Guilty as Charged- Sharing your bed with your Pet

Ok Ok... I admit it! After years of using words like; 'DISGUSTING!' 'UNHYGENIC!' and 'WRONG' to describe pet owners who allow their pets to sleep in their bed, I plead guilty to the same offense.

The thing is, my pre-pet owner perception that these adorable little creatures (or big in others cases) should under no circumstance be allowed to even sleep in ones room, never lone their bed, has shifted a tad since I moved into a house also occupied by my niece Bella, and cheeky nephew Basil. In fact, it goes something like this….

I have a queen size bed to myself (well not really so it seems) in which I occupy about twenty percent of the right side. To my left, lying spooned to my side like she is about to fall of the bed (when in actual fact she has eighty percent of it), is my gorgeous niece Bella. Bella is a four year old Maltese/Shitzu. I'm not done yet, as lying sprawled out on my chest with his arms clinging around my neck, holding on for dear life is my cuddly one year old nephew rag doll cat Basil.

While allowing your pet to share your bed is not uncommon in the western world, has the potential diseases we are exposing ourselves to in doing this ever really occurred to us? I know I was very blasé to these potential diseases until I gave myself the dreaded reality check……… I googled ‘pets sleeping in bed with their owner.’ Oh my……

Extensive research has been conducted into what types of potential health risks we are exposing ourselves to when we fall sucker to our beloved pets, and let them share our beds. In fact, findings from studies executed all over the world have been a real eye-opener. Now I’m no pet expert, but I know that words such as CAT SCRATCH, BUBONIC PLAGUE, MENINGITIS, and CHAGAS DISEASE just to name a few can’t be good!

Recent reports by researchers have identified many dangers and health risks that can face those who continually allow our pets to snuggle with us, and these risks are even higher for people with vulnerable immune systems, asthma sufferers, as well as young children. Veterinarians have advised that there are several considerations that may help reduce the threat of the spread of disease from our pets. Regular visits to your local vets for check-ups is a good place to start, and strongly advised to ensure they are healthy and kept parasite free. But like with so many diseases, preventions is the best approach to avoid many of the pet-contracted conditions which can affect humans. Put simply…. Perhaps we need to consider if we should be allowing our pets to sleep in our beds.

How though, after years of permitting this behavior do you find reprieve? Each night after telling myself 'this is the last night they can sleep in my bed' both Bella and Basil seem to weasel their way in. With my new-found awareness of the health risks I am exposing myself to in allowing Bella and Basil share my bed, I feel my abilities as a disciplinarian of my niece and nephew need to be stepped-up a notch. It looks like it’s time for them to get acquainted with the lounge room. Sorry guys! All you pet-loving pushovers like myself out there..... we need to remember that our pets, (although to many they are our children) are PETS, and less human than we tend to make them.

Does Your Pet Suffer from Small Dog Syndrome?

Napoleon Syndrome... Short Man Syndrome...  Little Man Syndrome… All are just a few terms used to describe an alleged type of inferiority complex experienced mainly by short men. The theory behind this generally undesirable attribute suggests that shorter organisms will act aggressively toward larger organisms in an attempt to gain respect and recognition.  But does this alleged complex also exist in the canine population?

My little niece pooch fits this cliché to a tee! In fact, if she could read, I have probably just deeply offended her in using the word ‘little’ to describe her. Sorry Bella! Every morning when I take Bella for a walk in hope of overcoming her apparent  ‘coffee-table’ physique as described by her vet, she shows no interest what-so-ever in dogs her own size or smaller despite their desperate attempts to gain her attention. Too cool for school, is Bella’s approach to the smaller doggy population. 

However, when a large dog approaches Bella, an instant reaction of enthusiasm, eagerness, and excitement is triggered, and out explodes her alter ego. If there is such a thing as ‘too keen’ in dog vocabulary, Bella epitomises the phrase. How does the fearsome exposure of canine teeth and aggressive growling go down with the likes of Lassie, Beethoven, and other big dog species you may ask?  Well to be honest, I think if I were Doctor Doolittle and could talk to the animals, they would be telling me the whole facade was ridiculous! Occasionally Bella stirs what looks to be some sort of fear in their big eyes, but mostly I sense they are looking at her mockingly.

In researching ‘Small Dog Syndrome’ or SDS, I consistently came across a similar point acknowledged by vetinarians, pet owners and pet professionals, which I must confess had never occurred to me. According to the experts, it seems that perhaps ‘Small Dog Syndrome’ may actually be a reflection of poor discipline by the owner, and an inadvertent result of their actions toward their pup. While many of us, myself included, have always believed that these small dog behavioural characteristics stem from an inferiority complex acquired to compensating for their smaller stature, apparently this is not the case.  It seems as owners of small dogs which display assertiveness toward larger canines, we have perhaps been too quick to justify and rationalize this  behaviour with excuses, rather than acknowledging our lack of discipline. Wow… the more reading I did, the more evident it became that I too may be partially at fault for Bella’s anti-social behaviour! 

