Welcome to Litsy!

Many books and movies have observed our closeness with our domestic animals but this book concentrates on one phenomenon only-sharing the bed for sleep. In 2012 my beloved Lola, a Cockapoo (Cocker-Poodle mix), had to be put down. A horrible decision for anyone and certainly for me who felt that Lola and I were teammates. She was demonstrative and affectionate. She lay by my side at night on the bed. A comforting, reassuring, warm presence that I could reach out to touch during the night. Waking up with Lola beside me was a loving way to start my day. So when I had to relieve Lola of the misery of her disabilities, her absence at night and in the morning grieved me. There was a hole in my heart. Realizing her nightly nearness meant so much to me, I got the idea that others may feel the same. I started researching to write a book about sleeping with your pets, domestic animals, best friends, whatever-you-call-them. I couldn't find any other book on the subject at the time. So I'm offering you this gift from Lola. We both hope you enjoy it. In our industrialized world, human society has become so compartmentalized and individuals so alienated from each other that more and more people are welcoming primates, birds, ungulates and reptiles into their intimate spaces. Humans share DNA with every living creature from primates to yeast. But we don't have to refer to biology to convince each other of the bond we share with the rest of the animal world, of how precious their presence is to us and vice versa. More people are living singly today. Nuclear families-already diminished from the multigenerational households experienced until the last century-are breaking up. While individualism and independence are the hallmarks of American values, they lead so often to loneliness, depression, frustration and hopelessness. When you read these sketches of people's experiences, you may find yourself among them. Please smile. You may even shed a tear occasionally. I hope these stories from real people like you and me lighten your heart.