When you think of your apartment, what area is most sacred to you? What’s the true place that you can escape from it all?
For most of us, it’s our bed. It’s our absolute shrine and our area to protect, because when you have a really bad day, there’s nothing better than jumping into your bed. But, that is unless your cat has already jumped in there.
Don’t get us wrong, we love sleeping with our cats and we generally encourage them to get on the bed, but it’s not for everyone and we totally get that. Let’s talk about common reasons to not allow your cat on your bed and some cool tricks for how to keep your cats from joining you on the bed. You can also read our more comprehensive guide on how to keep cats off furniture if you have a problem with more than just your bed.
Why Does My Cat Jump On The Bed
Understanding the why is always an important first step, and cats on the bed are no different. If we can understand why they want to be on the bed, maybe we can find an adequate alternative for them.
They Miss You
Most likely, your cat is jumping into bed with you because they miss you and want some of your love and attention. Don’t deny them it, give them some love and cuddles.
The Don’t Have Anywhere Comfortable To Sleep
It’s very possible that your bed is the most comfortable piece of furniture in your house. It definitely is in our apartment. Your cats might have figured out that you’re hogging the best seat with the most space to actually stretch out like they want to.
They Just Do
We’ve seen our cats sleep on some pretty weird objects in some pretty strange positions; there’s no knowing the logic for a lot of it. In fact, it’s very possible the bed is just one of many stops on your cats daily napping adventures. They might not even have a preference or fondness of it.
Reasons To Avoid Letting A Cat On Your Bed
So we’ve looked at some common reasons a cat wants to be on the bed, but what are the more common reasons you don’t want them on the bed?
They Make A Mess
This is our biggest reason - cats drag dirt and litter on their paws and when they get comfortable on the bed they inevitably make a huge mess. And sometimes you’re tired and not able or willing to keep changing the sheets. It’s tiring, sometimes cats are really tiring.
They Are Tearing Up Your Sheets
Cats have sharp claws and love to “make biscuits”, this should be no surprise. But when cats start to tear up perfectly good sheets, many people draw the line. Sure you can cut your cat’s nails, but they still end up beating up the sheets, or worse, the actual mattress. And don’t forget: no declawing.
They Have Accidents
Our little guy Pima is prone to having accidents when he feels threatened. Since he gets anxious when other cats are around him, we can’t have him on the bed unsupervised. If Yaki comes by to clean his ears and he pees on the mattress we will probably just give up and shut this blog down.
They Play With Everything
Why cat’s feel the need to destroy things while we sleep is beyond us. But it’s a big reason we don’t allow our cats on the bed at night anymore. Yaki uses it as a springboard to access other objects in the room, and all of this makes noise. And that’s fine if he chose to do that in the day time, but he does his adventuring in the middle of the night, like most cats do.
Okay, enough is enough. Get my cat off my bed now.
How To Keep Your Cat Off Your Bed
Getting your cat off your bed is pretty easy. The instructions are as follows:
- Pick up your cat
- Place them on the ground
Keeping them off the bed is the tricky part, especially since cats are persistent. But here’s some tips for dealing with it.
Close The Door
It’s the obvious solution, but it’s effective. This is what we have to do because one of our cats (Yaki) doesn’t take no for an answer. As much as we would love to leave the door open, there’s just too much chaos when we do. The biggest problem with this solution is that it seems to encourage cats to claw at the door, and in Yavapai’s case, cry all night long.
Get Them A Cat Bed
If your cat is climbing into bed with you and actually tries to sleep, there’s a good chance they don’t feel like they have a dedicated sleeping spot like you do. Purchasing some sort of cat bed can be a great way to give them their own sleeping space and keep them out of yours.
Fill It With Things They Hate
This one’s pretty hard for a bed since you have to sleep there, but if there are some smells you love it just might work. Check out our guide on smells that cats hate for a thorough review of this method, but you can fill a sack with lavender and keep it on your bed so your bed smells good. Cats hate the smell so there’s a good chance they will avoid it, and your bed.
Give Them Their Own Furniture
Outside of a cat bed, there’s lots of pieces of furniture that cats will enjoy. There’s a lot of more interesting items for a cat than a big mattress as well. You can read our guides on picks for best cat trees, or cat shelves for examples. But the gist is this: cats go where they want and if you build them a space they love, suddenly they stop destroying all the things that you love.
Summary
Hopefully this short guide gave you some actionable ways to keep your cat off your bed. Remember, cats are quick learners, but slow to obey. They might understand and not care, so have patience. Always start with the “why” behind their actions so you can better solve their issue. If they just have the zoomies, get them a cat wheel; if they have nowhere else to sleep, get them their own bed! The answer is probably right in front of you.