During the process of raising cats, there is no doubt that we gradually grow fond of the cats around us, and our interactions become increasingly intimate. Of course, there are many ways to express closeness; quite a few people like to cuddle their cats to sleep every night, treating the cat as their beloved companion. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, about 62% of cat owners in the United States sleep in the same bed with their cats.

　　In a sense, sleeping with cats may initially be initiated by the cat. When cats see their owners going to bed, affectionate cats will jump onto the bed and lie down next to their owners. The position they use to face us depends on their usual preferences. When owners see cats climb up, they cannot help but hold them, feeling the warmth of their furry bodies, which feels very comfortable. Over time, cuddling cats to sleep becomes a habit. However, the question that must be raised is: is sleeping with cats really good?

　　Leaning against a cat may be very comfortable; after all, studies show that owning cats can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, not everyone is suitable to share a bed with cats. Cuddling cats while sleeping may affect one's health. A 21-year-old female college student named A Zi (a pseudonym) in Nanjing developed a small lump on her abdomen and could not find the cause. Recently, after a multidisciplinary consultation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University, doctors finally discovered the culprit. Through surgery, a parasite more than ten centimeters long was pulled from the patient's body. It turned out A Zi had loved cats since childhood, even cuddling them to sleep. Experts speculate that the parasite had grown inside her for several years. So if you do not maintain adequate cleanliness for your cats, and if your cat has skin diseases, the possibility of being infected by parasites on the cat is very high.

　　A research report by American veterinary expert Linney Stockton and others points out that sharing a bed with pets can increase the risk of zoonotic diseases, including meningitis, American trypanosomiasis, cat scratch disease, plague, and more. These diseases are scary, but on the other hand, studies show that pet lovers are not afraid of getting infected.

　　Additionally, a recent study by the Mayo Clinic found that more than half of patients consulting about sleep problems are disturbed by their pets. Among them, 41% said it was because they allowed their pets to sleep in the same bed, and 58% said they allowed pets to sleep in the bedroom but were still disturbed by their snoring or other noises.

　　Lack of sleep may slow your reaction speed and make decision-making difficult. Studies also show that insufficient sleep increases the risk of traffic accidents. If you think it's time to kick your cat out of the bedroom, achieving this goal may not be easy because cats will not give up their territory. However, there are ways. One of the best methods to help your cat adapt to not sleeping on your bed is to keep them occupied at night. Cats are nocturnal animals, so you can use puzzle feeders or cat trees to keep them busy, or let them hang out on a windowsill near a streetlight to watch bugs flying by. If you worry your cat wakes you because it is hungry, you might consider purchasing an automatic feeder.

　　However, experts also found that once we have slept with cats for a long time, we may develop "conditioned insomnia" when sleeping alone, similar to habits of sleeping with the lights on or with a pillow. If the cat is not beside us, we may become anxious and unable to sleep. In this respect, cats are just like us; they will also find it difficult to adapt to suddenly changing sleeping places. Therefore, changing a cat’s sleeping habits requires persistence. It may take some time for the cat to adjust and stop scratching your bedroom door or meowing outside. But when they realize such behaviors won’t get your attention, they will get used to sleeping elsewhere. To avoid unnecessary troubles, it is better not to develop the habit of cuddling cats to sleep from the beginning.