Pet Tracks
with Jan Jaeger

LET SLEEPING PETS LIE

The past several mornings I've been awake at 4:30 a.m. I do like to be up early, but even for an early riser, this hour is ridiculous. You see, I've been sleeping, or more accurately, not sleeping, alone. Well, not really alone either, and this is part of the problem. Two cats and now one dog have begun sharing my bed.

I am accustomed to one cat, our Jezebel, an old girl who wants to be really, really warm, snuggling close, and even getting under the covers if allowed. But the other upstairs kitty, Jetti, is usually much more independent, off by herself in another room at night. Junior has his own bed right by ours where he peacefully snoozes all night long. Miz Edna has the downstairs to herself, so she doesn't count in this ménage a trois.

Now, two things are different. The first is that our pets have taken note that Fred, my husband, the arbiter of pet behavior, is missing from our upstairs bedroom. Still recovering from hip replacement surgery, he returned home to a cozy setup downstairs so negotiating the full flight of stairs could be delayed for a while. Aha, the word is out; the pet pushover has room to spare.

The second factor is that it has become quite falllike lately and it has been pretty chilly during the night, giving extra incentive to snuggle up against a warm body. The Australian Aborigines had it pegged: a one-dog night was cold, a two-dog night was really cold, and a three-dog night was freezing. A two cat-one dog night has to fit in somewhere along that temperature scale.

Whatever their motivation, all three of my animals insist on joining me. With normal body temperatures between 100 to 102 degrees, they are like living hot water bottles. This is fine, as long as they stay still. But in the early morning hours, they all start to move about. Junior switches positions and grunts; I rouse enough to worry about

him poking a hole in the quilt with his toenail. Jezebel slinks around to find spot, usually up near my head, which is difficult to do without pulling my hair. Jetti, purring loudly, wants attention, so she taps my face with her paw. My night has ended.

I have a lot of company in my sleeplessness. A few years ago, in a study by the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, 300 patients were given a survey. Over half of the pet-owning patients shared their beds with their pets, with 53 percent of them recognizing their pets disrupted their sleep, either by dreaming, moving about or snoring.

Sleeping with your animals is nothing new. According to William Manchester's "AWorld Lit Only by Fire," an absolutely fascinating account of medieval times, prosperous peasants lived in a rambling building containing shelter for livestock and grains along with a single room for the family. "The centerpiece of the room was a gigantic bedstead, piled high with straw pallets, all seething with vermin. Everyone slept there, regardless of age or gender." Household animals hopped up to capitalize on the free meal in the mattress.

Dogs are pack animals; sleeping together has been mutually beneficial for centuries. We have nested together, staying in close contact at night for mutual comfort and safety. And in spite of their poor manners, flatulence or agitation, we continue to tolerate pets in our beds. Our emotional bond with them is strong; we love our pets and want the best for them, including the best bed in the house, and we willingly lose sleep over them.

Some think giving your pet bed privileges can destroy your standing as pack leader. And I have to agree the dominance issue has validity if your dog growls at you when you try move it or when you try to roll over. If you are a light sleeper, or value your rest, or if you have allergies, alternative sleeping arrangements should be explored. Banning your pet from the bedroom might be the only sensible solution. If that is unacceptable to you, then try to make decisions about the sleeping arrangements before you come home with that rescue pet, cute puppy or kitten. Envision the adult size of your new pet and how sharing will impact the available space.

A crate is a valuable training tool for puppies, both for housebreaking and for establishing regular nighttime habits, and it can be set up right beside your bed. Don't follow my example; stay strong if the whimpers start. Cats and kittens are naturally nocturnal, and after sleeping during the day, nighttime is for playing. Try getting the kitties more daytime stimulation and have a good play session before bedtime to reset their internal clocks.

Sweet dreams.

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and three cats. At the shop are cats Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Millie guinea pig and two budgies. Send email to jan@geronimos.com.