I had a pet dog who had to sleep in bed with me. Problem is he’d spread out and dig his claws into my back. There was a period of time when I had two twin beds in my room, and I’d move to the other when he’d start monopolizing the bed. He’d wake up, realize I was gone, and move to the bed I was in.

Of my three guide dogs, my first would hop up on the bed for about 10 minutes and then get off. My guess at the time is she got hot, but she showed similar behavior elsewhere, wanting to check up on me and then leave. My second was a velcro dog. She slept at the end of my bed, and would even hop on the bed if I so much as sat on it to tie my shoes. My current dog has a small social battery that he drains by seeking occasional cuddles and scritches, but never more than a minute or two, then he’s off hiding again. The only time he’s on the bed is when there are fireworks going off outside, when he’s trying his hardest to get under my skin.

We had a pet cat once. Never would sleep with anyone, at least not me, but one night I woke up to him sucking on my arm.