Day Cycle Confusion

[Baron Sciarri]

Are there any experienced chin owners that keep their house or apartment generally dark and the light cycles don't really follow any kind of pattern? It seems to make it so she naps at various times throughout the day and night and chooses to be active at all sorts of different hours. Have your chins grown up well adjusted with this type of pattern or do i need to make more of an effort to let her know when it's daytime and when it's nighttime?

 

[andreya]

I've never had to let mine know what time of day it is. Their room is light during the day (window) and dark at night. Unlike humans they seem to sleep fine in the light and play all night in the dark. They are nocturnal, which means they are awake at night and sleep during the day.

 

[ChinnyMom]

chins are actually crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk. not nocturnal.

i believe chins do need some natural light, just as we do, for things like vitamin D. keeping a chin in a basement or room all their lives with just artificial lighting can't be too good for them. if i am wrong about this, somebody please correct me.

my chin room has a south facing window and a white curtain. plenty of natural light in there during the day, and i turn on the adjacent hallway light for them at night, so that they are not in the complete dark (translation: so i don't trip over things if i go into the chin room for some reason without turning on the chin room light, lol). they have no trouble sleeping at all during the day.

if you are new to chin slavedom, lol, you'll find out your chin's individual sleep and wake patterns. for instance, my boys have their prime sleep time between 11 am and about 4 pm, although with the lengthening daylight i find they are snoozing a bit later than 4:30/5 pm these days.

 

[ChonchoMom]

That is good to know, because its so bright in the morning by his cage, I always put a dark sheet over it and then take it off when I get home, he seems to like it, as soon as I cover his cage he jumps into his hammock to sleep

 

[ChinnyMom]

direct sunlight on the cage can make things too warm, so be sure to monitor the temperature!

completely covering the cage isn't a great idea, as that decreases air circulation and can make things too warm. at most, i would cover three sides and leave one side uncovered. any fabric being used on or in a chin's cage should be fleece (anti pill, polar, blizzard, etc). other fabrics will come apart in threads/strands if your chin chews it, and that can pose an impaction hazard if it were swallowed. mind you, if you see your chin chewing on fleece, then it isn't safe to use with that particular chin. don't use a bed sheet over the cage.

 

[wranglersarah]

My chins are the basement but we have large windows with light shades to let the light in. I hope that is ok. I also have a thermometer/temp gauge next to their cage to monitor the temp.

 

[ChonchoMom]

He's never chewed on it, but I'll look into getting some fleece on there instead, His cage is actually behind the couch in the livingroom, I only put it over the top level because that's where his hammock is.

 

[ticklechin]

I use full spectrum lighting in my chin room.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Both areas where we have chins in the house have windows so we have natural light every day. It is IMO the best way to go.

 

[Baron Sciarri]

lots of replies but still no answer...does my chin need to have a day/night cycle to be well adjusted? tysm for the vitamin D thing i got that part covered but the fact that she has no earthly clue whether it's day or night does that matter for her being well adjusted?

 

[Baron Sciarri]

alright i'll just assume that it's ok that she's not on any regular cycle

 

[Katie_2013]

My chin, Eleanor, doesn't seem to have any problems with not having a particular schedule. I find her sleeping most of the day whether lights are on or off.