Is It Okay To Keep A Budgie In Your Bedroom?
If you already have a budgie, or you are thinking about getting one as a pet, you might be wondering when you should keep it once you have brought it home. If you share a house with others, the most obvious place to keep your bird would be your bedroom, but is this a good idea?
There are lots of things to think about when you get a new bird, and the placement of their cage is really important. It can influence their health and well-being, and you will need to ensure that you are taking the right steps to keeping your bird healthy and happy.
In this article, we are going to tell you everything that you need to know about keeping a bird in your bedroom, so you will know exactly what you need to do.
Is it Okay to Keep a Budgie in Your Bedroom?
Yes, you can keep a budgie in your bedroom, but you will need to be sure that the bedroom is also a space where you spend a lot of time. Budgies thrive best in a room where their owners commonly reside, and they do not like to be left alone forever.
It is recommended that you put a blanket over the budgie’s cage before you go to bed, as they will recognize this as nighttime and go to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, you can take the blanket off of the cage and your budgie will wake up.
Why Should I Cover the Cage At Night?
Making sure that the cage is covered at night is great for the majority of budgies, as it helps them to understand that they should be going to sleep. If there is light in the room, they will think that it is daytime, and therefore, they will be active and awake.
Putting a blanket over the cage makes it dark, and they will think that it is nighttime and drop off to sleep. It may take some time, but your budgie will get used to your routine.
Budgies and Sunlight
Just like any other bird, budgies will benefit from exposure to unfiltered sunlight. So, the light that is getting to your bird should come directly from the sun, rather than being filtered by a curtain, glass, or another object.
Can I Keep My Budgie Outside?
You can keep your budgie outside in certain circumstances, mainly if it is warm. The best temperature range for budgies is between 70 and 80 degrees with little to no wind.
If you are feeling the cold, so is your budgie, and the same goes for the heat. Direct sunlight can cause major damage if it is really hot out.
Can You Keep Any Bird in Your Bedroom?
It is generally safe for you to have a healthy bird in your bedroom, but there are lots of rules that you will need to follow to ensure that your bird remains happy and healthy. Your bird is going to need lots of company, the right lighting, and a good routine.
Do Budgies Need Light During the Night?
Just like any other animal, budgies will need to be kept in the dark throughout the night, and they will also need to have a regular sleeping pattern. Most people will usually cover the cage during the night.
Is it Safe to Keep Birds in Your Bedroom?
Most of the time, it is completely safe to keep a bird in your bedroom, but there are some things that you will need to consider to ensure that both you and your bird are healthy. We will provide you with more information on this below.
Allergies
Something that not everyone will be aware of is the fact that the dust that is generated by a bird’s feathers can sometimes trigger severe allergies for some people.
There is a condition that is called bird fancier’s lung, and this is an immune system hyper reaction that can lead to inflamed lungs, a shortness of breath, and chest infections.
This is especially common for dusty birds, which can include pigeons, cockatiels, cockatoos, African greys, doves, and chickens. These are some of the birds that are the most likely to cause serious allergic reactions, but any bird can increase the amount of dust in your home.
So, if you are allergic to your bird, it might not be the best idea to keep them in your bedroom.
The Risk of Suffocation
When it comes to sleeping, you should always put your bird back in their cage, and never attempt to share a bed with your bird.
There is a high risk of you rolling over during the night and suffocating your bird, which will have devastating consequences. It is also a good idea to put them in their cage late at night, just in case you fall asleep unintentionally.
Sleep Deprivation
This is something that applies to both you and your bird. If your bird is not settling in the night, they could keep you up and interrupt your sleep.
Alternatively, your activities may disrupt your bird’s sleep. The majority of birds need around 12 hours of sleep every night, and without this, they can develop serious health issues.
Isolation and Loneliness
This might not apply to everyone, but lots of people will spend very little time in their bedroom throughout the day, which means that their birds are not getting enough interaction and company.
If you do not spend a lot of time in your bedroom, then this might not be the right place to keep your bird. Isolation can lead to screeching for attention and grouchy behavior.
Isolated birds are also at a higher risk of developing compulsive behaviors in order to cope with their boredom, like pulling at their feathers, pacing, or chewing at the bars on their cages.
It is important to make sure that your bird is getting all the company that they need, and that you are in the room with them for several hours out of the day. This could involve you spending more time in your room, or bringing them to the area of the house that you are in.
You should also provide your bird with lots of toys to keep them entertained when you are not home. This will help them to combat boredom if you are not there to keep them entertained.
How to Reduce the Risk of Allergies From Birds
If you want to try and reduce the risk of an allergic reaction and keep your bedroom smelling clean, then you should aim to clean your bird’s cage every single day. Dust will usually settle on the bedding and bars of the cage, so these are your main areas of focus when you are cleaning.
Bath Your Bird
Some birds will love to splash around in a dish of water, but others might not be so keen. If your bird is not a fan of bathing, then you might want to try a nice mist of water from a spray bottle instead.
Bathing your bird regularly will keep the amount of dust in the air to a minimum, which will keep your bedroom both healthier and cleaner.
The majority of birds will enjoy bath time, but if they don’t, then you might be able to teach them to love it by rewarding bathing with treats.
If your bird does enjoy baths, but they are not feeling up to it one day, then you shouldn’t force them to do it. You should also time your bathing sessions so that your bird will be dry before nighttime.
Purify the Air
You can also use an air purifier to help reduce the risk of allergies, and this is really useful for cleaning the air in dusty spaces.