According to a 2017 survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association, nearly 55% of dogs and 64% of cats sleep in their owner’s beds. The survey also found that 62% of small dogs, 41% of medium-sized dogs and 32% of large dogs sleep with their owners.

Derek Damin, Margaret Shin and Alois Ahmed of New Jersey Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Trenton, say pet dander is one of the leading causes of respiratory disease and upper respiratory infections, and that people who suffer from pet allergies or asthma should not sleep with their dog or cat or even allow them in the house.

But most anal pet lovers won’t kick Fido out of bed, even if they discover their pets are causing diseasea of the upper respiratory system and allergy problems. For those people he recommends a series of allergy shots to build up a tolerance to the pet dander that causes allergic reactions.