Do your cats sleep with you?

[touro1979]

I dont like cats sleeping on top of me when I sleep ( I move around a lot when I sleep) so what I did was buy a large enough cat bed (its actaully a smaller dog bed)that they can both get into and put it right next to my head in the bed with me so they sleep with me but we all have our own space.

 

[mikeanderson]

Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

When they get playing, you would think I had horses in here

I have thought about the intruder thing myself, not that I would want that to happen or anything. However, the intruder would more than likely get a big hug and kisses by the cougar

Yep, we have 3 bobcats, a 6 month old cougar cub and 5 domestics. As for the ban issue, someone wants to introduce a bill into my state that would ban them, but exotic animal owners have grouped together to fight it. There is no bill yet and we hope to stop it before there is one. If it does go through, I will be able to keep them, but would not be able to get any more. If you go to my thread, "Say hello to Boris part 2", I can explain more of it there. I don't want to change the direction of this thread

All of our exotics, the 3 bobcats and the cougar, did not come from the wild. They all came from breeders. Yes, they are the real thing, but they have been born and raised in captivity with constant human contact. Carmelo, the cougar, will live inside our home with us for about a year, maybe a little more. After that, he will need to live outside in an enclosure. This inside living will form the bond between us and him. The bobcats live inside with us, however they do get to go outside as well in a very secure enclosure. Stitches? None. The last time I looked, all our fingers and toes are accounted for

If company comes by, the bobcats can go outside in their enclosure and the cougar would go into his room if needed. They get supervised all the time anyone new comes over. If we suspect that any of the exotics are uncomfortable with who is here, they go outside or in their room. As for the food, they all eat an all raw meat diet supplemented by vitamins designed for wild/exotic felines. You feed them, as adults, approx 2% of their body weight. Carmelo weighs 36 pounds now, so he would get approx 3/4 pound of food per day. However, since he is a growing cub, he gets a lot more. They all use a regular litter box, but I have the largest ones you can find. When raised right and most important, responsibly, these cats can and do form a strong loving bond with their human companions

Thanks for answering all those questions.

I have no doubt you form strong loving bonds with your cats, but I also know from my own small housecats that even a loving cat will inadvertently cause a scratch or cut on occasion. I was just wondering what happens when a bobcat or cougar inadvertently causes a "scratch"!

Also, I guess I figured that because housecats have been domesticated for years, they're much more tame, whereas a big cat - even one removed from the wild at an early age - would still display its instincts on occasion. But I've never owned one, so what the heck do I know.

In any case, your cats are beautiful, and you guys are obviously devoted to them. And I love your photos. Be sure to keep us posted as your cougar grows; that's something very few people get to witness, so I appreciate your documenting it all for us!

 

[vibiana]

Where else would they sleep? LOL

Actually, though, I usually only have one or two of them actually in the bed with me. A queen-size bed just ain't that big with a full figured gal like me in it. LMAO

At least one of them is usually always on the bed, and the other two tend to like to be in the ROOM, at least, or in the hallway right outside.

 

[graykittenlove]

I can't imagine sleeping without the kitties in the bed. Infact, I have a hard time getting to sleep before they join me. Normally Samwise first, then Gandalf. Samwise likes to sleep right up against my side and Gandalf down by my feet on the other side of the bed.

When they were kittens though, it was awful being woken up at all times of the night but now that their older they have outgrown that. I just ignored then when they tried to play at night when they were young.

 

[sharky]

Kandie sleeps with Mom ...

Zoey and Java must have talked she sleeps so I cant turn over either...

Gigi is a small dog and also sleeps with me..

 

[renny]

Both of mine sleep with me. Rambo's spot is right next to me on the bed with his own t-shirt (my oldest gym shirt) since he likes to knead and suckle (and i can get him to use the shirt instead of my chest all night). Lucky alternates between me bed and the cat tree. Her favorite spot is my pillow and if I should happen to move my head she will quickly slip onto the pillow and pretend she's sound asleep and if i try and move her to get my pillow back she looks at me as if to say "but i was here first!"

I don't know if i could sleep without them anymore!

 

[semiferal]

I just stick my head under the covers if someone is annoying me during the night.

The other night I woke up wondering why it was so warm in the bedroom. Then I looked around and counted 12 cats on the bed (plus several on the floor nearby). No wonder it was hot in there!

 

[cdubbie]

After months of hard work - Smidge is allowed to sleep with me. (She had problems understanding that for 8 hrs mom is not availalbe to play, pet, or feed and w/o sleep mom is a beast).

Thing is, our routine is now - she sleeps on the living room couch till the 5:00 am hour or so, then comes in to sleep with me. I think she gave up trying to follow the rules

She wakes me up by accident a lot, by licking my face, or scratching me when she's trying to work the blanket for access underneath. As soon as my alarm clock goes off though, she is at work! She knows if mom doesnt get to work on time she'll get fired and there will be no more treats and expensive kibble

If I awake in the middle of the night, which I do a lot, I always sit up and look around for her...and am quite sad when she isnt there

 

[stephenm]

Our cats have access to the bedroom so there are usually one or two of them asleep on the bed. This morning i woke up to 5 of them curled up on the bed, 2 on a cat tree at the end of the bed and another sprawled across a rug beside the bed.

 

[courtneyaustin3]

lichz699,
your "baby girl" is a tortie right? she looks like my raja, a tortie, who sleeps under the covers in the nook of my arm. she comes and goes in the night when there is playing with her brothers she will go play but then come hop back under the covers. she is a sweetie.

but to respond to the post:
i think that raja was very active at first to licking my face, and as you said, GENTLY PAWING at my lips. she even licked my ears for a while, which is weird coz her little tounge is so rough!! ;-) but within a month, she just started sleeping under the covers and got used to me!

 

[katzy]

Sometimes Chester will. I keep him in my bedroom at night because I like to know where he is and that he's okay while im sleeping (wierd... i kno : ) lol). Sometimes he sleeps at the end of my bed, sometimes he sleeps in my hamper lol, sometimes he lays on the floor and watches Nugget, my bunny, hop around in his cage all night, he pretty much does w/e he wants lol he is the king of this castle : )