Monday, September 14, 2009

Pets in the Bedroom?

Growing up, every pet that I ever had was an "outdoor pet". I had pet bunnies that lived in little rabbit hutches outside and pet cats that lived outside and in the garage. The only pets that ever lived in the house were my Mom's fishes in their tank in the living room.

When we got our cat Judah I set him up with his own "room" (aka our guest bathroom) complete with his food, litter, scratching post, and little bed. I knew he was too much of a rowdy kitten to sleep in our room.

After a couple of months apparently Judah was not too pleased with his accommodations and learned how to open the bathroom door. He can now get it open in two minutes flat. So we started closing and locking our bedroom door so he could roam the condo at night, just not our room.

Well lately starting at about 3 AM, Judah will sit at our door and cry. He'll even try to open the locked door, banging against it. It's really sad and pathetic. I'll usually let him in around then and he'll snuggle up in our bed.

So I went to Petco and bought him his own new plush pet bed, thinking that maybe that would make him want to stay in his room. Nice huh?



(Yes, it is dog bed. And yes, it is too big for him. But I liked these colors best and it is sooo soft).

Judah likes his new bed a lot, especially during the day, but he still likes coming in our room at night more.

I know that a lot of people have their pets in their bedrooms. Just last week my blog friend, Blue Eyed Bride, posted about giving her dogs space in the bedroom. But I've never had a pet stay in room at night permantely before.

I'm tempted to move Judah's new bed into our room, so at least when he comes into our room maybe he will sleep there instead of on my feet or my pillow waking me up. But will moving the bed into our room just affirm that our room is his "space"?

Do you let your pets sleep in our room? Do they sleep in pet beds or in your bed? How do you keep them from waking you up while you sleep?

41 comments:

Sara said...

Our dogs sleep in our room and always have. Not in bed with us, but on their own beds on the floor. My little daschsund used to sleep with me, but no more since we got married.

LyndsAU said...

We do have pets in our bedroom! I actually never had an indoor pet until I got Dansby, then I got Daizy and well they slept in a crate for a long time, then we just let them start sleeping in the bedroom with us. At first they liked the floor, now they have completely taken over our bed :)

Susan said...

Our cats sleep in our room. We occasionally lock them out when we want to sleep in on weekends... but they cry and scratch at the door and the carpet... waking us up anyway.

I think you get used to it - our cats wander around a bit at night, but mostly sleep when we sleep. When they get too active, we drop them on the floor and eventually they learn now settle down.

Good luck!

Lindsey said...

Our family pets always slept in our bedrooms, though Garth grew up where the dogs slept outside. This will be tough when we have pets but I think I can convince him to keep the pets inside, haha!

~Mrs. Guru~ said...

We let our beast spend stay in our room and she does really good most of the time. She has her own bed as well.

Brittany said...

We definitely let our dog sleep in our bed with us! However, I think cats might be more fidgety when they sleep than dogs (?) Our dog sleeps peacefully through the night at our feet and since we have a king sized bed we don't even know he's there! Most mornings I have to drag him out of bed actually!! Haha!

seanna said...

Nope, definitely do NOT let our dog sleep in our room with us...I can't stand the hair, which is the main reason why (he's a lab and they shed like nobody's business). but personally, i'm not really a fan of letting your pets (or children, for that matter) sleep in bed w/ you and your spouse..i love my husband and God knows there's enough in the day that keeps me from him with work and life, so at night it's just me and him :) (but a big dog is much different than a small cat!)

love your blog!

Christy said...

We have two cats, and both are allowed in the bedroom. Only one actually sleeps on the bed, and he's very good about sleeping the entire night. It's the other one that's a problem, he runs throughout the house at night and hollers for no particular reason!

Unknown said...

My husband was the same way- NO pets in the house. period. So it took lots of convincing to have a 100lb. dog in the house plus our kitty. And now, I don't think he'd have it any other way! Our dog sleep in his big doggy bed at the foot of our bed & our kitty snuggles up between us in our bed!

Shoshanah said...

We always had cats while I was growing up, and the biggest issue would be when they woke up they would attack my toes. Not the best way to be woken up in the middle of the night.

Heather (Live.Love.Laugh.) said...

Cute bed. My cat loves his bed. Our dog sleeps in bed with us and our cat will come and sleep (next to me only) for a few hours a night. We are used to them now. We have a king so it doesn't get too crowded.

Good luck with your kitty.

Mrs. Southern said...

I am with ya, we always had outside pets growing up. When we got married and got Oscar we let him sleep in the bed with us and then a few months ago he would wake up in the night and want to play so now he sleeps downstairs in an area with his bed and is gated in. I have to have my beauty sleep and I know once our baby gets here in January I'll be happy we put Oscar downstairs.

DreamTNM said...

