When I was four years old I got a kitten,who became a cat, he was a half siameise and half tabby. For as long as I could remember he'd sleep in my bed with his head in my right arm pit and stretch out, his legs would reach my knees (even when I became 6'2" tall).
When he got too Hot in bed he's just stretch out an arm through the covers and I'd usually end up with a claw hooked on my right nostril or even worse, my upper lip, eeew cat in my mouth what a way to wake up.......
I was never cold in bed with him there on those cold nights, but it was a little awkward when he came home from staying out all night hunting in the rain, are there many ways more unpleasant to be woken than by a wet cat trying to climb in you warm dry bed with you ?
I would have to convince him to climb under the first layer of covers until he dried out, but he always tried to get right in, if I didn't wake up till I felt wet fur beside it it was a little unpleasant.
When I was 18 my parents renovated the house, and I had to sleep in a holiday home 5 km away. My cat got sick when I was sleeping away from him. I remember the last time I cuddled him he was in pain , i just stroked his head and he purred, that was a Friday night, On Saturday afternoon ( I was a university Student , we're not supposed to see the Morning Sun) I awoke to my mother calling in to tell me she'd taken my cat to the vet and he's been put down, My best mate in the world was dead.
I remembered him calling to me with his siameise howl when he was getting close to home and me answering him with my siameise howl (after 14 years I understood what he was saying).
I went home and saw my cat wrapped in a sheet on the lawn, I took him into the laundry and unwrapped him and stroked his fur, he was just motionless still, he still looked perfect, there was no life, I just stoot there crying stroking him. Later that day he was buried in a flower bed.
I really Miss him sleeping beside me purring warmly.
R.I.P Thai Mai Arthur Spring '78 - Winter '94