Is it ok to share my bed with my pet?

Many of our pet owning customers tell us how much their furry four-footed best friend loves to share their bed – and especially when there’s a cosy Devon Duvets 100% British wool duvet to snuggle up in!

We’ve often been asked if sharing a bed with your pet is a good or a bad thing. Well, there isn’t a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer but ultimately it’s all about whether by allowing your pet to sleep on (or in) your bed, your sleep is being disrupted and that’s something you need to avoid.

Snuggling up with our pets leads to the sort of conundrums many pet owners will recognise, such as ‘why does my cat always seem to weigh more at night’? Or ‘if I move, will I disturb my dog’s sleep?’.  There’s also that niggling thought, ‘what if I turn over in the night and squash or hurt my pet?’. Pets can be terrible bed hoggers too. They start in a small space but as you move and turn in the night, they have an uncanny ability to spread out and take up more and more of the bed. Worse still is if your dog is large and worms their way between you and your partner. This leaves you both clinging on to the edge of the bed by morning, whilst your canine cuddler snores blissfully away in their, now very large, space whilst being cushioned by two nice warm humans.

Whilst we are not pet experts, we do care about your sleep as that’s important to your wellbeing, and so we’ve included some thoughts and pointers below.

What benefits are there to sleeping with your pets?

We suggest making a list and here are a few, as examples only:

• Proximity: I know where they are (i.e., they’re not getting into trouble in the house or with each other).
• Company: I like the company (I sleep solo, or my partner comes to bed later than me).
• Reassurance: I like the warmth and weight of my pet lying on or against me.

What drawbacks are there to sleeping with your pets?

You probably wouldn’t be asking this question if you weren’t experiencing some disruption to your sleep or have any concerns! Here are some examples:

• Suffering from ‘cat paralysis’: In other words, being ‘unable’ to move easily if your body becomes stiff or the weight of them causes a part of your body to go numb. The word ‘unable’ is in quotes because the reality is that you are completely capable of moving, you just don’t, in case you disturb the sleep of your beloved feline companion. You might also be worried that you’ll squash them if you turn over.
• Allergies and general hygiene: You love your pets, but you have a slight allergy that’s exacerbated at night by sleeping close to them or the fur they shed on your bed. There is also the obvious hygiene aspect to consider too – such as muddy paws, ‘eau de recently-rolled-in fox poo’, and drooling. Even tick and flea treatments aren’t 100% guaranteed to keep these tiny critters at bay all the time!
• Competition: Your pets physically push and barge in bed to get their favoured position – usually to sort out who gets closest to you. Cats, in particular, might also be quite vocal about it!
• Snoring: Like people, some cats and dogs can (and will) snore, especially if they are dogs with short noses like Pugs, Boxers, English Bulldogs or Shih-Tzus or the flatter faced cat breeds, such as Persians or British Shorthair.
• Pet damage: Soft filled bedding and mattress manufacturer warranties are likely to be invalidated if those items are damaged by pets – whether that’s chewing, pulling apart, ripping or staining. A chewed, damaged duvet certainly isn't going to improve your sleep quality either!

What changes might I consider?

If the drawbacks to allowing your pet to share your bed outweigh the benefits, then it is probably time to think about some changes.  For example:

• Just move: Decide that when you need to move, you just do it. Most pets will adjust and, anyway, they do get to sleep during the day if they want to.
• Dealing with ‘competition’ arguments: If there’s a squabble between two pets about bed space, just remove them gently, put them outside the bedroom and close the door. Despite popular belief, even most felines are trainable with patience and consistency.
• Provide them with their own special bed: Our gorgeous, individually handcrafted 100% British wool fleece pet beds are natural, sustainable, and chemical-free, offering a sanctuary of (separate) comfort for your furry friends. Made with the same love and care as all our soft filled wool bedding, our sumptuous pet beds are also temperature regulating, helping to keep your dog or cat warm and cosy during the colder months but stay cool when it’s hot. The outer casing is made from beautiful British wool fleece woven onto a natural linen backing and each casing is filled with hand-fluffed wool. There is a zip for the removal of wool to enable washing. Tested by Ash the dog and Sherpa the cat – and given the ‘paws up’ approval.
• …But what about the snoring? Well, if they really love their Devon Duvets pet bed, maybe they won’t notice if they are outside the bedroom door, or in another room!

For more information about our luxurious pet bed range (for them) – or our duvets, toppers and pillows (for you) – please do get in touch with the team and we’ll be happy to help.