I have not seen the above question discussed on the internet. I think that it is a worthwhile discussion as many homes have full-time indoor cats and they are cold at night. These cats don’t have the facilities through which they can hunt and be active at night in order to keep warm.
We know that many domestic cats share their owner’s bed at night which helps them to keep warm. My cat does and he likes to join me under the duvet for a 10-minute spell once a night. Perhaps twice. But he tolerates the cold nights well. This is about preferences and maximizing the welfare of domestic cats.
It is clear that many domestics live in miserable homes where the thought of ensuring that they are warm at night would be off the radar. Although, conversely, there are millions of exellent cat caregivers who do think about these aspects of caretaking.
Cats normally find a way. My mind turns to those homes where the owners ban their cat from the bedroom, a place where there is both heat and human body scent; two important aspects of a cat’s life.
That said I agree that allowing a domestic cat into the bedroom and on or in the bed is disruptive to sleep and when you are an old person, sleep is poor already.
So there is a good argument for not allowing a cat into the bedroom but it is outweighed, in my view, by the need for excellence in cat welfare. A responsibility that the cat’s caregiver takes on at day one of the adoption.
Cat caregiving is about compromise as are all relationships. One such compromise might be to place in the bedroom a cat den that incudes their caregiver’s clothes for scent and perhaps a low-level form of trickle heating or an igloo den which will be heated by the cat’s body heat. You can get these on Amazon.
This may work well in letting the cat be in close proximity to their caregiver in sharing the same space but not on the bed and disturbing sleep.
More: bedroom access and nighttime activity
