When Can A Kitten Sleep In Your Bed?

Kittens are some of the cutest, fluffiest, and cuddliest creatures on earth. Sleeping next to one is among the best feelings ever.

Bill Fish of Tuck claims that sleeping with your cat offers a sense of emotional and physical security for both you and the pet. He goes on to say that it also relieves stress and brings you comfort and warmth.

Sure, kittens are a piece of work in bed but they make up for it through their soft furry bodies.

With all the reasons for wanting to share your bed with the young kitty, you should think carefully before making any move. Young kittens are better off sleeping on their own for some time.

There are plenty of explanations for this and we will briefly go over them below.

The vital question is: when is the right time to bring her over to your bed?

 Here’s a detailed answer for you.

Why Young Kittens Shouldn’t Sleep On Your Bed

In case you need a clear perspective on why your kitten is better off sleeping alone, here’s why:

• Fosters Independence: Kittens and cats, in general, are routine beings. They get attached to places and things easily. If you sleep with your furball from day one, she may never want to leave your bed for the rest of her future life.

• Convenience. A young cat doesn’t know how to hold her bladder and bowels. It will be a while before she learns to make it through the night without soiling your bed. Imagine having to wake up several times a night to clean up kitten poo and pee?

• Physical Injuries: A kitten is a playful little animal. One minute she will snooze next to you and the next one find her all over the place. If she jumps to the floor from the bed, she could injure herself.

• Trouble Sleeping: If you know cats well, you probably already understand that they love to sleep in perched or high places. This can mean snoozing on top of your head. That cannot be comfortable for you. Add that to the fact that she will not stay still for more than 4 hours at a time and you are staring at troubled nights.

• Allergies: If you or your spouse has a cat allergy, your kitten should not sleep on the bed at all costs.

When Can A Kitten Sleep In Your Bed?

Now that we’ve established the reasons why kittens shouldn’t sleep on your bed, now let’s explore the perfect time to allow her to snuggle with you in bed.

Here are a few things to consider when it comes to timing a kitten regarding sharing a bed with her.

1. Motor Skills

According to Vetstreet, kittens of 8-12weeks are able to jump, pounce, stalk and run with relative ease.

By this age, the once wobbly and weak kitten can leap from the bed to the floor and back up without breaking a bone. She will pounce on your finger, a moving toy, another cat, and bed sheets.

If you bring the kitten to bed, you can rest easy knowing that she is safe when navigating her way out of the bed.

Of course, you may want to keep a close eye on her to make sure she isn’t making high jumps. Her motor skills will develop well into her 6^th month when she will be considered a fully-grown cat.

Still, your kitty can jump from the bed without a high risk of causing trauma anywhere from 8-12 weeks.

2. Housebreaking Progress

The second thing to look at when considering the right age to allow a kitten to sleep in your bed is housebreaking.

Potty training takes different periods for different cats. Some learn the craft by the time they are 10 weeks old while others take months to stop soiling their beds.

If you hope to keep your bed looking nice and fresh, you might want to wait until the kitten is potty-trained to invite her to sleep with you.

Obviously, if you don’t mind dealing with pet poo and pee on your bedding and bedroom, go ahead and let the kitten join you in bed as early as you desire.

3. Ability To Be Independent

Lastly, if the kitten is potty-trained and old enough to jump around without hurting herself, you can decide to bring her on board after letting her sleep on her own for a while.

The idea here is to make sure you can evict her when the need arises.

Keep her in her crate for a few weeks then let her sleep in bed with you.

Even then, move her to the crate some nights to let her know she can be moved out of the bedroom at any time.

Final Thoughts

A majority of cat owners sleep with their cats.

If you love doing the same with yours, you are definitely in good company.

For a kitten, timing is everything when it comes to sharing a bed with her. You don’t want a newborn kitty snuggling with you in bed.

If you wait for the right time, both of you will enjoy many more years of being awesome sleep mates.