Many people struggle to find an ideal location to keep their guinea pigs cage. I often see people asking questions like Can I keep guinea pigs in my bedroom? Is it safe for my guinea pigs and me? So, as a curious guinea pig owner, I decided to do some research, and here is what I found out!
Yes, of course, you can keep your guinea pigs cage in your bedroom. My only significant concerns would be sleep disturbance due to sound, allergies, and maintaining the proper temperature for your guinea pigs.
Also, if you don’t spend much time in your bedroom throughout the day, then your guinea pigs might feel isolated as there is no one to interact with them.
New guinea pigs owners often get so obsessed with their guinea pigs that they don’t give a second thought before setting up their guinea pigs cage in their bedroom.
I would recommend weighing the pros and cons of both before deciding to move ahead as sometimes a hasty decision can be fatal for you and your guinea pigs, as well.
Before proceeding any further, I would also recommend you to check a few articles which can also help you make the right decision:
- Are guinea pigs loud? What noises do they make?
- How big should a guinea pigs cage be? (Can you fit it in your bedroom?)
- Are guinea pigs hypoallergenic? Tips for families with an allergy?
If you are also looking forward to housing your guinea pigs in your bedroom than I recommend you to stick till the end so that you can weigh the choices and make the right decision moving forward.
Is it safe to keep guinea pigs in a bedroom?
Yes, it is entirely safe to keep your guinea pigs in a bedroom if you can ensure the temperature and airflow of the room is good enough for your piggies.
A guinea pig can live comfortably in a temperature range of 18°C to 24°C. Anything above or below that can be bad for their health.
Apart from that, you must also ensure there is enough air circulation in the room to make sure your guinea pigs remain healthy and safe.
Pros and cons of keeping a guinea pig in my bedroom?
It is a wise decision to check out the pros and cons of keeping a guinea pig in the bedroom before you go ahead and make the decision to do so. So here I have outlined some of them for you so you can make the right choice for yourself.
Guinea pig’s health can deteriorate quickly when they are sick. So, if you keep your guinea pigs in your bedroom, then you can monitor them frequently and make sure they are safe.
Guinea pig’s ideal temperature range is suitable for most people as well, so keeping them in their bedroom might not be an issue for you all.
They are more likely to get petted, more likely to get some additional floor time, and thus you are more likely to spend some more time with them.
However, the opposite may also be true if you stay out of your home most of the time.
Although they cannot replace a human companion, however, they are very social and interact with their owners pretty well.
So, having a guinea pig in your bedroom might be right for you in such scenarios.
In most cases, people are allergic to hay or bedding that we get for our guinea pigs. So, if you are one such person who might be allergic to anything like that, then keeping your guinea pigs in a separate room might be a wise choice to make.
Also, if you have a medical history of any respiratory diseases or asthma, then you must consider keeping your guinea pigs away from the place you sleep.
Guinea pigs are crepuscular creatures, i.e., they are active during dawn and dusk. So, if you are a person who likes to sleep peacefully, then keeping your guinea pigs in your bedroom might not be the right decision to make.
The sound of the water bottle, hay, toys, etc. along with the wheek and chirp of your guinea pig can disturb your sleep completely.
They poop every few minutes, and if you don’t keep up with the daily cleaning schedule, then you will end up with a smelly cage.
Good quality bedding and leakproof water bottles are also crucial to keep the stinky smell in check.
Guinea pigs can love to play with their hay and food; some even tip their food bowls every day.
So, even if you clean their cage daily, you will end up with a messy pen within a few hours.
So, you might need to consider giving up a large portion of your bedroom to your guinea pigs.
If you are comfortable with it, then keeping them in your bedroom shall work great; otherwise, you might need to reconsider your decision.
Under no circumstances, guinea pigs can be housed in a smaller cage because doing so can shorten their life span quite a bit.
Although it is not a common problem with many people, but depending upon the area you live in, it can be a major issue.
You must also keep the same into consideration while housing your guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs can have serious respiratory diseases due to strong smell. They have a strong sense of smell, it is said they can smell 10 times stronger than humans.
So, if you can smell it mild than it might be overwhelming for your piggies.
Can we keep our guinea pigs in the child’s bedroom?
No, you should definitely avoid housing your guinea pig’s cage in your child’s room. Even if you got the pet for your child still it would be wise to use a separate room or your living room to house the piggies. There are a few major concerns to look at if you want to house them with your kids.
- Guinea pigs can cause allergy and respiratory issues in some kids.
- Once you keep the guinea pigs in your child’s room then it is their pet and not the family pet. They like to take care of it in their way which can be fatal for your guinea pigs.
- Small Kids are not competent enough to take care of guinea pigs. Unlike dogs and cats guinea pigs require some extra care which kids might not be able to provide.
- Guinea pigs can get ill pretty quickly and can hide the symptoms of illness for a long time. If your guinea pigs are housed with your kids they might not be able to detect the same and give the medical care needed
- Guinea pigs need enough food and water at all times. If your kid misses providing the food or water due to any unforeseen reason then your guinea pig might get seriously ill. It can even be life-threatening for your guinea pigs.
Where should you keep guinea pigs?
The best place to keep your guinea pig will be the central part of your house. It can be a separate room, a living room or your lounger area.
Housing them at a place where someone from your family passes by every now and then is important so that they get the attention they need.
Apart from that, your guinea pig will also keep reminding you that they want their food before you get yours. 😉
Conclusion
Are housing guinea pigs in your bedroom a good idea? No, it definitely is not a good idea. However, if you have space constraint in your house, or due to any other issue you have to keep them in your room than I would recommend taking care of the concerns we discussed earlier in this article. I hope you found this article helpful.
Sources: Pet ownership and human health, Human allergy to environmental pet dander, Sciencedirect, The prenatal growth of the guinea‐pig, Use of cage space by guineapigs, Guidelines for the Housing of Guinea Pigs, Housing Guinea pig colony, Guinea pigs housing.
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