I know exactly what you are talking about. My cat is the same, she use to cry to come in the bedroom. I can't take the fur on the bed so we let her in as we are getting ready for bed then kick her out when we go to sleep, she'll cry for a bit then just falls asleep out there. Then as soon as the alarm goes off I'll let her in, that way she's not totally off limits. ;) it did take her a while to get use to, but you need to be firm ;)

Happiness Is... said...

Coco's crate is in our bedroom, and Tag's crate (the bigger dog) is in the mud room/laundry room right off our bedroom. We crack the door to the laundry room while he sleeps in his crate, and Coco sleeps in her crate. I love having them right there - I would feel bad if they were much further away. I imagine they'd feel lonely and scared? That could be me projecting that onto them, but I just think they appreciate us being so close in the dark!

When the husband is out of town, Coco sleeps in the bed with me. We sometimes let her snuggle, but rarely does she spend the entire night in the bed. I understand that some people think it's not appropriate for dogs/kids to be in the bedroom, but honestly half the fun of having Coco is how snuggly and cuddly she is, and the husband and I enjoy making her feel loved in that way.

They don't wake us up b/c we refuse to let them out to potty until we're ready to get up...both of them have adjusted to that way of life, so neither complains (i.e. barks/whines) in the morning. Both whined a little bit at first, as all dogs do during crate training, but now they love their "happy places." I think it's possible to have animals that sleep in - ours will snooze until Noon on a Saturday (which usually means that we came in very late the night before and let them out to potty/play, etc).

Maggie said...

Our poodle slept in a crate when we first got her. My husband too had never had an indoor pet. When the Mr. started working nights I let the dog sleep in our bed with me...that was the worst thing I could have done. Now she won't sleep in her crate. SHe can't jump on the bed so if you out her in the floor she just cries. I'm not sure what is best at this point!

the BLAH BLAH BLAHger said...

Kitties love tight spaces. My parents just got a small cat bed and the baby won't get out of it all day or night!

Kristen said...

We have a queen bed and our 79-lb. Lab sleeps with us! Although she sleeps on the ground a lot of the time too, especially in the summer when the hardwood floor is nice and cool.

We want to upgrade to a king the next time we move (c:

Savannah Brentnall said...

Our cat sleeps on the bed, nestled behind my legs. He doesn't wake up at all in the night (sleeps like a log!) but it is sometimes a shock to wake up in the morning and see a little face about 6 inches from mine.

He's learned not to make a sound before my eyes are open (a pillow on the head will teach you that, fast), but the moment they're open, he starts meowing for breakfast.

The Kinards! said...

I have a sweet, cuddly Golden Retriever that I just love to death! But I would NEVER let him sleep in my bed. He's actually never even been in my bedroom and he's 2 1/2 years old! When I got him at 8 weeks old, I taught him that he has his own bed (in the living room) and he is not allowed in "our" (my husband's and my) room. He's very good about it :) My cat, on the other hand, when she was alive, always slept in my room... not on my bed, but for some reason I liked having her in the room... wierd, huh?! haha

Shannon Dew said...

Our dogs aren't supposed to sleep with us but somehow they always manage to sneak in the bed! I'm a sucker though and can't resist them!

Ashley said...

We rescued our dog 4 months ago. I was, and still am very against the dog on our bed or on furniture.

We got her a little bed and she sleeps in that on the floor next to us!! Sometimes, if we are still down stairs watching TV at night, she goes up to our bedroom and gets in her bed!! She just loves having her own bed and space.

Growing up, my parents had a cat that used to try getting on my bed and the Purr would wake me up ALL NIGHT! If Judah makes the same sounds my cat did, you might want to keep him out of your room!! If my dog was a loud sleeper and moved a lot, I would rethink her sleeping arrangements!

ELP said...

First..he is just too cute!
I have ver had cats before so I don't know how they really act. We let our dog in our room and only our room at night. She has a blanket next to my side of the bed and sleeps there for the night. She is not allowed in the bed and has never been. It helps that we set that rule from day one.

Jennifer said...

Nate always locks our bedroom door and lets the cats stay in our room with us. They sleep anywhere in the room, under the covers, or at the end of the bed and generally they do not wake us up.

If we lock them out of our room they will reach under the door and bang it until we open it. When they are really naughty they get shut in their room. (Oh, such punishment a bedroom with all of their toys, litter and food.)

As for sleeping in our room they don't wake us up until they need to eat. But I also may be used to it since I've always had multiple cats all of my life. They do tend to wake Nate up more than me.

Just remember cats love to cuddle.

Juls said...

My dog sleeps between my husband and I....even better she prefers to be under the covers!

Julie

Meant to be a mom said...

I don't have a cat so my situation won't fix yours. My two dogs sleep in kennels at night. I know this sounds mean but they love them. When they get tired they go to there kennels and lay down and wait for us to bring them a nightly treat and shut the kennel door. They never bark to get out. They both have there own little pillow bed in the kennel they sleep in. Neither of them are in our room because I'm a light sleeper and would loose it because my boxer snores and our beagle lets out little sighs when she sleeps.
In high school I had a cat and I didn't let her sleep in my room, but she slept on the end of my brothers bed every night.
I hope you figure something out that works good for you guys :)

Jenn said...

