Kitten safe when sleeping?

Originally Posted by Rumpleteazer

My dog used to think it was funny to lay totally still with her eyes open and not respond when we said her name. She'd wait till we freaked out and then stand up.

Turkey! And I think she taught that trick to my cat!
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miyoko does that when hes sleeping.

Gizmo has been sleeping on my bed since he was probably around 7- 8 weeks (he's almost 6 months now) I have one of those big long body pilliows that he took quite a liking too, so I just leave it on my bed and that's where he sleeps most of the night. A few times during the night he will come and snuggle up to me but of all the times he's slept on my bed I've never once rolled onto him. I think over time he's simply learned my sleep patterns and has pretty figured out where he should and shouldn't lay.

My boss at work bought his daughter a kitten for christmas. They let it sleep with them till the morning when they would give thier daughter their gift however he had rolled onto in the night and it was dead when they woke up.
I am not sure if this is a common occurance but it is possible.

That is the first time I have ever heard of that - maybe there was something else wrong? All my kits have slept with me since they were very small - Dushka was only three weeks old and suffering from pneumonia so she lived in my pocket or at night in the crook of my arm so she could be warm. Even though her breathing was bad we never had a problem. She still sleeps under my duvet, curled up against me. But I do have to say that I sleep like a stone - I rarely move and my bedclothes look undisturbed in the morning.

Every kitten I've ever had slept with me from a tiny tiny baby and I have to tell you, I sleep the sleep of the dead. I cannot imagine not sleeping with our kitties. The only thing I hate more is having to get up early and watch Bijou lay there with his head on my pillow, covered up to just under his front paws and having the loveliest nap while I get ready for work. I even crawl out of bed backwards so I don't disturb him.

She's been back sleeping with us since the day after I posted this thread. At first I woke up a lot but it's getting better. I'm glad she's taken to sleeping at the end of the bed only, so that takes a lot of the worry away! I'm also glad that I still subconciously know where she is. Of the times I have woken up, most of them have been when i'm about to kick her, or roll on to her and manage to wake up and stop myself in time.

Now if I could just stop waking up from her climbing under the sheets at 5am and nibbling my toes!

Thanks for all your replies. A couple have been un-nerving but I couldn't imagine not letting her sleep with us now. It's nice to wake up in the night and feel her snuggled at my feet.

Originally Posted by Alli_Kat

My boss at work bought his daughter a kitten for christmas. They let it sleep with them till the morning when they would give thier daughter their gift however he had rolled onto in the night and it was dead when they woke up.

I am not sure if this is a common occurance but it is possible.

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that is so sad (

My boys Claude & Tegato slept with me all the time when they were tiny kittens. Mama would sleep with use and bring the kittens up on the bed. I still rememeber all 6 of the kittens sleeping with me. I never rolled over on any of the kittens and neither did my SO. As the boys have grown up and gotten bigger they no longer sleep on the bed all night. They come see us for cuddles when the we go to bed and wake up but they sleep elsewhere now.

Originally Posted by Euterpe

Now if I could just stop waking up from her climbing under the sheets at 5am and nibbling my toes!

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How like a cat! I'm glad you found a solution that is comfortable for you.

Originally Posted by Alli_Kat

My boss at work bought his daughter a kitten for christmas. They let it sleep with them till the morning when they would give thier daughter their gift however he had rolled onto in the night and it was dead when they woke up.

I am not sure if this is a common occurance but it is possible.

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That's so sad! But there is a cat syndrom that is very similar to SIDS in humans, and it's possible that that is what happened to this kitten. It's possible the kitten was already gone before he rolled over. Unfortunatly we will never know if this is the case.

Kittens sleep much 'deeper' than adult cats. When I was 16 I used to sleep with my little kitten ChiChi and I cant even tell you how many times I'd wake up and she'd be lodged between my arm and body and I'd move and she wouldnt move and I'd get scared that she was dead or something. But upon more forceful movement, she would wake up and I'd breathe a sigh of relief. If it were me I'd probably wait until kitten was a little older to let them sleep that close to me, that is if you roll around a lot at night or think you may roll on top of her.

Originally Posted by muppet

Although there is nothing nicer than cuddling up with a little fur ball, as responsible parents we need to think about what is best for our cats.
Doctors are always advising mothers not to let babies sleep in the same bed as them, and also not to fall asleep while breast feeding. Babies are a lot bigger than kittens yet accidents still happen. Your husband might not even notice if he rolled over onto Libby so for Libby’s sake get a basket and train her to sleep in it.
Sorry if this sounds harsh.
Good Luck

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I used to feel that way, Muppet-- Right before I got Callie, I had a sweet, angelic baby boy named Dusty... he cried and cried at night and scratched on my door, but I refused to let him sleep with me because I felt that he should have his own "space" to sleep at night, and I feared rolling onto him as well. Completely unrelated to the topic, but the poor guy suddenly died after 2 weeks (Fading Kitten Syndrome is the only possible explanation I can fathom, it was just like kitten SIDS). I still feel so bad that I "banished" him to the living room when I could have been sharing my pillow with him... all he ever wanted was love. A few weeks into my grief, I got Callie in order to help mend my broken heart!

My Callie has slept with me since I brought her home at 8 weeks last summer. There were a few nights when she was little when I accidentally rolled onto her, but she wriggled free on her own! I keep the door cracked open in case she decides to roam or eat a midnight snack or whatever else.... but she likes to curl up either beside me or at my feet. Never again will I banish one of my babies to another room! She is the most delightful companion and she loves to snuggle with me... so I let her. And I enjoy it!

So my opinion is, if you feel comfortable with your kitties in the bed, sleep with them there. Treasure them and bond with them while they're around!