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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Do you let your kittens/cats into your children's bedrooms at night?

34 replies

EweHaveGoatToBeKiddin · 17/09/2013 23:24

My cat-hating dad was horrified today when i told him my kittens like sleeping on dd's bed at night. He seems to think they'll smell milk/food on her breath and will consequently lie on her face and suffocate her...

I've always left my door open and they happily sleep with me.

I originally did the same with dd's door, but she started to get annoyed with the kittens because they would come in and wake her up by playing on her bed etc. So i began shutting her door each night.

Now, however, she says she likes them coming in and cuddling with her. So I'm back to having her door open at night and the kittens can just go between rooms. They seem much happier with this because they used to scratch her door and cry when i shut it.

My dd is 5.

My kittens are male/female and almost 7 months.

What's the 'done' thing?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 17/09/2013 23:46

Cat/kitten cuddles are the best sleep comfort in the world for a kid - and I've never heard of a child being suffocated yet.

issey6cats · 18/09/2013 01:06

lol at kittens suffocating a five year old my cats dont come in my bedroom but thats cos i like the bed to myself and with four of them there would be no room for me, take no notice of your dad do what works for you

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/09/2013 07:23

All these murderous cats. Makes you wonder why we bothered domesticating them in the first place.

I've never heard of a cat killing a child but we've all seen plenty of children maimed in dog attacks.

Bluestocking · 18/09/2013 07:28

Your cat-hating dad needs to get a grip. Even if a seven month old kitten did sit on a five year old's face (which it wouldn't) the child would wake and the cat would move. There's nothing nicer than a cat on the bed!

ILoveAFullFridge · 18/09/2013 07:33

My mum tells me that she kept finding our neighbour's cat curled up next to me in my bed, with his incredibly fluffy tail draped across my neck. Grin

I have never heard of a cat deliberately harming a child, and that sort of thing just is not in the nature of domestic cats.

I wouldn't worry.

Bloodsocks · 18/09/2013 07:35

I got a double bed when i was younger as there just wasn't enough room for me and the cat in my single!

heronsfly · 18/09/2013 07:38

Once my dcs are asleep our cats are always to be found curled up somewhere on their beds, normally on the pillow !
As cozie said, a warm purring cat can be one of the best comforts you could have.

cakeandcustard · 18/09/2013 07:42

We don't because he drinks from our glasses of water in the night - yuck! That said I grew up with a cat curled up on the end of the bed most nights Smile

Morloth · 18/09/2013 07:43

Yes to DS1, No to DS2.

DS2 just doesn't like the cat in his room and he prefers his door closed at night.

DS1 doesn't mind her and prefers his open.

She mostly sleeps with us though, preferably behind my knees with a claw stuck out just enough so I know not to move and disturb her...

AngelsWithSilverWings · 18/09/2013 07:51

My DS woke up this morning delighted because both the cats were curled up next to him under the duvet.

The cats usually snuggle up to the kids at bedtime while we are reading and then come down to find a lap to sit on once the kids are asleep.Then once we o to bed they g back to the kids beds.

Best kind of hot water bottle.

Frizzbonce · 18/09/2013 19:57

My daughter is woken every day by Stan licking her ear. And if that doesn't work he makes a dive for her feet under the duvet. I sleep with him curled up on my bed every night - it's lovely. I have never ever heard or read about a cat suffocating a baby.

Once years ago my son who was about two grabbed my lovely old cat Sydney by the tail. Sydney cuffed my son round the chops but he kept his claws sheathed. That was the only act of semi-duffing up by any cat in my house ever.

Lovethesea · 18/09/2013 21:06

Our doors are open so they can go where they please.

DD is too wriggly at 4 so one cat likes sleeping on her bed in the day but not at night, at night he sleeps on our kingsize by my feet.

DS is not wriggly but he usually ends up in my bed anyway, last night the tabby had curled up next to DS who was snoozing in our bed.

The other cat likes to be near us but not on the bed usually.

