There are plenty of reasons why pet owners don’t like cats on the bed. For one, you might not want your cat sleeping with you because they disrupt the quality and duration of your sleep. Another reason might be to avoid rolling over your cat during your sleep and causing accidents and injuries. The list of reasons can go on but do you actually know how to do it?
Keeping your cat off the bed is easier said than done as felines are affectionate and would love to snuggle with their owners as often as possible. This can pose a huge problem that can affect the cleanliness of your bed, your sleeping patterns, and overall well-being.
If you have tried keeping your cat off the bed countless times, but to no avail, this article can help. We’ve listed nine effective strategies to ensure your bed becomes a cat-free space.
Give Them Their Own Bed
One of the easiest (and probably the most obvious) solutions to keep your cat off the bed is by providing them with their own bed. The bed should be cozy, spacious, and placed somewhere safe and accessible to your feline friend.
Giving your cat their own bed will help them lose interest in getting in your bed and sleeping with you. Since they already have their own space to sleep and lounge, they won’t have any reason to get up or stay on your bed.
Train Your Cat
If you’re a new pet owner or still thinking of bringing a cat home, prioritize training them. As your new cat explores your home, teach them which places are off-limits. For instance, you can distract them as they enter your bedroom and reward them with treats to reinforce the habit.
You can still train your cat to not lay on your bed even if they’re no longer a kitten. This might be a slower process, but it’s always possible to break your cat’s habit. Aside from distracting them and giving them treats, you can also train them to follow your commands, like “no.”
Regardless of how you train your cat, never shout at them or use force. Felines are not pack animals and don’t respond to negative reinforcement well, so positive reinforcement is the best way to go.
Close Your Bedroom Door
Does your cat always find a way to enter your bedroom at night? Do you often sleep alone and then wake up in the middle of the night with your cat by your side? These situations can cause you to lose sleep and make your nighttime more stressful.
If your cat loves to roam at night, close your bedroom door before getting some shuteye. You should also close your bedroom door if you leave your cat alone in your home. Just make sure to put their litter box, food, and water outside of your bedroom, so they won’t have any reasons to invade your bedroom.
Buy a Cat Tree
Felines love to perch themselves in high places, which is why they love climbing up to your bed. Fortunately, you can curb this behavior by buying a cat tree. Cat trees have several cubbies placed at different heights, which enables your cat to stretch, climb, and jump.
Use Double-Sided Tapes
You don’t need to spend a lot or follow complex strategies to keep your bed cat-free — using double-sided tapes is enough to get the job done. Simply line the top of your comforter or areas where your cat usually lands on the bed with double-sided tapes. Felines don’t like how the tape feels sticky on their feet, causing them to avoid climbing up to your bed.
Try Cat RepellentRepellant
If you don’t want to spend too much time and effort putting double-sided tapes in your bed, try using cat repellants. These products are conveniently available in countless online and offline pet stores, which means that you can get them easily.
To use a cat repellant, spray the product around and on your bed to ensure that your cat avoids these areas. To make the most out of cat repellants, pick ones that come in citrus or eucalyptus scents, as these freshen up your bedroom, too!
Create Your Cat
Crates are commonly used to discipline dogs but do you know that this technique also works wonders in felines? Cats are naturally curious and would often get themselves in trouble because of their curiosity and using a crate can surely help.
You can create your cat at night to prevent them from getting into any trouble and causing accidents at home. This technique enables you to sleep soundly because your bedroom stays cat-free, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you won’t wake up to damaged furniture or shelves the next day.
Experts suggest that the size of the crate you use for your cat should just have enough space for them to stand up and lie down comfortably, as felines love to sleep in small spaces. Don’t forget to make the crate safe and inviting by adding some bedding and cushion inside.
Give Your Cat Toys
One of the reasons why your cat wants to stay in your bed is because they want to play with you. Playtime is essential to your cat’s daily routine because it helps them deal with boredom and enables them to bond with you.
You can discourage your cat from playing with you in your bed by giving them plenty of toys. Toys designed especially for cats will keep your pet busy for hours, especially when you invest in interactive toys. This technique also works well if your cat has become too needy and you can no longer spend time alone.
Have a Bedroom Routine
Having a standard bedroom routine to teach your cat when they’re allowed and not allowed on the bed also helps. This process requires time and effort, but the results are worth it.
To have and implement and bedroom routine, do something that’ll signal your cat that it’s time to bed and they’re no longer allowed in your bedroom. This “signal” can be grooming your cat for a few minutes in the living room or feeding them in your dining area.
Test Out Strategies ASAP
Keeping your cat off the bed is challenging, but it’s not impossible to accomplish. With the number of strategies presented here, you’re sure to find at least one that works. So, try out as many strategies as you can to see which one discourages your cat from invading your bed!