Sharing your bed with your cat: suitable bedding and good practices
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Contrary to a persistent assumption, sharing your bed with your cat doesn't systematically hurt sleep quality: a study by Chin, Singh and Carothers, published in 2024 in Scientific Reports, analyzed a large representative sample of US adults and found that the negative effects of co-sleeping with a pet were mostly tied to households with a dog, without a comparable link showing up for cat owners. See more pointers in the bedding and habitat section.
Contents · 4 sections
Is sleep really less disrupted with a cat?
A cat weighs little, moves in short bursts rather than continuously, and spends much of the night in deep sleep once settled, which partly explains this finding. That doesn't mean no cat is ever disruptive: a young, playful individual, active at night, remains more disturbing than a calm adult cat used to a steady routine.
What bedding works best for this setup?
A duvet cover washable at 60 °C (140 °F) limits the buildup of hair and allergens carried in cat saliva, a useful point even without a diagnosed allergy. A dedicated throw or blanket at the foot of the bed (15 to 35 €) gives the cat a scent landmark of its own without needing washing as often as the main bedding.
What good practices help day to day?
- A scratching post and a water bowl near the bedroom, so the cat doesn't demand attention in the middle of the night
- A last meal or an active play session right before bedtime, which tends to give the cat a longer sleep
- A litter box never installed in the bedroom itself, for obvious hygiene reasons
- A door left ajar rather than fully closed, since some cats grow more insistent when access is completely blocked
Our guide to elevated or floor-level cat beds helps set up a fallback option if nighttime cohabitation ultimately doesn't suit everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Does sleeping with your cat worsen allergies?
The risk mostly depends on an already-present sensitivity to feline allergens; when in doubt, a medical opinion and washing the bedding more often remain the most useful steps.
Should a kitten be habituated to it from the start?
That choice is made case by case and stays reversible; a kitten that first sleeps in its own bed can perfectly well join the bed later if the habit suits both of you.
Does neutering make a cat quieter at night?
Neutering reduces certain hormone-driven behaviors (marking, calling for a mate) that can disrupt sleep, without on its own guaranteeing a perfectly calm cat at night.
In our shop, for this use: Automatic tail ball for cats (€17.90) · the whole shop
See it at Le Félin, a shop from the same family (zero commission): Arbre à chat pour chaton (from €69.99)
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Cats universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
