away and it was the middle of winter. The house was a large, Victorian terrace and it was absolutely freezing. I had to sleep with my clothes on and also kept my coat on. I was in the bunkbed and still freezing cold and becoming quite frightened by it Sad Fortunately, she had a few cats and they all piled in with me and kept me warm Smile

QOD · 02/10/2012 22:42

I think you'll find it's more that my cat allows me to share his bed

Original poster
irishchic · 02/10/2012 22:53

Well it seems like I am definitely in the minority.

That said, if I was living on my own, I could imagine allowing a dog or cat lie on (def not in) my bed at nighttime for the company, providing they were as clean as a pet can be.

I would still feel i had to do extra hoovering and bed linen washing because of this though.

OP posts:
RubyStolenBootyGates · 02/10/2012 22:54

This is probably not the right place to admit to having shared my bed with pet ratties is it? No, thought not.

I wish the guinea piggies could be bed trained I'd love to snuggle them at night, and I usually wouldn't let our rabbit anywhere near our bed (or at least I usually chuck him off if he tries to get onto it, the other night he did sleep next to my pillow and was strangely well behaved)

SrirachaGirl · 02/10/2012 23:00

YABU. There are few things in life as nice as a warm, sleepy puppy snuggled on your feet. DH banned our Springy from the bed (Westie sleeps with DD) so now she sleeps under it in order to remain close to me us but she still jumps back on in the middle of the night, mwahahahaha.....

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 02/10/2012 23:33

I would love to ban my 22 pounder Maine Coone cat from my bed (because he snores) but haven't found a way of shifting him, as once he is asleep under the duvet he is a big fat unmovable snoring lump!

plus he is way cuter than DH

lubeybooby · 02/10/2012 23:39

I have three cats and they are allowed on my bed but only one regularly bothers. I like it, she's a sweet little thing. She curled up to me last night just as I was drifting off and I was thinking of that 'soft kitty, warm kitty' poem.

I shut them out when bf stays over though.

sagelynodding · 02/10/2012 23:49

One of my two cats likes to snuggle up between us.

I don't mind but I don't actively encourage him, as his breath is often quite stinky and he likes to headbutt us at odd hours of the night. Also if he goes under the covers he will hunt our toes and bite them and he humps pillows