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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To categorically refuse to allow the cat in the bedrooms

219 replies

Evelight · 10/02/2016 15:23

We just got a cat about 10 days ago. First time, finally giving in to near-constant demands for a pet. However I discussed this before, ON ONE CONDITION that the bedroom doors are ALWAYS closed and the cat is NEVER allowed in.

The first night she did meow outside our doors, not too loudly, not enough to wake you up if you're fast asleep. She has been good more or less since, though getting up to pee has become something of a nerve-wracking activity.

She is visibly happy to see us in the morning.

I am now under a constant pressure campaign to let her in the rooms.

My reasons: I don't want (so much) cat hair in our beds and clothes, your aunt got bronchitis which two specialists said was exacerbated from sleeping with a (very hairy Persian) cat, I had two bouts of bronchitis over the past two yrs, right now I am just done a bout of antibiotics for a blocked sinus/ear channel.

Their reason: she's sad and you're evil.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
CrystalMcPistol · 10/02/2016 15:46

YANBU

The moggy has the rest of the house from which to choose a sleeping area.

Abigailsfarty · 10/02/2016 15:47

How is it more hygienic to let them have run of the kitchen over a bedroom? Putting their poopy paws all over the work surfaces. Yuck.

Yabu. I love when my cat sticks her arse in my face in the middle of the night.

HermioneJeanGranger · 10/02/2016 15:48

They might learn to open doors as they get bigger (assuming you got a kitten or young cat).

Our tomcat jumps up at the door handles and opens the doors if we dare to shut him out, so you might want to consider getting locks or something if you're really intent on keeping them out.

Ours sleep on our bed during the day, though. We shut them out at night only because they don't bloody sit still and wake us up playing chase at 2am!

SmillasSenseOfSnow · 10/02/2016 15:51

If you don't want the cat meowing at bedroom doors and/or tempting children to let her in to their bedrooms then make sure she goes to bed one door further away. In my childhood home the cats were always shut away in the conservatory (with access to outside).

Nanny0gg · 10/02/2016 15:52

If you don't like it don't do it.
When we had a cat flap they were shut away from the bedrooms at night anyway. (Didn't like waking up to animated 'presents' in the morning)

SmillasSenseOfSnow · 10/02/2016 15:55

I will point out though that they were generally allowed to follow us in to whatever room we were in during the day. They like just being in the same room as you, whether that's sleeping nearby or sitting looking out through a different window than ten minutes before. It would have impacted our relationship with them a lot had we not been able to spend time with them upstairs when we happened to be there.

PolovesTubbyCustard · 10/02/2016 15:56

No way.

Animals live downstairs or outside

Chattymummyhere · 10/02/2016 16:00

Nope cat is not allowed in the bedroom I don't want pet hairs in the bedrooms, dogs are not allowed even up the stairs so no chance of the cat being allowed in my room.

jonquil1 · 10/02/2016 16:01

They're familyShock

Children from Good Families learn our rules...

  1. no staying out after 10pm

  2. lights off for the children at that time or shortly after

  3. BED! ( theirs)

  4. kitchen, for water and snacks, open all hours, but resident chefs are never ever disturbed until The Bell at 7.00am

It's The Law.

Grin
Jelliebabe1 · 10/02/2016 16:04

I would let mine if he didn't want to sleep only on my face! He knows the rules and sleeps out on the landing

ErgonomicallyUnsound · 10/02/2016 16:07

Mrow Sad

Our cat likes a freshly laundered bed. He sleeps at the bottom of beds, but not when people are in them, as they toss and turn too much for him.

He's pretty fluffy but it's not moulting season yet, although I find he tends to only sleep on the beds in the winter when he's not moulting.

kali110 · 10/02/2016 16:07

I have both cats in our room at night. You couldn't tell the one were he could not go Grin
I love wake up and going to sleep with them by my feet and next too me. I sleep better when they're there too., sorry!
Our pets are part of the family.
I wouldn't call you evil though.

kali110 · 10/02/2016 16:08

ErgonomicallyUnsound my one tom gives me evils when he's sitting on my lap if i dare so much as cough! Grin

RudeElf · 10/02/2016 16:09

OP just an idea, i'm thinking of getting my two shitheads furbabies an igloo each to sleep in on the landing. Would that be an acceptable compromise for your family?

