Bed Sharing Issue!

[brooklynguy26]

Hey All,

I've had my year old male cat for almost a month now. When I first rescued him he'd very happily share my bed with me. It was pretty great-- he'd crawl over to a spot I wasn't on and get to sleep. If I rolled over or moved my leg, he'd move to accommodate me.

Then a few days ago, he pounced on me when I moved while under the comforter at night. Another time he bit the the comforter (and luckily not me).

I wondered if he was getting bored with his two toys he has. He's very active and he developed a respiratory infection shortly after being rescued. Now that he's fully recovered I wondered if he had a lot of pent up energy he needed to release.

The other night I got him several new toys he had a great time playing with. He got tired out and was sleeping in my bed while I did work. Unfortunately he stretched out on the whole foot of the bed making it impossible for to sleep. I tried to move him but he had his body buried on the bed, would not let me pick him up and was meowing very upsetly. So, I did what I've done before which is gently start to pull away at the comforter. When I do that he usually realizes it's time to get off the bed. Except, last night, he flipped out and pounced on the comforter, bit the comforter and when I let it go he continued to attack the comforter and behave in ways I've never seen him (e.g. fur raised, back arched attacked code mode).

I'm wondering what to do now. I live in a duplex and I sleep on the lower level. There's no private bedroom in my area so he can freely go up and down the steps and hop on my bed while I'm at work. After his freak out with the comforter I decided I'd leave him alone and I actually slept on the couch upstairs, I didn't want to upset the little guy.

I tried going back down and got under the comforter. He hopped into bed but once I made a movement on the comforter he pounced on it again.

He's very, very sweet with me. When I went upstairs I think he was upset I was gone and I think he likes sleeping next to me. He climbed onto the couch last night, walked up to my face purring and licked it and once he knew for sure it was me, he curled up on the couch and went to sleep there. Weirdly when I moved around the couch, there was no pouncing. I was only on a cotton blanket though.

Does anyone have any ideas on how we can peacefully share my bed? It's cold now in NYC and I can't really do a cotton blanket only down there. I'm wondering if it's a territorial thing. While I'm at work he's able to freely run downstairs and hop on my bed. Is he mad I take it from him at night? It's also worth nothing whenever my roommate opens his door if he goes in there, he never jumps on his bed. Can I train him not to go on mine?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[brooklynguy26]

Also made a big typo- he is a THREE year old cat, not a year old.

 

[momto3cats]

Just be firm about making him move out of the way when you get into bed. If you pull back the blanket and he's on it he will have to move. You need to do it fast enough so he doesn't have a chance to argue, but slow enough that you don't actually push him off the bed. I find cats learn pretty quickly to move over so we can share.

As far as the playing/attacking the blanket when you move, maybe it would help if you tire him out with an evening play session? Use a wand toy so you can play WITH him, not just hoping he'll play with his toys by himself. Play followed by a meal or snack usually helps cats sleep through the night afterwards.

 

[dejolane]

When we go to bed Bella lays at the end of the bed on my side, and Thunder lays at the end of my husbands side. Later during the night they lay together on a gray tub I have in my bedroom.

 

[BonitaBaby]

I agree with the just quickly moving him if he's lying where you need to sleep. I think the attacking the comforter might just be normal behavior, but I'm not certain. Is it a goose down comforter? Mine is and my cat will suddenly attack it sometimes and then run off. I think it's because it's not flat as in it is puffy in places and capable of changing shape...my comforter shifts. Goose downs are not solid like non-goose down comforters. You sink into them. My cat will be sleeping on it and then wake and attack it sometimes when she goes to walk off or she will attack it sometimes as soon as she jumps up into bed.

 

[shellyk]

Our male cat sleeps at the foot of our bed.  If I get up at night he immediately moves into my warm spot.  I just pick him up and move him.  He attacks my feed under the comforter daily.  He really likes it.  I move my feet and he pounces.  Sometimes he nibbles at my fingers in the middle of the night trying to get me to play.  I just put him on the floor.  He figures it out and lets me go back to sleep.  In the morning when we make the bed he gets in the way.  We just move him.  I think he likes the interaction. 

I think your cat wants to sleep with you and interact with you.  It's your bed - just move him if he's in the way.  If he claws or bites like it's not play then he doesn't get to sleep with you.  His loss.