Bad News For Your Dog And Cats

There's nothing quite like finding out that something you've been doing your whole life, just may be really bad for you.  Recently, we have been told by various news outlets,  that it is not healthy to sleep with our pets.  Are you serious?

Now, obviously, if someone suffers from allergies then this makes some sense.  You can't sleep with something that you're allergic to.  But what about those of us that absolutely CANNOT sleep without our animals in bed with us?  If I don't let the pets sleep with me, I know that the overall quality of my sleep will not be good.

There are some of us that have not always had a warm, human body to lay next to at night.  I sleep best when I'm back-to-back with the dog, and can feel the cat(s) at my feet.  Many kids sleep with stuffed animals when they're young, and I was no exception.  In fact, I had a Teddy Bear AND a Snoopy doll that I slept with for most of my childhood.

And now I need the pets.  Sleep is an important part of everyone's life - if you don't sleep well - you will not be healthy.  I promise you this -- any kind of illness that I may incur from sleeping with my animals, is well worth it.  Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I need to hear the purr, and the heartbeat, just like I need to pet the fur.  It's comforting.

An article I read suggested that every night you sleep with the pets, you are taking 3-5 minutes off your lifespan.  Let me see - I am 41 years old - times 365 days each year....nevermind, that is WAY TOO MUCH math, but you see where I am going with this.

Plus, you've already been sleeping with the pets - what will THEY think if you start kicking them out of bed.  Many people don't care what the pets think, but I do.  Liberty is my dog that has been sleeping with me for 8 years.  If, suddenly, I didn't let her get on the bed with me anymore - I think that would be very traumatic for her.  She has her spot on the bed, just like I do.

I say (just this once), forget what the doctor says.  I have four pets at home, and until I can afford to buy them each their own individual bed (which I'm not sure they'd want, anyway), we're all still sleeping together.  And we all sleep good!

I'd invite you to come check out the sleeping arrangement for yourself....but we really have no room!