You love your pet and it loves you.
Of course you want to spend more time together and keep each other company at night.
But there’s something you need to know about chinchillas before you make this decision.
And apart from that, is it even possible to keep chinchillas in your bedroom?
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about keeping a chinchilla in your bedroom. We’ll also cover what kind of environment you need to provide these little rodents.
Contents
Can You Keep Chinchillas In Your Bedroom?
Yes, you can keep chinchillas in your bedroom. But you might not want to. We’ll get into the reason for that below.
The important thing for a chinchilla is that its environment remains at ideal temperatures and that is has plenty of space inside of its cage. The physical location of the chinchilla cage in your home does not matter.
But you have a few other considerations to keep in mind.
And I bet anyone reading this who owns a chinchilla, or has owned one in the past, probably has a small smile on their face, because you know exactly what those considerations are.
Keeping A Chinchilla in Your Bedroom
The answer I provided at the beginning of this post is 100% true. You can safely keep a chinchilla in your bedroom.
That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. In fact, it’s a terrible idea.
You see, chinchillas like to jump around. They move from shelf to shelf inside of the cage, and they make noise. Both from the movement and express themselves with various chinchilla sounds.
Trust me. Been there and tried that. Not a good idea, to say the least.
Chinchillas sleep most of the day and are most active at dusk and dawn. Even if you’re thinking you like to get up early, this doesn’t mean they are only active at these time. Just most active.
For example, my chinchilla is especially active from about 10 pm to 3 am, compared to other times during the day.
Clearly, this wasn’t a lot of fun when I was trying to sleep. You’ll need a nice set of earplugs.
Or do what I did and move your chin to another room in your home.
Now let’s take a look at some additional related questions and also go into more detail on the type of environment your chinchilla will need to be happy and healthy.
Can My Chinchilla Sleep In My Bed?
No, your chinchilla can never sleep in your bed. This would result in more potential dangers than I could even list out.
Chinchillas are naturally timid and are not going to enjoy sleeping in a bed. Nor would they ever stay put in a bed without running off.
If the room is not chinchilla proofed, this could cause death or other injuries. It could also easily cause overheating or heatstroke.
Chinchillas don’t need a bed at all. They should never sleep in anything except for its cage, in a room in which it will not interrupt your sleep.
Chinchilla Cage Sizing Is Always More Important
Outside of losing sleep, you have other factors that impact where you are going to keep your chinchilla. First and foremost, space means everything to a chinchilla.
This means ensuring that you have a big cage. Cages need to meet requirements, and ideally, they will have multiple levels.
I love the Critter Nation 2 dual level cage. You can see my full review of the Critter Nation chinchilla cage here, if you want further details.
I’ve tried several cages for the sake of this blog, and the Critter Nation is the cage I’ve stuck with for the last 13 months. It was my favorite by far.
If it’s not for you, I recommend you read my post reviewing the best chinchilla cages. It will give you other options that all meet the size requirements of a chinchilla.
So why does this impact your chinchilla being housed in your bedroom?
Well, that depends on where you live. When you factor in the height of the cage standing on wheels, a bedroom may not be the most ideal resting place for your chinchilla.
Something like a basement or utility room makes more sense, considering the cage is going to take up a decent amount of space.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want a chinchilla cage in my bedroom spanning all the way to the ceiling, or close to it, let alone taking up other living space in the main room I use daily.
Always ensure that your chinchilla has the space it needs to climb and move freely. This comes before other priorities.
Trust me. Chinchillas do just fine living alone or in their own space.
They adapt to their environment quickly, and if you take some time for them each day, they will be affectionate, loving, and happy.
You certainly don’t need to sleep in the same room as your chinchilla. That’s for sure.
Ensure Ideal Temperatures Where Your Chinchilla Sleeps
Next on your to-do list before choosing if your chinchilla will be in your bedroom or another room is to consider humidity and temperature.
This is very important.
Chinchillas overheat easily due to their dense fur. Ensuring that you keep them in a cool environment with low humidity levels is an absolute must.
I have a post you can see here that discusses the best practices with regards to climate. Consider a dehumidifier, if necessary, to keep humidity levels under about 60 percent when possible.
This is especially true if you decide that you do not want to use a bedroom and use something like a basement or other area of the home that may be prone to more humid air.
I use this dehumidifier here for my basement.
It does a fantastic job ensuring that my chinchilla stays in those ideal ranges, to keep her safe and comfortable.
Limit the Mess
Before you rush to use your bedroom for your chinchilla, don’t’ forget about chinchilla poop. While they don’t purposely make poop fall out of the cage, it certainly does happen.
I have a post dedicated to keeping chinchilla poop in the cage. It breaks down the tips and strategies I implement to limit the amount of poop that falls out of the cage.
I’d much rather have poop fall on the floor in a mudroom, utility room, or even the basement, instead of my bedroom.
Chinchilla Sleeping In Your Bedroom: Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, nothing is stopping you from using your bedroom for your chinchilla.
If you’re okay with losing a bit of sleep and you can meet the other conditions we discussed in this post, then you are perfectly safe to use your bedroom for your chinchilla’s cage.
But most people don’t enjoy losing sleep, so I highly recommend using the tips laid out for you in this post and choosing a different room.
It will keep you well-rested, your chinchilla happy and healthy, and ultimately be the best avenue you can take.
I wish you the best of luck with your new chinchilla.
Now let’s move over to you.
Do you keep your chinchilla in your bedroom?
Do you have any other precautions or advice you can share with the readers?
Be sure to share your thoughts, concerns, and stories by dropping a comment below.
As always, Chili and I appreciate you stopping by. Thanks for reading, and we will see you next time!
Leave a Reply