Do you let your pets sleep in your bed?

newmug

Mountainsandh wrote: »

The hygiene argument doesn't hold for me : are we pet bed sharing people sicker than others ? I don't think so.
I can safely say that neither cat or dog wipe their backsides after going to the toilet, but I don't have any more vomitting bugs or diarrhea than anyone else, neither does Mr M.

My two are treated for fleas and worms on a regular basis so really that's not an issue. The dog gets bathed at home or gets a day spa at the groomers when he gets too smelly so not an issue either.

It's so lovely to have them with us.

Does mental illness count?

ABajaninCork

newmug wrote: »

Does mental illness count?

What exactly is your point?

Lucy and Harry

Mine always do when fireworks are going off at Xmas and New Years.

frogstar

No. But one of the dogs loves the bed if I'm going for a shower she will get all comfy on it. If my partner s away I leave the door open but she will mainly lie in the floor or go down to the other dog (who refuses to go upstairs)

My dads dog sleeps at the end of his bed under the duvet.

I'm surprised how many sleep with their dogs. Out of interest, those who are in a relationship, do you just kick the dog out when you want some alone time?

ABajaninCork

frogstar wrote: »

I'm surprised how many sleep with their dogs. Out of interest, those who are in a relationship, do you just kick the dog out when you want some alone time?

Yup!

Mountainsandh

newmug wrote: »

Does mental illness count?

Sleeping with pets, not having a problem with a potential extra bit of (mostly harmless) bacteria around, that spells mental illness to you ?

Fair enough, whatever.

If I'm mentally ill, I am blissfully unaware of it.

And, you don't have to share my bed, so all's good.

Mountainsandh

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Yup!

yup too

ulyssescohen

yuk

deadman1972

How could you refuse a face like this?:D

ulyssescohen

Is it not entirely unhealthy to sleep with a pet?

deadman1972 wrote: »

How could you refuse a face like this?:D

Hellrazer

newmug wrote: »

Does mental illness count?

You are the second user that has said that people that share their beds with their animal have a mental illness.

Now quit it.Comments like this are against the rules of the forum.

The next user that makes a comment like this is getting a permanent ban from the forum--Im not even issuing a warning--Its a ban no arguments.

meoklmrk91

ulyssescohen wrote: »

Is it not entirely unhealthy to sleep with a pet?

In what way?

ulyssescohen

Don't pets carry many germs?

Mountainsandh

humans do too
Have kids ?
a partner ?

they carry germs too !

edit : I honestly get more illnesses from my kids than my pets, at least they don't pass on colds and viruses to me.

I smell bad!!!

ulyssescohen wrote: »

Don't pets carry many germs?

You're more likely to contract disease from your human partner in the bed with you than your furry friend.

borderlinemeath

ulyssescohen wrote: »

Don't pets carry many germs?

I have grown up with pets all my life. There was a short time for about 3/4 years when I first moved out of home that I didn't have a pet. When I was growing up there were cats and dogs at home, in the house and of course I had my favourite terrier in the bed with me. I had the odd childhood illness such as measles, scarlet fever, chicken pox but never had much in the way of colds/flu etc. In fact the first time I ever remember having the flu was when I wasn't living with a pet.

I have a fantastic immune system, in 19 years working I took 3 (three) sick days and one of those was due to a car crash. I wasn't paid by a bonus system or anything for not taking them, I just never got sick. I do attribute it to having a normal healthy upbringing with dogs, cats, terrapins, goldfish and at one stage a box of snails as pets. (I even brought them to school) I have a healthy attitude to germs, as in the body needs to develop an immunity rather than this ridiculous overly sterile world that we live in, where kids can't be in a room with a speck of dust and must use hands free soap dispensers.

There are certain things you don't want to get from your pets such as fleas and worms but my dogs are regularly wormed and flea treated as needed so I do not worry in the slightest about what they might have. The majority of illnesses that dogs contract are not zoonotic so catching something from my dog doesn't cause me a second thought.

Mountainsandh

Yeah, there's toxoplasmosis from cats, don't know if I ever had it, I think when you do it's just being unwell for a few days, like a mild tummy bug.
It is more risky for pregnant women as it can affect the foetus, but I think if you've had it before you are immunised.
In my case, not knowing whether I had had it before, I used it as a great excuse to delegate the litter changing to Mr Mountains for the duration of pregnancies.
But I did not refrain from petting cat, or having him in my bed.
I think you can also get toxo from gardening (that bacteria is well able to survive for some time in soil, so even if you don't own a cat, a passing cat could have contaminated any soil), so when I was pregnant I did make a point of wearing gardening gloves for pottering around.

