Sleeping next to pets could be harmful, study says

[lighthouse33]

Sleeping next to pets could be harmful, study says

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/pets/2011-01-24-Petsleeping24_ST_N.htm

rare risk for the immuno-compromised and the young.

[valene2009]

unfortunate huh? so sad...   i no longer sleep with my cats cause of all the cat hair always getting into my dry eyes ..yuck.. so now they have their own bedroom and they stay out of mine..
anyway, i had head about this article before and know some people who won't let their pets sleep with the children.. scary stuff

[gsmraxe]

It's really not a good idea to let your dog sleep with you for other reasons.  I had a rottweiler/labrador mix that loved to try to "steal" my bed at night...She did it, because she wanted to be "alpha".  Or the boss.    

We established that it's fine if she (or my current dog) gets on my bed, but not when I go to sleep...I'm the alpha, not the dog...at least she lets me believe that.   

Now the cat is a different story, if I try to shut her out, she throws herself at the door and keeps me awake all night...so I have no choice but to let her in.   

My dog sleeps in a crate a few feet from my bed, keeps us both happy and the cat safe.   

[CAT1962]

I have pets...AND asthma. Dumb, I know. I don't allow any to sleep with me anymore. We had 2 dogs, then my oldest moved back in, and now have 4. Two cats, too...older cats. Three of the dogs (small dogs) sleep with one of my teenagers. 

[mskittyshell]

Sorry - but that article was pretty lame.  Seems like just someone's opinion really.  LOL

[Patze]

Like Gsmraxe, the furball would not tolerate being told what to do, and not let him into my bedroom at night?  No chance in heck...made that mistake once, and he kept me up all night long with the yowling and carryings on.

My feline is strictly an indoor guy, and he is a lot healthier than I am (at least thats what the vet says)!


Patze

[Carolina]

We have two cats, and they are STRICTLY indoor.

Way healthier than we are.

They are more likely to catch something from us needless to say..

Max sleeps at the top of the bed between us (king sized bed)  and Mia at the bottom of the bed.

Mia would sleep on top of me like she did when she was a kitten (she's 10) but Max keeps her away, AND at 14 pounds she doesn't really fit on my shoulder any more, anyway.

As I text this Max is curled up next to me on the bed.  He can sleep for hours next to me day and night.

I agree that an outdoor animal (and I guess all dogs go outdoors) really have the potential to bring bad stuff into your life.

But when we were little kids our outdoor cats were trapped under our covers now and again,  much to the dismay of our mother.  And dressed up in doll clothes and hugged and kissed endlessly..

Somewhere I read that kids with pets and reasonably messy houses had better immune systems than kids raised in sterile environments.

I don't know.

But I do know that the relationship between dogs and humans is ancient and binding.  Dogs domesticated humans eons ago!

And life is never perfect, and we do not get out without collateral damage.

Kisses

Elaine

[mskittyshell]

I have 3 dogs and 2 cats - they are all over the place in my house.  I have had cats all my life too. But I don't seem to be bothered by allergies until I breath in stuff in the air - pollen, cedar trees, pollutants, smoke, chemicals, sprays, etc.  Even though I have several auto-immune issues - I don't get sick as often as most people anymore - maybe because I haven't gone out of the house very much in the past few years.  So if the dogs and cats can make you sick - why does my niece's family with mom dad and 4 kids get sick ALL THE TIME - and they have never had any pets?  Interesting.  My kids are grown and out on their own - so their pets have to be taken care of - and who do you think does it? Yup - they are here with me.  I live with my daughter - but she is at her boyfriend's most of the time.  It's very challenging a lot of the time - but they also give me a reason to keep going each day.  Love to my DayZee, Kiana, Frank, Jazmine and Dori.  They are worth the risk to me.   

[CAT1962]

LOL, MsKitty! We have 4 dogs and 2 cats...I probably mentioned...I have no idea..stupid brain fog.  I love them all. I had a "friend"...exfriend...that asked me once, "So...you don't like your cat as much as you like your dog, do you??" She didn't like cats at all. 6They're part of my family.