When my family first got our guinea pigs, my daughter wanted to put the cage in her bedroom. My first thought was: Is it healthy to keep a guinea pig cage in your bedroom?
My main concerns with keeping guinea pigs in your bedroom are allergies and possible noise at night that could disturb sleep.
Is it safe to keep guinea pigs in a bedroom?
Yes, you can keep your guinea pig’s cage in your bedroom and it’s completely safe for your family and your piggies.
Things to consider:
Possible Allergies
Although it is completely safe to keep your guinea pigs in your bedroom it may cause allergies in some people.
Guinea pig allergies are not that common (although they do occur), mostly people are actually allergic to the hay or bedding of the guinea pigs.
If you are prone to allergies or any respiratory disease like asthma, then it would probably be in your best interest to keep your guinea pigs in a separate room to where you sleep.
Noises during the night
Guinea pigs are not nocturnal or especially active during the night, unlike for instance hamsters who are very active during night time.
Occasionally I do hear my guinea pigs drinking water during the night, well especially Brownie, he drinks the loudest from the water bottle.
Overall my guinea pigs don’t make a lot of noise during the night and they don’t disturb our sleep.
If you like sleeping in, in the morning, that might be a thing of the past if your guinea pigs live in your bedroom. They are up early in the morning and wheek loudly every time I just turn around in bed. It’s like they are screaming: “Great, you’re awake, oh my gosh, I’m so hungry! Feed me now!”
Eventually I’m forced to get out of bed and just feed them to have some peace in the morning.
A smelly room
Guinea pigs are quite good at keeping themselves clean, the same can’t however be said for their cage.
Guinea pigs poop a lot and I mean a lot.
So it’s wise to spot clean regularly, if not every day. Just sweep up most of the poop once a day.
I make a litter box for my guinea pigs which I change once a week. I recycle small boxes, cut them down so that the upright sides are only about an inch high, then I fill it with some torn paper and some hay on top of the paper.
All my guinea pigs mostly pee here in the box, the paper and box bottom absorb most of the pee, then I just throw it out once a week and replace with a clean recycled box. (It’s best to use a box that doesn’t have a plastic cover on the outside, for in case they chew on it.)
The fleece I replace and wash once a week as their pee is mostly contained to the DIY litter box.
Your guinea pig’s cage doesn’t have to smell bad, it’s up to you how often you clean it.
Can I keep guinea pigs in my child’s room?
Our guinea pigs live in my daughters room since she was 13 years old and responsible enough to look after them. (I still keep a close eye)
I would strongly advise you not to keep guinea pigs in a smaller child’s room.
- Small kids may unintentionally hurt a guinea pig and may not care for them properly, which can make your guinea pig sick or even be life threatening for them.
- Kids may not be able to detect early on if a guinea pig is ill.
- Guinea pigs can cause allergies or respiratory issues in some kids.
Tips for keeping guinea pigs in your room:
- Ensure that your room has good ventilation and that the temperature is between 18 to 24 degrees Celsius, which is a comfortable temperature range for guinea pigs.
- Don’t use perfumes, body spray or bug spray near your guinea pigs or even in the same room as them.
Guinea pigs can have serious respiratory problems due to strong smells. They have a stronger sense of smell than humans do. Even mild smells can overwhelm your guinea pig.
In conclusion
Where you keep your guinea pig cage is a personal decision. It works great for some people and not at all for others.
You need to consider all the factors and decide what’s best for you and your piggies.
