Let Your Guinea Pig Sleep With You? (Read This First)

So, you’ve brought your guinea pig home?  But, where is your cavy going to sleep? If space is limited in your home or you’re feeling slightly obsessed as a brand new pet-parent, it’s likely that you’re wondering if you should let your guinea pig sleep with you.

Your guinea pig can sleep with you.  But, it’s probably not a good idea.  Although there can be benefits to sleeping with your guinea pigs, many precautions need to be taken to keep the experience safe and happy for you and your guinea pig.

So, what’s best for you and your cavy?  Only you can make that decision. 

Keep reading, and I’ll give you some information that I researched to help make the choice a little easier for you.

Environment Tips for Sleeping with Guinea Pigs

Before moving your cavies into your bedroom, you need to make sure that the location is conducive to your guinea pig’s happiness and health.  It’s better to make sure that the room has the following:

A stable temperature:  The best temperature for a guinea pig is between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit (or 18°C to 24°C). Guinea pigs are very sensitive to temperature changes. If your room temperature fluctuates a lot, you risk the health of your piggie pal. 

If your room is drafty, don’t move the piggies in.  They can get sick and go downhill very easily.  If your room is humid, try to find somewhere else for your furry friends.  The humidity increases the odds of mold growing in your cavy’s bedding and hay.  That can make your guinea pig sick, too.  

Enough space for a cage:  Guinea pigs need spacious cages to be able to play and exercise-to be happy.  At the minimum, one guinea pig needs 7.5 ft²  of space in a cage for basic comfort.

Can you easily move around the room without tripping over your cavy’s cage or your belongings? Use a tape measure or place the cage in your room to test out the space first. You don’t want to trip going to the bathroom (in the middle of the night) and end up face first in your guinea pig’s cage. 

Can My Guinea Pig Sleep in My Bed?

The only time that it’s a good idea for your guinea pig to sleep in your bed is during lap or cuddle time-and you’re fully awake.  Because you’re awake and can watch her, so that she doesn’t get hurt.

But…

…if you plan on falling asleep yourself, don’t let your guinea pig sleep in your bed.  A lot of unfortunate things could happen.  Some of which include the following:

• A fall from a bed for a human isn’t pleasant, but usually isn’t life-threatening. However, your guinea pig could fall off the bed and seriously injure herself.  
• You could roll over your cavy in your sleep and smother or crush her. Guinea pigs have fragile bodies.  This is especially likely if you’re a deep sleeper, but still possible if you’re a light sleeper. 
• Piles of poop and rivers of pee will greet you in the morning.  Ew! Even if your guinea pig is potty trained, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll want to keep getting up throughout the night to take your cavy to her litter box.

It would be a shame for your little friend to get hurt over something preventable.

When it comes to the health and welfare of your piggie pals, it’s better to be safe than sorry.  

Can My Guinea Pig Take a Snooze in My Bedroom?

You should never share a bed with your guinea pig.  Even if you don’t mind waking up in a pile of guinea pig poop, it’s way too dangerous for your little cavy.

But, what about sharing a bedroom? 

You need to learn the ins and outs of co sleeping with your cavy in your bedroom.  Then you can process your options and feel confident when making a final decision.  

Pros of Sleeping with Guinea Pigs

First, let’s look at the benefits of letting a guinea pig sleep in your room.

• Improved Health for You:  If your guinea pig sleeps in your room, you’ll have more opportunities to play with him. Take advantage of those opportunities. Playing with your pet regularly can decrease your blood pressure, decrease loneliness, and decrease your cholesterol level. 
• Improved Health for Your Guinea Pig: Co sleeping in the same bedroom with your guinea pig makes it easier to supervise your cavy’s health. You’re more likely to notice if your guinea pig is ill if you’re getting up and going to bed in the same space as your furry friend. A guinea pig illness can get worse very quickly, so being able to monitor and care for your piggie pal’s from your bedroom is convenient.
• Keep other areas of your home clear:  Have a busy household? Keeping your guinea pig in your bedroom will allow you and your family to go about their day with more space. 
• Visual Caretaking Reminders:  Many well-intentioned pet parents occasionally have a difficult time remembering to do certain activities for their guinea pigs.  When your guinea pig is the first and last thing you see every day, it acts as a visual prompt to feed, play with, or groom your cavy. 

Cons of Sleeping with Your Guinea Pig (+ Possible Solutions)

There are many drawbacks to sleeping with a guinea pig.  Such as:

• Allergic reactions to the piggies
• Stinky, Messy bedroom
• Transmission of disease
• Noisy piggies (keeping you awake)
• Attraction of other rodents or vermin

But, happily, many potential issues can be solved using a variety of methods.