I think toxo and the worms (but that's very easy to treat !) are the worst you can get from pets in Ireland, someone correct me if I'm wrong. :pac:

edit : oh, and lyme disease from tiques ? they're treated along with fleas (in my house at least, I like to use an all-in-one treatment at critical times ie. summer, so no fleas, no tiques, no ear mites, no worms...)

Hooked

I have to say I'm astounded at the amount of owners who share a bed with their pets.

What about the many websites and books that deal with hierarchy, pack mentality and such topics? Some even say not to lie on the ground or interact with pets at the same eye level, or allow a dog to walk ahead and eliminate when he/she wants?

Does letting a dog (or pet) into your bed not let the animal see you as equal to or below them in the pecking order? That aside, I couldn't even imagine letting a dog share my bed for hygiene reasons alone...

My lad isn't even allowed on the couch. Or upstairs. He has his yard, his house, his crate indoors and the floor is his. But not the couch and never my/our bed. And I genuinely love him, his company and we really would be lost without him.

I'd be interested to hear from owners of otherwise very obedient dogs, who are regularly allowed in the bed.

Or are most of the replies here from owners of very well behaved animals (dogs in particular)? What about all the info to the contrary...

borderlinemeath

Hooked wrote: »

I have to say I'm astounded at the amount of owners who share a bed with their pets.

What about the many websites and books that deal with hierarchy, pack mentality and such topics? Some even say not to lie on the ground or interact with pets at the same eye level, or allow a dog to walk ahead and eliminate when he/she wants?

All rubbish. Outdated theories that have been disproven by plenty of qualified authorities in dog behaviour.

Does letting a dog (or pet) into your bed not let the animal see you as equal to or below them in the pecking order? That aside, I couldn't even imagine letting a dog share my bed for hygiene reasons alone...

No. Dogs don't think like that. They think food, shelter, hump/procreate (or if neutered/spayed then not:D). They certainly don't have the capacity to think that they will be the boss of the house if they get in the bed. They see, nice comfy warm shelter that smells so nice because my owner sweats a lot in it. . Mmmm, lovely human germs!!

My lad isn't even allowed on the couch. Or upstairs. He has his yard, his house, his crate indoors and the floor is his. But not the couch and never my/our bed. And I genuinely love him, his company and we really would be lost without him.

Nothing nicer than a cuddle from a furry hot water bottle on the couch. You're missing out.

I'd be interested to hear from owners of otherwise very obedient dogs, who are regularly allowed in the bed.

Or are most of the replies here from owners of very well behaved animals (dogs in particular)? What about all the info to the contrary...

My two are very obedient. They go in for their pre bed cuddle with himself (I always go to bed later). I go in and tell them the same thing every night "It's that time, time for beddybyes, inside and I'll get the treat" They recognise the command before I've got to beddybyes and bolt inside (we're in a bungalow) and by the time I get in they're sitting on their beds, usually drooling, waiting on their treat. And usually they sneak up onto the couch if they can, because once again they can smell the humans on the couch.

Same thing if I ask them to "mind the house". It means I have to go out, and they run to their beds for their treat. It's all about positive rewards for good behaviour. There's not one time I can remember that I haven't been able to get them off the bed on command.

lovelyjubbly

Our two usually act all cute and my boyfriend lets them up at 4am when he leaves for work and generally Friday and Saturday night they come up with us. They would probably get up more except Bert likes to sleep on the bf's pillow and disturbs him.

We don't bring them up if we want "special" time and it's not really an issue although a couple of times they've been shown the door! In terms of hygiene- they are indoor dogs for the most part, washed when they get dirty, vaccinated, wormed etc. I don't buy into the pack/dominance theory having read work that rebuts it. They are good dogs and I don't think their sleeping in our room adversely affects us or them!

Mountainsandh

My little shih tzu cross is very well behaved and obedient, apart from the fact he's only just turned one and still gets very excited like a puppy. :rolleyes:
He's an indoor dog, and pretty clean, gets a good rub when he comes in muddy or wet from outside, a bath if it's badly needed.

I'm astounded by the other (your) point of view, Hooked.

When he was a puppy, I remember calling into someone with him, they said : "are you gonna get his tail cut ?". I was gobsmacked, and asked why on earth would I do such a thing, whereupon they replied that it was well known that small dogs with their tail uncut were more agressive ! :eek:

Sorry Hooked, not saying you're like that, just that there are a number of myths in Ireland that just need to be debunked when it comes to pets.

Hooked

Mountainsandh wrote: »

I'm astounded by the other (your) point of view, Hooked.

