How To Keep Cats Off The Bed: Simple tips and tricks
Part of owning a cat is understanding that they will do what they want. Your cat might jump on furniture, they might claw your couch up, they might climb into cabinets. This is just what cats do. If you don’t want a cat doing these things then consider not owning a cat. A lot of new cat owners wonder how to keep cats off the bed. We can give you some tips, but nothing is 100% guaranteed.
Before we begin, consider this: Your cat loves you, you take care of them and make them feel safe. Your cat loves being next to you and loves being warm. They want to sleep in the bed because it smells like you and makes them feel safe.
Do you really want to be a jerk and a terrible cat parent and make your cat leave the bed? If so, then continue reading! (I’m only being half serious when I call you a jerk, there are a *few* legitimate reasons why cats should not be on the bed which are outlined below!)
There’s a variety of reasons why cat owners might not want their cats to be on the bed with them. Here are some of those reasons why, along with ways to mitigate these issues.
Your Cat Likes To Play On The Bed At Night
Perhaps one reason you want to keep cats off the bed is because you’re trying to sleep and they want to jump up and play. Cats are crepuscular and this makes them active in the evenings and early mornings.
This could result in a very playful kitty, especially if it’s a young kitten, when you’re trying to get some sleep.
Someone In Your Household Has Allergies
It’s possible that you got a cat without knowing that your spouse, children, roommate, or any other houseguests were allergic to cats. This would be another instance where you might want to discourage the cat from jumping on their bed(s).
Your cat’s hair and dander will fly around when it jumps on the bed. This dander, and sometimes their hair, can cause an allergic reaction in people whose immune systems aren’t equipped well enough to handle it.
Allergies is definitely a legitimate reason to want to keep cats off the bed!
Health and Injury Concerns
Another good reason people sometimes would want to keep cats off of their beds is because there are concerns for the cat’s wellbeing. For example, a 7 week old kitten should NEVER sleep in the bed with a human. At this age they are too small to wake you up if you were to roll over on top of them in the middle of the night.
Another reason is that you may have a cat who is elderly and/or ill. If you have an elderly cat with arthritis then accidentally smushing them in the middle of the night can be detrimental. Also, you would want to discourage the arthritic cat from jumping up and down off of objects that are too high up.
Tips To Keep Cats Off The Bed At Night
Unlike dogs, cats are going to pretty much do whatever they want, whenever they want. The best thing you can do is to find ways to make your cat simply not want to jump up on the bed with you. So whether you’re concerned for your cat’s safety or are just a jerk who hates sleeping with cats, here are a few tips you can use to keep cats off the bed.
NEVER Hit, Kick, or Throw Your Cat Off The Bed
Before we dive into these tips it’s worth noting that you should NEVER hit, kick, or throw your cat off of the bed. Your cat is simply doing what their brain tells them to do since, after all, they are an animal.
If you EVER hit, kick, or throw your cat off of the bed then you’re better off just surrendering that cat to a local shelter or rescue organization because you’re not fit to be a cat owner. People that use force or physical means on their pets should never own pets (and should probably never have kids for that matter)
Furthermore, don’t spray your cat with a water bottle. That does absolutely nothing except make them lose trust in their owner who should be taking care of them.
Heavy Play Sessions Before Bed
If your cat is jumping up on your bed and keeping you awake because they’ve got a lot of energy then you need to help them expel that energy before you go to bed. As we mentioned earlier, cats are crepuscular and this can make them go crazy at night.
If you have an intense play session for anywhere from 15-30 minutes (or until your cat is tired out) before bed then they’re less likely to jump up and start bugging you when you’re trying to get some sleep.
Play with your cat before bed. Tire them out. Make them want to sleep when you’re sleeping!
Change Their Feeding Schedule
Thousands of years of evolution makes your cat want to hunt and eat in the evenings. Obviously housecats are spoiled and don’t need to hunt anymore. But their brains don’t always think that way.
It’s possible your cat is jumping on the bed and keeping you awake because their brain is telling them to hunt.
Cats need to eat AT LEAST twice a day. If your cat is bothering you while you’re sleeping then try feeding them right before you go to bed. A full belly will make them want to curl up and go to sleep!
Establish A Routine To Help Keep Cats Off The Bed
Cats are creatures of habit. They absolutely LOVE routines. It’s comforting for cats when the same things happen at the same times every day.
It’s possible that your cat is jumping on your bed early in the morning to wake you up. They might have done it one time to wake you up early and now they want to keep doing it. They want attention from you. Or maybe they want affection. Or maybe they just want their breakfast.
Try and be conscious of the timing of everything you do.
Sometimes It Just Takes A Firm "No!"
Cats can definitely understand what humans are saying. They can understand their names, they can decipher different words, and they can detect changes in the tone and pitch of your voice.
You can give your cat a very firm NO (without screaming or shouting at them) and then gently pick them up off of the bed and go set them down somewhere else.
Eventually your cat will not want to jump on the bed because they don’t want to get a stern warning from you.
Suck It Up And Deal With It (or close your door)
No matter how many different things you try, cats are always going to act like cats. You can try every trick in the book, but if your cat really wants to jump up in the bed then that’s what they’re going to do.
You can suck it up and just realize that this is what owning a cat is like or you can simply shut your bedroom door.
Don't Use Aluminum Foil or Double Sided Tape To Keep Cats Off The Bed
Many other websites are going to suggest using aluminum foil or double-sided tape as a way to keep cats off the bed. These websites are obviously written by people who aren’t cat owners OR who might have a cat but aren’t passionate about cats.
These methods are scary to your cat. They’re also detrimental to the bond that you’re supposed to be building with your cat.
Don’t be a jerk to your cat. Your cat did not ask to come live with you. You literally got your cat from someone or somewhere and are forcing it to live with you. Cats are going to act like cats. Deal with it and stop trying all of these goofy gimmicks to get them to stop acting like cats.