Many pet experts put it simply by saying, if you let your ‘Small Dog’ behave in this unacceptable manner…. they will! Whilst most pet owner genuinely do consider their pets to be part of the family, so too do our pets view us as their family. Essentially, they see their them as a pack, so when I permit my cute little niece to behave in a certain manner as mentioned above, I’m allowing Bella to postulate from this lack of discipline that she is the family pack leader. Oh my… the realization of how deluded my niece really is rather concerns me!

So fellow dog owners, what can we do to overcome this Small Dog Syndrome? Are Bella and all the other SDS sufferers out there destined to live with a prejudiced attitude toward the larger canine breeds? Of course not! Remedy for this syndrome is possible, but ultimately, it depends on owner education and owner behaviour modification. As responsible pet owners, it is our duty to stop ignoring the SDS signs, and take control. It's time to take action and address your pet's inferiority complex so that all dogs, large and small, can co-exist in harmony.

Will the Real ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ Please Stand Up!

We laugh about her, she is the butt of many single jokes, and some are even scared of her, but does the ‘Crazy Cat Lady' really exist?

When I Googled ‘Crazy Cat Lady' the top presenting search results were a collection of grotesque and rather aesthetically displeasing images. This woman is usually middle-aged with wild unkempt hair, epitomized by the cartoon image we see depicted in the Simpsons. But will the real ‘Crazy Cat Lady' please stand up?

Crazy Cat Lady!

According to the online Urban Dictionary, the term ‘Crazy Cat Lazy' has received the following denotations;

1.       ‘An elderly suburban widow who lives alone and keeps dozens or more pet cats, usually many more than municipal code allows, in a small house, and refuses to give away or sell them, even for the sake of the safety of the cats or herself.'

2.       ‘A woman, usually middle-aged or older, who lives alone with no husband or boyfriend, and fills the empty lonely void in her life with as many cats as she can collect in one place.'

3.       ‘That old lady that lives down the street from you that has over a dozen cats named after each of her ex-boyfriends that have done her wrong.'

Being a recently reformed ‘Cat-Hater’ turned ‘Cat-Lover myself, I too have been callously titled the ‘Crazy Cat Lady' on more than one occasion. I can only assume this is due to the combination of my single status, my love for these adorable little fur-balls, and my apparent old age (yes… I'm a whopping 28 years of age… still left on the shelf much to my parent’s dismay).

Ok, I admit I sound a little like a mother talking about her newborn child with my ranting of my one year old ragdoll nephew, but he has so much character and is such an affectionate little guy, how can I not declare his cuteness to the world?  


I am definitely not lonely, I have only one cat (and he technically isn't mine), and my house isn't that small! I may not have the credentials mentioned in urban dictionary to warrant my ‘Crazy Cat Lady' status, but maybe that just makes me the' New Crazy Cat Lady?

Basil and I

While the stereotype of the ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ will probably always remain, the reality of whom this woman really is, will never be the same again. To all you out there, my name is Dani, and I AM the new ‘Crazy Cat Lady' and I'm standing up!

Guys… Come out of the “Cat Lovers” Closet!

How often have you heard a man say, ‘Oh…I'm more of a cat-guy than a dog-guy?’ Hmmm…. I do recall hearing that phrase in the 2009 movie The Ugly Truth.  But people, Hollywood ain't real!!
The reality is, everyday cats are being understated by our male companions in preference for what is referred to as ‘mans best friend'. Due to this macho title bestowed upon the ownership of a dog, many cat-loving men are keeping themselves hidden in the ‘Cat Closet', too embarrassed to declare their affection for these feeble felines.  But cat-loving men all over the world, you're not the only one who's best friend is a kitty-cat called Mittsy instead of a pooch called Fido.

So why is it that men will often choose a macho, German Shepherd over a cute, fluffy Ragdoll, even if it’s the kitten their heart secretly desires? Could it simply be denial, or does their decision stem from a primitive compulsion to prove their masculinity to their family and friends? Women have fought for equality for many years, so all you men out there....it's your turn to stand up and fight for your right to be a cat-lover without the fear of prejudice.


As a single woman in today’s society, I think a cat-loving man is…..‘Raaargh!’ To me it exemplifies that he is Intelligent! Confident! Affectionate! and Mischievous! In fact, men could be using their love of cats to their advantage rather than shying away in denial.  I doubt there would be many, if any women out there who would doubt a man's masculinity because he is a Cat-Guy. 

Boys! Men! Gentlemen! Leap out of that cat-closet in which you're hiding…. Jump on that Cat Lovers bandwagon.... and most importantly, don' be afraid to say it loud and proud….

“I'm a Cat Guy!”