BerylStreep · 19/09/2013 08:26

I let our cats sleep on the DCs beds, but when we go to bed later, they get put downstairs in the kitchen. The odd time that I relent (for example if DH is away and it is just me) I always regret it - cats end up sleeping in my bed, snuggled right up against me under the duvet and I hardly get any sleep.

I think it is fine so long as there are no allergies and they don't have fleas.

WakeyCakey · 19/09/2013 11:32

I don't let our cat sleep in DSD's room because she wakes up about 5 to play and it always ends in DSD shouting the house down until someone comes in and gets her.

She sleeps in with me in the same place every night and I love it!

giddly · 19/09/2013 11:36

I'd be more worried about the cat. Years ago my flatmates kitten climbed into my bed while I was asleep, and I didn't notice and accidentally rolled on it. It never seemed to be quite the same again, and I still feel horribly guilty.

absentmindeddooooodles · 19/09/2013 11:41

I let the cats come into our room ( ds is in with us) when he was about a year old. Maybe 14 months.

I once left the door open axxidentally when he was tiny....about 6 weeks. The cat came in amd I woke up to her lying across his chest and face. He did not have the reflex to move and If I had not woken up it could have been a different story.

Now its fine. Hes 2.6 and lives for the cat we got him forhis first birthday ( and also her kitten now)

Would never ever let the dog in the bedroom though.

headsspinningforachange · 19/09/2013 11:48

My cats would happily sleep with my Ds 4.9 if I let them but I just can't bring myself to as I had it instilled in to me that they would suffocate children by sleeping on their faces because of the smell of milk Blush

absentmindeddooooodles · 19/09/2013 11:51

Heads I still feel like that. The only reason I gave in is because the little buggers scratch at the bedroom door and make the biggest raket if I dont let them in. Honestly it is fine once they are older.

Ds regularly gets tangled in his divet and pillow in his sleep. But he moves the obstructions away from his face just like an adilt would. My view is once they can do that then its fine :)

Poledra · 19/09/2013 11:51

Nope, cats not allowed in children's rooms (or even upstairs at night) but only because the buggers get up at 5am and come crying to me for their breakfast (the cats, not the children).

cozietoesie · 19/09/2013 11:55

That's interesting, absentminded - the closest I've ever heard of someone coming to a problem. I guess he was just so very tiny in that case.

IceCreamForCrow · 19/09/2013 12:01

No. Our two can go/sleep anywhere in the house during the day, but at night they are in the kitchen (with their cushions and bean bag and biscuits) and they can go out through the catflap if they want to.

They tend to get quite lively up until about 3am and if they are allowed in the rest of the house they start miaowing and jumping on us to play whilst we're all tryng to sleep.

kiriwawa · 19/09/2013 12:06

I'm deliberating whether to allow my new kittens the run of the house at night. At the moment I'm shutting them in (because I don't trust them to find the litter tray more than anything) but I've never done it before - my old cats slept with me.

Much as I like a cuddle in bed with a cat, it is quite nice having pillows which aren't covered in cat hair so I'm undecided ...

If I let them out, then they will go into DS's room as well as mine I suppose

clearsommespace · 19/09/2013 12:07

I don't think a kitten is a danger to a child that age but it wouldn't be practical for us.

Our kittens were 6 months a few days ago and they are absolutely crazy all evening so they have to be shut downstairs. When DH and I go up we can hear them haring up and down the living room as we fall asleep. As soon as the female has had her stitches out they'll be allowed out at night so they can go and be nocturnal without bothering us.

They are allowed upstairs when it's time to get the kids up for school so the kids wake up to cuddles.

Birdena · 13/08/2019 11:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Birdena · 13/08/2019 11:52

Roundworms are the most common of the parasiticwormsfound inside acat(or dog). Almost allcats becomeinfected with them at some time in their lives, usually as kittens. Roundworms may be contracted in different ways, making them easy to spread and hard to control.

www.petsandparasites.org/cat-owners/roundworms/