https://www.inverse.com/science/where-should-cats-sleep-at-night

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IS IT OK TO LET YOUR CAT SLEEP IN YOUR BED? WHY THE SCIENCE IS COMPLICATED

Plus why you may want to invest in a fleece blanket.GettyTARA YARLAGADDA8.30.2021 5:30 PM

MANY PET OWNERS are willing to put up with mild annoyances that come from sleeping alongside their cat — so long as they can wake up with their furry feline by their side. Katherine Pankratz, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, is one of them.

“Personally, I would bear any physical discomfort — whiskers up the nose and all — for my cat to choose to snuggle with me each night,” she tells Inverse. “It is definitely an important bonding experience for me and, I hope, also for my cat, Kaeto.”https://67cf85396d31c43a19407118587075c1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlMORE LIKE THISCULTURE8.29.2021 11:00 AMWHY DOES MY CAT KNEAD WITH ITS PAWS? A VET EXPLAINSBy JULIA ALBRIGHTSCIENCE8.19.2021 3:57 PMSEA SNAKES ATTACK DIVERS BECAUSE THEY’RE HORNY, RESEARCHERS SAYBy JENNIFER WALTERSCIENCE8.23.2021 10:51 AMWATCH: NEW VIDEO REVEALS “HORRIFYING AND AMAZING” TORTOISE BEHAVIORBy BRYAN LAWVEREARN REWARDS & LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.SUBMIT

Other pet owners hate the experience.

When Inverse surveyed pet owners on r/pets, a Redditor who goes by tonkatsu_tempura replied that they tried it for two days before calling it quits. “I couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping as he tracked poop over my bed and me,” they explain. “The bedroom just feels fresher and far more relaxing without the pet dander and hair.”

But critically — is there a correct answer? In this article, Inverse dives into what researchers report, explains the pros and cons of sharing a bed with a cat, and reveals tips for sleeping soundly if you do let your cat on the covers.

IS IT BAD TO LET YOUR CAT SLEEP IN BED WITH YOU?

Does co-sleeping with your cat worsen or improve your quality of sleep? The answer depends on the scientific study in question.

Ultimately, veterinarians can’t issue a blanket statement on whether it is objectively “good” or “bad” to sleep alongside your pet. Only the pet owner can really answer that question.

“Some people feel more comforted with their cat in the bed, other people will have difficulty getting comfortable, or might be disturbed if their cat walks on them or hogs the bed,” Mikel Delgado, a cat expert at Feline Minds and a postdoctoral fellow School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, tells Inverse.https://67cf85396d31c43a19407118587075c1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Pankratz, who works at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, says there is “no clear consensus” and that “further research is needed.”

“Some studies support benefits on sleep while others show an association with poorer sleep quality,” Pankratz adds.

cat, bed
Whether or not you can keep your cat from sleeping with you is another question.Getty Images

But if you want to dig into the scientific literature, here are the highlights:https://67cf85396d31c43a19407118587075c1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

  • A 2021 study of 265 pet-owning 13 to 17 year-olds found 78 percent of respondents slept with their pet. There were “no differences in sleep quality depending on age, gender, or co-sleeping status.”
  • A 2018 study found “cats who slept in their owner’s bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners.”
  • Another 2021 study found cat ownership was associated with a higher odds ratio of failing to achieve at least seven hours of sleep — but the researchers were unable to conclude “whether this means that cats represent a risk factor” for reduced sleep quality.

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