Let’s take a closer look below:

1. If You’re Allergic To Your Piggies, You Can:

• Consult your doctor and see if taking allergy medication might be a possibility
• Change bedding regularly
• Spot clean bedding daily
• Clean enclosure and change bedding at least once a week

2. To Avoid a Stinky, Messy Bedroom, Be Sure To:

• Make sure your cavy’s enclosure is big enough. Small spaces are harder to keep clean.  
• Spot clean the poop and pee for the bedding every day.
• Thoroughly clean the enclosure and change the bedding at least once a week.
• Train your guinea pig to use the litter box. 
• Clean your cavy’s grease gland carefully (especially if you have a male-their grease glands are especially stinky)
• Invest in an air purifier
• Use odor-free bedding like fleece or aspen.
• Open the window and “air out the room”

3. To Minimize Transmission of Diseases Like Ringworm & Salmonella, Make Sure You:

• Wash your hands after handling your piggie
• Avoid having face contact with your little friend

4. To Increase The Odds Of You Getting A Good Night’s Sleep (Even If Your Piggies Are Noisy), You Should:

• Give your cavies enough fresh water and hay before bed, so they don’t “wheek” for food in the middle of the night
• Try to get a pair of guinea pigs. A single guinea pig might bed for your attention in the night, but compatible pairs do a good job of keeping each other company.
• Make sure they have chew toys and hideys to play with
• Buy a sound machine to drown out the noise
• Give your guinea pigs a water bowl to drink from at night, since water bottle use can be noisy – especially in the dead of night
• Put in earbuds and listen to sleep music or meditations

5. To Discourage Rodents & Vermin From Thinking They Have An Open Invitation To Take Over Your Space, Be Certain To:

• Remove your cavy’s leftover food as soon as possible. Don’t leave it out for long periods of time
• Keep your food and your guinea pig’s food in air tight containers
• Get rid of soiled guinea pig bedding carefully and quickly
• Elevate your cavy’s enclosure, so that it’s not directly on the ground (just make sure that it’s a solid surface)
• Have a pest control service examine your home for potential entry ways of rodents and set up traps if necessary.
• Fill any holes in your house with steel wool (mice can’t chew through it)
• Check the holes yourself every now and then to make sure that they haven’t been chewed through

What is the Best Place for Guinea Pigs to Sleep?

When choosing the best place for your guinea pigs to sleep, you need to consider the health, safety, and happiness of your furry friends. 

There are a lot of situations that pet parents can forget to consider. 

Usually, the best place for guinea pigs to sleep would be in a quiet area of a draft-less room (with a stable temperature). But, it must be where guinea pigs are likely to benefit from more attention, interaction, and care from the family in the home….while still having the opportunity for quiet time if they need it.

There are some other things to consider, too. As you do a guinea pig safety check, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have all toxic plants been removed from the environment?  Some common household plants are toxic to guinea pigs (and other animals). You can take a peek at this source to verify whether or not the greenery in your house might harm your cavy. When in doubt, just keep your guinea pig away, so nothing unfortunate happens.
• Are electrical cables tucked away?  You don’t want your furry friend to nibble on one and get a nasty shock.
• Is the area secure from predators?  Examine the enclosure for possible escape.  Make sure potential predators are tucked away.

Answer these questions and make changes to your home where appropriate. 

The adjustments will help make sure that your home environment is safe and healthy for your cavies.

Let’s Wrap Up 

No matter what you decide to do, this article gives you some guidance on how to make the best decision for you and your guinea pig.

As you can see, co-sleeping with your guinea pigs in your bedroom requires a lot of thought and planning.  

Although there are solutions to many of the issues, you need to consider if you’re able to put in the time, health, or financial investment) required to successfully housing your cavies in your bedroom.

Related Questions 

Do guinea pigs blink? 

Guinea pigs do blink.  But, they blink A LOT less than human beings do.  Because they’re prey animals, they’re biologically hard-wired to not have to blink.  That’s so they can keep a close eye out for predators. 

Do guinea pigs hibernate?

Guinea pigs do not hibernate. Guinea pigs originate from South America, so they’re biologically not used to cold weather.  

What does it mean if a guinea pig sleeps on you? 

Take it as a compliment.  Guinea pigs are nervous creatures.  They don’t trust people easily. Having a guinea pig fall asleep on you means that your cavy is relaxed, happy, and comfortable around you.