WileHallion · 10/02/2016 16:11

YANBU.

The idea of buying lovely bedding, washing it, making the bed all perfectly and then letting a hairy animal that licks it own arse into it is mindboggling to me Shock.

The only people I've known in real life who let animals in the human beds had pretty low hygiene levels in general tbh.

Ameliablue · 10/02/2016 16:11

You are not being unreasonable but on the other hand I loved cuddles with my cat in bed on a Saturday morning growing up.

UmbongoUnchained · 10/02/2016 16:12

Our cats have always gone outside at night

tomatodizzy · 10/02/2016 16:14

No pets in bedrooms. Our cats are supposed to stay on the veranda because they are farm cats. They will occasionally find the sofa and I let them be, but not beds or bedrooms. It is a battle sometimes because cats are a law unto themselves.

Mia1415 · 10/02/2016 16:19

My cat always slept on my bed. I loved snuggling up to him.

I personally love animals and have no problem sharing my home with them. But not everyone feels like that and if you don't a cat in your bedroom then that is fine. You could compromise and keep your door shut but allow it to sleep with the rest of the family?

stumblymonkey · 10/02/2016 16:25

I'm a full on crazy cat lady and even I have now kicked mine out of the bedroom.

They wake you up constantly by messing around in the middle of the night, you don't get a decent night's sleep and they clawed my divan bed base to bits.

YANBU. Ignore the miaows, the cat is just manipulating the rest of the household against you. It knows what it's doing. Don't underestimate it. Grin

LadyIsabellaWrotham · 10/02/2016 16:27

We allow cats in bedrooms during the daytime, and they like to cuddle up with DCs as the have lullabies, and acting Nursemaid Cat with anyone who's off sick during the day. But at 11pm they get lured into the kitchen with their evening meal and shut in there, otherwise they'd try and play happy families at 2am. I love my cats, but not enough to sacrifice my precious sleep.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 10/02/2016 16:29

YANBU. We shut the cats in the kitchen at night. They have a cat flap to come and go, water and food, two baskets and a heater left on.

They are not allowed to set a paw on the stairs. Doesn't stop them but they will run a mile if they have made their way upstairs and run into me.

I think if you have chosen to have housecats with no outside access then it's a little different but I don't want "presents" upstairs, they are far more likely to be shut in somewhere and defecate upstairs, cat hair on my pillow just urgh and on the rare occasion that a cat is scratched, cuts a paw or whatever I don't want blood tracked all over the house.

Janeymoo50 · 10/02/2016 16:32

My cat comes in the bedroom, on the bed for a quick stroke and shortly thereafter clears off back to her throne (armchair with her blankie on) for the night/all day. You do what is best for you. It's not mean at all, it's what you feel is right (plus avoids said cat sitting on you at 02.36 and extending her comedy sized paw out to tap you on the nose just for the hell of it).
Don't change now, otherwise you'll not be able to backtrack.

PennyHasNoSurname · 10/02/2016 16:36

Ours have the run of the house in the daytime. Nothing they love more than a three hour snooze in the sun patch on the bed.

Night time they get the living room and kitchen (catflap in the kitchen so they can go out to play if they want).

The reason we dont have them in the bedroom at night is because they dont settle. They clamber all over us, in the cover, out the cover, they drink from our water glasses.

magpie17 · 10/02/2016 16:46

My cats used to be allowed in the bedrooms but since I had DS they are not. They don't seem that bothered! They are allowed the run of the house apart from that although I shut them downstairs at night or they miow at our bedroom door all night. I adore my cats but they live in my house and I make the rules!