“Where should my cat sleep? Should my cat sleep in my bed? What if I’ll squash her at night? My cat doesn’t sleep at night, what should I do?”
Ahhh, all those questions that all cat owners ask themselves at one point or another!
When I first got Brucy, I wasn’t sure where she should sleep. Before going to bed, I left her kitten bed next to my bed, but as it was a cold winter night, she much preferred getting under the blanket and sleeping on my feet.
Cats love human heat and if your cat likes sleeping with you – no worries, it’s perfectly normal (and healthy as long as you are not allergic). According to a recent survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association, “62% of cats sleep with their adult owners, and another 13% of cats sleep with children”. PetPlace claims that 38 % of cats who sleep on the bed, sleep on the pillow with the owner, and apparently, younger cats prefer the pillow, while older cats prefer to sleep at the foot of the bed.
But what to do if your cat disturbs you at night because she wants to play, scratch or run around? Cats are night animals so it is normal that they are sometimes active at night. To get your cat to sleep at night, there are a few things you can do:
- Play with your cat for an hour before bed time – this will exhaust her and you are more likely to have a quite night
- Try giving her less food in the afternoon and more food in the evening – after a cat eats, they normally like to sleep
- Cats like routines, so try going to bed at a similar time every night
If your cat refuses to sleep or scratches you at night, consider keeping your cat outside your bedroom and proving many toys for her to play with.
If your cat decided to sleep under your blanket, you might ask yourself whether this is safe for your cat and whether there is enough oxygen. Cats have smaller lungs than humans and need significantly lower amounts of oxygen. Furthermore, cats have an extremely high self-preservation instinct, so don’t worry – your cat knows what she is doing!
Some cats love playing when they wake up. You can train your cat to stay quiet when she awakens, by saying a firm “no” when she starts scratching, taking her out of the room or by giving her breakfast.
Does your cat sleep with you? Let us know!
The Paris Cat 