Rise and shine!
The morning birds are chirping… in your room.
Some parrot owners prefer to keep their parrot in the same bedroom they sleep in.
It can be nice spending more time in the same room as your pet parrot, but are there any problems with this living space for you or your bird?
The answer to this question is yes you can keep your parrot in your bedroom. There are a number of factors however you have to take into consideration and not everyone is the same. Much of this depends on a case by case basis so use your judgement before bringing your parrot into your sleeping space.
How will having your bird sleep in your space effect your parrot?
How will this living arrangement effect you?
Let’s see.
We will discuss:
Questions to ask about your bedroom before moving your parrot in.
Importance of windows in the room with your parrot.
Importance of being in a place with a lot of social interaction for your parrot’s well- being.
Does your bedroom have enough space?
Are you a deep sleeper?
Will my alarm throw off my bird’s sleep schedule?
Allergies associated with birds kept in the bedroom
Best place to have a bird cage.
With so much information to discuss, let’s dive in!
Questions to Ask About Your Bedroom Before Moving Your Parrot in.
There is a lot to consider in terms of space, sleeping arrangement, and quality of life for your parrot before moving them into the same place you sleep.
Let’s go over some questions you should ask yourself about your bedroom before jumping the gun and moving your parrot in.
Each owner’s situation with living space is unique, so let’s see what room best suits your parrot and you.
Do you have windows in your bedroom?
It’s important that your birds get enough light during the day.
This helps give them vitamin d3, which is important for their health, and keep their circadian rhythm running smoothly.
If your parrot is in your bedroom for the majority of the day, they will need a good source of natural light from windows.
However, you want to make sure the room doesn’t have a draft.
This draft can come from loose windows or air ducts that point in the direction of your parrot’s cage.
Cold drafts can be dangerous for your parrot.
While a healthy bird can withstand an put up with a cold breeze, an already sick parrot can have a worsening of conditions if the draft goes on all night.
Also, if you sleep with your windows open you may not notice if the room is too cold, but your parrot could catch hypothermia which can quickly lead to death.
Make sure your bedroom has windows in it but they are closed shut at night to protect your bird.
Is Your Bedroom the Main Space for Social Interaction?
Birds are social creatures that in the wild roam in packs.
This carries on in a parrot’s life as a pet.
This means they need time spent with you and a lot of it.
Think of where you spend most of your time at home.
You’ll want to put your parrot’s cage in the place you hangout the most during the day.
Parrots are inquisitive creatures that want to observe your every move and communicate with you.
If you mainly use your bedroom for sleep, this won’t be the best place for your bird.
However, if you tend to use your bedroom for sleep and a place to chill during the day, the bedroom would be the perfect choice for your parrot because the social interaction would be endless.
Does your bedroom have enough space?
This question matters for both you and your parrot.
You need to have a cage that is big enough for your parrot.
The recommended width for your parrot should be three times the length of your parrot’s full wingspan.
This is when your bird is fully spreading its feathers.
The height of your parrot’s cage should be two wing beats between perches they can sit on.
This is the minimum size you should consider when buying a cage for your parrot.
The bigger the cage the better.
A larger cage means a happier bird.
Knowing this, is your bedroom large enough to accommodate both you and your parrot.
You want enough room to store your parrot’s cage but also enough room to where the space is still your own and doesn’t become the parrot’s space.
Are you a deep sleeper?
Parrots are very light sleepers.
They can wake up from the smallest sound, as an instinct to survive in the wild.
This means if you’re not a deep sleeper you could face being woken up many times throughout the night by your parrot.
This will ruin your sleep which is a very important part of staying healthy.
You want a pet parrot to bring joy into your life, not bad health.
Also, consider the inverse.
Are you someone who wakes up a lot at night to go to the bathroom or deal with other needs?
If so, your parrot will wake up every time with you.
This throws off your parrot’s sleep and having your parrot in your room may make it hard to fall back asleep once you’ve woken up during the night.
Consider what type of sleeper you are and if you’re willing to sacrifice good sleep to keep your parrot with you in the bedroom.
Will my alarm throw off my bird’s schedule?
Sticking with the topic of sleep, you may be wondering if an alarm is healthy to have in the same room as your bird.
It’s completely fine!
Most people wake up after dawn.
If you’re one of these people, odds are your parrot will wake you up before your alarm can.
Parrots have a natural alarm clock of the sun, so they will be wide awake before you are.
If you do wake up before dawn, don’t worry about waking your parrot up.
They may wake up for a bit to check on what the sound was, but they will fall back asleep if they are still tired.
If you do choose to keep your parrot in your room you can cover their cage with a sheet so that they don’t wake up right at the crack of dawn.
This can help you if you’re used to sleeping in in the mornings.
Allergies Associated with Birds
You may be thinking “I’m around my bird all the time and don’t seem to have a problem with allergies caused by them.”
However, there is a risk still that you might have hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
This is an allergy that some people have to bird feces.
It’s also known as EAA (extrinsic allergic alveolitis).
This is an allergy that happens from being in close contact to bird poop particles for a long amount of time.
When you have your parrot in your room, you may be sleeping with fecal air particles surrounding you.
If you have EAA, commonly known as “bird keeper’s lung”, you can develop symptoms that can last long term.
A rarer case of bird keeper’s lung can result in sudden onset of symptoms or in most cases low grade symptoms that stick around.
People with this allergy have respiratory problems overtime like coughing, shortness of breath, and lethargy.
Scarring from the allergy never goes away.
You can stop the disease from progressing, but the damage has already been done.
It’s worth noting the dangers of this allergy and spending time taking a risk assessment in your mind of if sleeping with your parrot is worth possibly developing this disease.
Best Places to Have a Bird Cage
Since there are many potential risks for both you and your bird when kept in a room, where should you keep your parrot?
Besides the bedroom, the only other common open areas are the living room, kitchen, and any spare rooms.
The living room is where most people choose to keep their parrot.
There is enough space for your parrot’s cage and usually the most activity happens here.
Kitchens should be avoided as too much smoke is created here that could harm parrot’s lungs.
Some people choose to create full rooms dedicated to their birds, but that requires extra space that not everyone has.
No matter what room you choose to put your bird’s cage in, corners are the best spot to place the cage.
Your bird will feel more comforted having two walls around half of their cage.
Where you choose to keep your bird has its own pros and cons list.
The choice is up to you.
However, before putting your parrot in your bedroom, assess the size, windows, your sleeping schedule, and if you’re willing to risk allergies for your parrot to sleep in the same room as you.