A study from Animal Friends found that nearly half of all Brits let their dogs and cats sleep with them either by guilt or force of habit.
You might feel guilty turning down those puppy dog eyes when you tell your pet to sleep on the floor. However, scientists warn that it could be doing damage to your health if you let them on the bed.
Turns out, bed bugs aren't just restricted to your living in your mattress. Your pet might be bringing them into your home, along with all sorts of unwanted guests, including fleas, ticks, mice and lice.
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Whilst they may cause irritation in most cases. Sometimes these parasites can be host to a whole array of diseases such as plague and 'cat scratch disease' - which is an infection caused by bacteria in cat saliva.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) explained that 'pets can bring a wide range of zoonotic pathogens into our environment.'
Zoonotic pathogens means they can be transmitted from animals and humans.
Microscopic eggs of these bugs linger on our pets' fur. And your furry friend could be bringing these nasty little things into your bed.
Close contact like petting or sleeping on the bed, can increase the potential of spread between pets and owners, causing infection.
The CDC says that children and people with a low immune system are the most vulnerable to these diseases.
Our cats and dogs can also harbour internal parasites such as roundworm, which can be passed to us humans in some cases.
Furthermore, news headlines have previously highlighted a scary 'untreatable superbug' known as the mcr-1 gene which has evolved resistance to certain drugs.
As dogs can carry mcr-1 in their gut, it's transported through their faeces and can be easily transmitted to owners.
One study at the University of Lisbon found that, in most cases, the gene was present in the dog and the owner.
But the story goes both ways, in some cases, we can even share infections with our pets like Covid-19.
Nonetheless, perhaps it's best to keep the furry companions off the bed altogether.
Here are the signs to look out for if you're cautious of these pests:
- Look out for your pets if they are constantly scratching, licking or biting themselves.
- Look out for any fleas or flea droppings after you've combed their fur.
- Check for any bite marks around your ankles or legs.