Your pet would qualify as a companion pet and of course
would be an important factor if you are unable to hear
an alarm or sense danger from the sound of it. Also, I
imagine your cat has limited roaming privileges as well.
My dogs roam far and wide and eat weird stuff and come
home in need of a bath often from rolling in something
dead which they consider doggie perfume. Last year I
struggled with worm infestations as they passed them
around amongst themselves and lets not forget the bouts
of poison ivy that they give me every year from the
oil they bring in on their coats. I just got over having
poison ivy on both my arms and legs from giving them
a daily massage and sometimes just wagging their tail
will give me a streak of poison ivy on my legs. It is
no fun and short of keeping them confined, it is impossible
to limit their risk factors where I live.
Please do not feel sorry for these dogs though as they
are treated very well and have their own comfy rugs
in my room where we hang out a lot when they are home
and they have exquisite beds which they really like.
And yes, I know there are plenty of mites and other
crawlies which live on my body. None of them give me
the welts of flea bites however when our Jack Russell
Terrier slept with me last year. He also was successfully
weaned to a soft bed and gets plenty of attention and
affection. He is the dog who is little and he is not
allowed to roam far and wide and yet he still picks
up worms and lays in the dirt outside and fleas seem
to love him so it is a constant vigil to keep him
flea-free. He knows the word bath too and will hide
for hours until he finally comes out from under a bed
and is captured and cleaned. Otherwise, I seriously
do not think I have a deep fear of much especially
relative to the dogs. I am really annoyed though
by parasites and feel I have gotten my last couple
of pinworm infestations from walking barefoot
in my room where they come in at night and lay.
So, I do not feel obsessive with my rule of no dogs
on the bed, and I do sleep better knowing I am not
sleeping snuggled up in a sheet or with my face on
a pillow where a dog has been laying. The little dog
particularly loves laying on pillows...ugh...ggg.
My BF also loves dogs and has brought his dogs to
visit and of course they want to sleep with us and
it is terrible when a dog is having a hissy fit because
they do not want to share the affection of their owner.
I am sure I am not alone when it comes to banishing
dogs from the bedroom during intimacy. Ha~! when I
am visiting my brother, I can always tell when they
are having sex because their little dog who does
sleep with them (but also gets a daily bath)is sitting
outside of their door, howling.
Ultimately, I love dogs and regard them as a first line
of security and they are well "paid" for their service
in many ways. They do not seem to mind the regulation
of staying off the bed. They are content to sleep on
the floor next to me, especially if the bed is as comfy
as theirs are.
blessings,
Zoe
-_-