When he was a puppy, I remember calling into someone with him, they said : "are you gonna get his tail cut ?". I was gobsmacked, and asked why on earth would I do such a thing, whereupon they replied that it was well known that small dogs with their tail uncut were more agressive ! :eek:

Sorry Hooked, not saying you're like that, just that there are a number of myths in Ireland that just need to be debunked when it comes to pets.

Not at all...

I guess there are a lot of myths and so called 'facts' that this thread is very quickly disproving...

I guess when we got Hugo (a Siberian Husky) we trusted the books and websites on pack mentality, etc... as fact and reading these pages tonight has really opened our eyes to a broader set of greys and less black and white thinking!!!

Still, as suggested above by borderlinemeath... a 60 pound 'furry hot water bottle' though not my cup of tea - would certainly be a very welcome suggestion to herself.

With me losing my place in the 'pack' to the smaller couch, or worse... The floor!!! God knows where I'd sleep if she took THAT hot water bottle to bed.

I'd better let himself out for a wee and put him to bed and enjoy my own... While it lasts!!! :eek:

borderlinemeath

Hooked wrote: »

Not at all...

I guess there are a lot of myths and so called 'facts' that this thread is very quickly disproving...

I guess when we got Hugo (a Siberian Husky) we trusted the books and websites on pack mentality, etc... as fact and reading these pages tonight has really opened our eyes to a broader set of greys and less black and white thinking!!!

Still, as suggested above by borderlinemeath... a 60 pound 'furry hot water bottle' though not my cup of tea - would certainly be a very welcome suggestion to herself.

With me losing my place in the 'pack' to the smaller couch, or worse... The floor!!! God knows where I'd sleep if she took THAT hot water bottle to bed.

I'd better let himself out for a wee and put him to bed and enjoy my own... While it lasts!!! :eek:

A husky is a fantastic hot water bottle, I was looking after one during the year, she was actually quite stand offish and sometimes wouldn't get on the couch but loved sitting on my feet keeping them toasty:D.

There's not enough room for us in the bed with the dogs, so that's why they only get a pre bed and morning cuddle, but as I previously posted if one of us is away, they stay in (and mind me, or him)

Mountainsandh

Yes, I guess if I had a bigger dog, I would definitely have thought twice about leaving it in the bed from the start !
Also, mine is a non shedding dog, and even my cat is not a bit like some other people's cats I know which "leave a trace" wherever they go... so I'm lucky that way, that pet hair is not an issue in my home.

It's not allergies I'd be worried about, it's just I find when I go to my sister's who has lots of shedding pets, I constantly tickle all over.

I think there have been studies showing that kids growing up in a pet hair environment were less likely to develop allergies to it. Makes sense really, self immunisation from babyhood.

Brinimartini

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Tonight I am in my single bed with my dog(boxer) and two cats. This is a very rare occurrence as the dog is usually allowed only to sleep in his bed in the floor of my room, one of the cats is a rip for waking people up at the night so usually it's just the older one and that's not every night.

But tonight the older cat was already asleep and the younger cat refused to go out to the utility room where she usually sleeps so we started off with just the two of them but himself was very forlorn looking and kept coming over and putting his head under the blankets so I left him up. I'm fairly squished but boy am I warm and toasty.

I know that some people would find it disgusting that would allow any animal to sleep in my bed never mind say three but I don't think it's disgusting at all, I just have to change the sheets more often. Just wondering if anyone else does this. I have to say its quite nice just the four of us all cuddled up. Do people think its a bad habit to give them? Any issues etc. what's your opinion on this?

I think it's great fun to have the furry pals in bed with you and I have my cocker spaniel asleep under the duvet every night.

jupiterjack

had to stay at mates house while back to look after his dogs, had two rotties and three jack russells in the bed and had good night sleep...

jsabina

It's three days that my puppy is sleeping with me.
Before I didin't want for crate training / education purposes etc...
Then the night was too cold...
I think it's me waking him up during the night eheheh

Thinkingaboutit

Nooooooooo.

That is wildly unhygienic. I have a lazarov frame too. So double no.

One cat seems to molt continually, yet looks a neat and tidy 14yo shorthaired moggy. It very occasionally gets sick. The other is fluffy molts a bit.

meowski

My animals have always been a full member of the family and they have always slept on my bed (be it cat, dog or both) and I wouldnt have it any other way. I understand that some people find it gross but I have toasty warm feet at night and dont have to pay for an electric blanket:D

anniehoo

I love having my pets in the bed,im clean, they're clean, sheets are changed regularly and anything that's potentially zoonotic i'm likely to get anyway with or without having them in the bed. But what i want to know is, how does a 5kg cat take up SO MUCH SPACE?:D:eek:

This is what i regularly wake up...