Our dogs sleep on the floor by my side of the bed, but the kitten is waaaay to hyper at night to be in the bedroom. He gets to roam the whole house until he gets tired and curls up on the couch. He's almost always waiting outside the bedroom door when I get up in the mornings. It's funny how pets have routines just like we do!

Sweet Simplicity said...

We have to keep our dog in his crate at night. Otherwise, he will be in our bed under our covers. The dog loves to burrow himself. There is no way I could get him to stay on his bed on our floor. We let him sleep with us every once in a while, but we have had some traumatic experiences. Nuts has thrown up in the middle of the night on the hubs. He also moves around too much and makes me hot.

The Southbay Newlyweds said...

Our little man... sleeps with me every night! he loves to sleep between me and my Husband..we love it..he is adorable..but he is also only 10lbs... not sure I could have large dog in the bed... our pups always slept with us...

Naturally Caffeinated Family said...

When I was little and we had a dog, he was allowed to sleep with us! Oh we loved it of course=)! And he took up pretty much the whole bed! We keep talking about getting a puppy, and we'll probably do the same thing you're doing and put a little area for him in the room if he's not in a crate =) (I've only had the one puppy growing up and we haven't had a crate trained pup before but have heard good things about it=)) Maybe soon!=)

Melissa @ I Pick Pretty said...

Cats are tough for this. Mine have always lived inside until I got married (my husband is allergic), but even before, I couldn't sleep with them because they'd wake up and want to play around 3 am. I used an electronic mat outside my bedroom door to keep them from scratching it to get in.

Our Pug does sleep in our bedroom, in his own bed, and that works for us most nights.

Unknown said...

Winston sleeps with us. We lock him up in our room/bathroom while we're both at work and then in the evenings he's allowed to roam. When we go to sleep though, we snatch him up and put him in the room with us. He usually sleeps draped across my pillow, so my head is usally flat on the bed! HA! Sometimes he'll get under the covers which makes me really nervous. I need to get a bigger cat bed for him...the one we have is WAY too small for him now.

I still haven't figured out when he's "old enough" to let him roam the house while we're gone. He's just too wild! :)

In This Wonderful Life said...

awww! he just wants to be close to the ones he loves the most!!! Elton is king of our bed and such a little snuggle bunny!

Cat Beds said...

My dog sleeps in my room on a dog bed, while the cat normally sleeps upstairs on the couch.

Jenny
Poochieheaven

Perfectly Imperfect said...

Our pups sleep in our room til we go to sleep, then they usually find other places to head, usually the office. The cat? Yea.. I have no control over him! He sleeps on our bed if he wants or pretty much anywhere he pleases!

Tara Gibson said...

oh miss sadie sleeps with us, but usually gets up and goes to her bed or in the closet haha

Unknown said...

Whenever we dog sit, Coco dog sleeps in our bed. Husby loves it. The only problem? Coco dog has a very small bladder and gets excited very easily. We've had more than a few accidents. Not fun.

d.a.r. said...

Both dogs. In the bed. Under the covers.

We tried the whole crate thing and they cried and howled all night. Our pug figured out how to get out of her crate from the inside and wound up in our bed anyways. And they sleep all night long if they are in bed with us instead of waking us up all night wanting to go inspect sounds and smells and go potty.

My beauty rest needs won out and now we all snuggle.

Nicole said...

I'm no help here. No pets yet :(
However I remember my parents Labrador Retriever sleeping next to their bed on the floor. I don't think he ever tried to get on the bed though. For one he was too big and two my dad had him pretty well trained to behave. Dogs are much different that cats in the whole training area though.
Hope that helps! :)

LWLH said...

Mia's not allowed on our period...her crate is in our room but she's not allowed on any furniture.

Anonymous said...

we're fairly obsessed with our 2 dogs and cat, so take this with a grain of salt. the cat likes to roam, so we let him. our big pup emma won't sit still at night, so she has to sleep in a kennel, which is in our bedroom. and the little pup delilah - if she doesn't sleep under the covers curled up next to me, its because she got hot and is laying on the pillow by my face.

point being: we do what makes our babies happy and helps them sleep through the night.

so spoiled.

Finding Thyme To Cook said...

Love your blog. As I was scrolling down, I came upon the pet issue. My husband and I share our bed with Buttons, our little Shih-Tzu/Terrier. Actually she has her own small "donut" bed which is in our bed. Since she has done this since she was six weeks, she is an angel when she sleeps. While we watch the news, she stays on top of the comforter just relaxing, but once the lights go out, she climbs into her bed, circles a bit to find that perfect spot, and sleeps through the night. It works for us, but it is definintely a personal preference!

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