Experts talked about the benefits and hidden risks of sleeping with animals
Sleeping with pets remains a common practice, but veterinarians and psychologists warn that this habit can be both a source of emotional comfort and a factor in potential risks to health and sleep quality. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Conditions for sleeping together
Sofya Semenova, a veterinarian and gastroenterologist at Vetcity Clinic West, emphasizes that sleeping together is acceptable only with healthy and vaccinated animals. The pet must undergo regular antiparasitic treatment, including in winter. The main danger is not infections, but the risk of accidental injury to small animals weighing less than 5 kg. It is better to place such pets on a couch next to the bed.
Even if there is no allergy to wool or saliva during the day, the concentration of allergens increases significantly during the night in an enclosed space. In addition, there is a threat of transmission of fungi, bacterial infections and helminths. Special care should be taken by the elderly and young children because of the increased risk of allergic reactions and restless sleep.
"Sleeping together can be both comfortable and stressful for a pet — it depends on a number of factors. This happens if the animal does not have enough space.: it is forced to sleep wherever it has to and does not feel in control. A lot also depends on the behavior of the owner. For example, if he often turns over or snores, then small and fragile animals are more likely to suffer," Semenova said.
Behavior of cats and dogs
According to Semenova, dogs lead a daytime lifestyle, so their sleep is more predictable. Cats are most active at dusk, dawn and dusk. Cat owners wake up at night on average two to three times more often than dog owners because of the hunting instincts of pets that can run or demand food at night.
"Cats and dogs behave differently in their sleep. A large dog can take up a lot of space, but it usually lies down and stays in one place. A cat can change its position many times during the night, can climb on a pillow, move to the chest or head of the owner — and this is absolutely normal for it," says the veterinarian.
In addition, these animals have different thermoregulation. According to the expert, dogs, especially small and naked breeds, like warmth, but usually do not overheat a person. Cats purposefully go to the warmest areas — the abdomen, groin area, head — and tend to settle there.
The psychological aspect
Maria Todorova, a child and family psychologist, notes that the presence of an animal in bed creates a sense of security and reduces anxiety. For many owners, sleeping together becomes a source of warmth and a means of combating loneliness. This is especially important during periods of life difficulties, when a pet acts as a reliable source of emotional support.
"Healthy attachment helps a person feel more stable and confident, whereas excessive dependence usually indicates a lack of meaningful human relationships or unresolved emotional difficulties," Todorova explains.
However, if a pet becomes the only source of emotional support and actually replaces communication with other people, this may indicate the risk of excessive emotional dependence. A healthy attachment to an animal, on the contrary, helps to feel more stable and confident, whereas excessive reliance on a pet often indicates a lack of significant social connections or unresolved emotional difficulties. Therefore, it is important that the animal remains an important part of the support system, but does not become its only element.
In addition, the expert drew attention to the fact that the emotional bond with dogs and cats is formed in different ways. Dogs tend to be more human-oriented and more likely to openly demonstrate their affection, which many owners perceive as unconditional love and acceptance.
Cats, on the contrary, are more independent, and their affection is expressed more subtly and is not always obvious, therefore it requires a person to be more observant and understand the pet's behavior. As a result, for some people, contact with a dog is easier and more predictable in terms of emotional interaction.
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