Francis recently started sleeping in my bed at night. He used to sleep on a little blanket on the floor and I tried desperately to get him to sleep in the bed when I first got him, but he was too hyper to not spend all night looking out the window. I don’t know what came over him, but he’s certainly made himself at home now.

Apparently, in America, more than 50% of pet owners let their furry friends sleep in their beds with them. Women are even more likely to do so. I’ve always been really interested in the domestication of animals from an anthropological perspective and remember discussing the early domestication of livestock in my first archaeology class. Way (way) back when, it was pretty normal for people to sleep with their animals.

Now, a lot of scientists say it’s completely unhealthy to sleep with your pets. I grew up with dogs and was never, ever worried about passing diseases. Bottom line: I absolutely love waking up to his cute little face when he’s all curled up on the bed — taking up all the room.