Cuddling with our guinea pigs is very enjoyable.
They are warm, soft, and cuddly, making them excellent snuggle buddies.
Most of us pet parents spend at least some time with our cavy in our lap or on the bed, but is it okay to sleep with your guinea pig?
There is some debate about this, but most people find it too risky.
Don’t sleep with your guinea pig as it is too risky. There is a serious chance of injury from suffocation. Your guinea pig will also poop and pee in your bed. They may also escape while you are sleeping and get into dangerous situations like chewing on wires or getting lost.
While snuggling up in your comfy bed with your adorable guinea pig seems like a beautiful idea, the risks of this far outweigh the benefits.
We’ll go over all the risks associated with sleeping with your guinea pig.
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Is It Too Risky To Sleep With My Guinea Pig?
Sleeping with your guinea pig seems like a great idea, but there are far too many risks.
As a guinea pig owner, it is imperative to protect our pet guinea pigs and provide safe conditions for them.
Sleeping in a bed with us is not safe for them.
There are many reasons to avoid this behavior and keep our pets in their guinea pig cage.
Our pets are much safer sleeping in the bedding of guinea pigs in their cage.
This way, they adhere to their nocturnal sleep cycles and stay physically safe.
Cavies eat hay and drink from their water bottle throughout the day and night.
Not having access to water and food for an extended period causes health issues.
If you think about doing a guinea pig safety check, you’ll see how sharing a bed doesn’t provide a safe environment for guinea pigs.
It’s important to let your guinea pig sleep in their safe cage and not in your bed.
It is too risky for their health and the cleanliness of your sheets.
Risks Of Co-Sleeping With Guinea Pigs
We all want to snuggle with our cute and cuddly pets.
However, doing so puts our self-serving ideals before our pets because it isn’t in their best interest.
While your guinea pig may love to snuggle with you, it’s essential to put them back in the cage before falling asleep.
Letting your guinea pig sleep with you is dangerous for many different reasons.
We’ll go over some of the biggest risks posed when letting your guinea pig sleep in your bed.
Suffocation
The bed is not a safe environment for your guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs are tiny and prone to injury.
Their small size makes your tiny prey animals more susceptible to suffocation and being hurt if you roll over in your sleep.
Cavies are active animals with different nocturnal sleep cycles.
This means they will likely move around a bit while you sleep.
If you also move around, the chance of you rolling on top of them and hurting them is a real possibility.
Entanglement
Similarly, your guinea pig is prone to entanglement in the sheets.
The wide spaces may make your guinea pigs nervous, and when they attempt to hide, there is a chance of them getting entanglement in the sheets.
Hiding is one of the most common guinea pig behaviors.
It stems from their instincts from their wild guinea pig ancestors.
It’s essential to consider these aspects of guinea pig ownership when letting your pet sleep with you.
Line a part of the cage with cozy guinea pig fleece to keep them comfy.
Entanglement also increases the likelihood of overheating and heatstroke.
It’s crucial to maintain comfortable piggie temperatures for your pets at night.
Getting wrapped in blankets may take them out of their comfortable temperature range and lead to overheating.
Rapid temperature changes may cause heatstroke, which is a serious concern.
Lack Of Access To Hay And Water
If you’ve ever monitored your guinea pigs, you’ve undoubtedly noticed how they eat and drink.
They need nearly constant access to their food in the daytime and nighttime.
Limiting food access to guinea pig friends is not a good idea for long amounts of time.
Allowing your pet to sleep in bed with you disrupts their food cycle.
They won’t be able to eat food at night, which is part of their normal behavior.
Allowing your guinea pig to eat food at night plays into the natural food cycle of their wild guinea pig ancestors.
They aren’t meant to go 6-8 hours without food and clean water to drink.
Doing so may cause some health issues or appetite issues.
Lost Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are active animals, especially at night.
When you fall asleep, there is a good chance of your pet going on some nighttime adventures.
This poses the risk of them getting lost.
The last thing you want is to wake up, and your beloved cavy is nowhere to be found.
If you have an active guinea pig, this is an even bigger risk.
Active pets tend to be more curious and adventurous, which increases the likelihood of getting lost.
They may also look for an animal hideout and stay where it will be tough to find them.
It’s best to be a responsible piggy owner and keep them safe.
Ingesting Things They Shouldn’t
If your guinea pig goes wandering while you’re sleeping, they may ingest things they shouldn’t.
Piggies love to chew and gnaw at things.
There is a huge risk of your pet chewing wires and getting electrocuted or ingesting toxic food items or materials capable of causing blockages.
It is much better to cuddle with them during the daytime or a couple of times throughout the day but put them safely in their cages when bedtime comes.
Encountering Other Pets
If you have other pets in your house, your piggie may come into contact with animals capable of hurting them.
While your cats or dogs may not mean to hurt the guinea pig, they may cause serious injury.
It just isn’t worth the risk. Set aside some quiet time to spend with your piggie, so you avoid the potential for a dangerous encounter.
This is especially important if your pets have had bad encounters during the nighttime.
Speaking of other pets, check out our post on if your guinea pigs can be killed by mice here.
Urine And Feces In The Bed
Allowing your guinea pigs to sleep in your bed is the risk of them urinating and defecating in your bed.
Coming into contact with animal droppings is unsanitary and unsafe.
Animal waste contains many bacteria capable of causing severe infections or illness.
As a piggy owner, you want their business to stay in their enclosure and not all over your sheets.
The potential for bacterial infections and other unsanitary consequences is a risk when allowing your piggie to sleep in your bed.
Sharing your bed with your pet may lead to diseases from guinea pigs and their waste.Ā
Related: Why do guinea pigs pee and poop so much?
Alternatives To Sleeping With Your Guinea Pig
The idea of sleeping with your guinea pig seems good at first, but the risks outweigh its pleasure.
There are plenty of alternatives to sleeping with your guinea pig while giving them a cozy night of sleep.
Whether you want them to be cozy or bond with them, there are many ways to do this without the risk.
Making your pet as comfortable as possible is a great priority as a guinea pig parent.
It is also important to bond with them and spend time with them.
This makes your relationship with your pet stronger and more trusting, but it also provides healthy and essential mental stimulation and exercise.
Set Aside Cuddle Time
If you love to cuddle with your pets, set aside some time to snuggle.
Spend a couple of hours with your guinea pig on the couch or in your bed to get your snuggles in.
Once the time is up, put them back in their cages so they don’t get hurt.
Eventually, your pet will learn to recognize you and your smell and associate you with these positive experiences.
If you want to learn more, check out our post on will guinea pigs remember you.
Have Floor Time
Floortime is a great way to bond with your pet.
Set up some hiding spaces, close all the doors, and spend a couple of hours on the floor with your pet.
They are nervous creatures, so be sure to provide a cozy hiding space for your pet to feel safe.
Consider incorporating some vegetable pieces into your floor time to make them more comfortable.
Make sure they are bite-size pieces so your pet does not choke on large vegetable pieces.
Keep The Guinea Pig Cage Closer To Your Bed
If you’re adamant about being close to your pet while you sleep, put their cage near your bed.
This allows both of you basic comfort and safety.
Consider increasing the comfort level by putting some guinea pig fleece into the cage.