Does your cham like to be pet?

Psychobunny

Psychobunny

Avid Member
I have read so many comments that chams do NOT like to be touched and (their theory) they only sit still and allow you to touch them because they are scared to death to move, etc., etc.

I believe there is some truth to this, but it's taken to extreme.

I know for a fact that Smeagie LOVES to be pet.

The other day, he was laying on the top of a UV light fixture, staying nice and toasty, when I reached up and flattened my hand to one side of him.
To my surprise, he flopped over onto my hand like it was a big pillow and I
pet the other side of his face with my free hand. He LOVED it.

I have been petting him for sometime, and he always closes his eyes, and enjoys it.
It's not his style, being an aggressive animal, to just sit there if he were upset, knowing Sméagol, he would turn and snap, or just walk away, giving me the stink eye as he goes! :D

Today, I was petting the side of his face with my index finger. He closed his eyes, and slightly leaned into my petting finger as to get more benefit from it.

He hasn't exactly rolled over like a dog to have his tummy scratched, but he has don't the cham equivalent by tilting his body so I can reach better.

So far, it's only veiled that respond this way.

Does anyone else have their own stories to share?
 
I guess it varies I'm sure your aware chameleons have personalities my little boy Freddie is that "friendly" at the moment he will beg to come out and will happily climb out directly ontop my finger/hand yet Charlie my girl will tear my finger off given half the chance
 
A few weeks ago I started rubbing my veileds spikes under his chin and ever since when I get him outta his cage he will rub his chin aginst my hand until I start rubbing it for him. I can tell he enjoys it, my panther on the other hand is not a fan.
 
I have a panther that would rather crawl around on you than eat. You put out your hand with food on it and he would rather run on to you than eat. Once he is on you he is happy and will eat. I do pet him and he does seem to like it. Even when he is in his free range he will reach out when I walk by or even almost fall trying to get on me as I walk by.

Edit: Our Jackson, however just tolerates us and would prefer to be left alone. We allow him to have his space and let him roam as he pleases.
 
Most people say chams have to be held alot to "like being touched". I hold my chams like once a year so of course they hate it if i try to touch them.
 
All my guys are spoiled rotten. I must say that every cham I've ever had seem to have a favorite spot that they liked to have rubbed and it's on the side of their neck right at the base of their head.
 
my male likes to come to the front of his cage for feeding time and he will stare at your hand then climb on but after like 5 mins or so. my female will only climb out if im wearing sunglasses eye contact thing any other time shes grumpy and hesitant. still working with her but its progress.
but i digress both like to be rubbed under the chin and thats the easiest way to calm my female to come out without the sunglasses on.
 
I don't know if my chameleon likes to be a pet? I treat my chameleon almost like a human being...

By that, I mean that I have him enslaved and locked up in a cage...
I allow him to get water by dripping it to him via a crack in his cage...
I keep him isolated, never allowing him to see his kind...
I feed him roaches and insects...

Yep! hes a good little slave...I pet him from time to time too.
 
Do they actually scratch or bite if they don't like it? I got my first chameleon Friday. I haven't attempted to pick him up yet because he definitely seems skittish if I get too close.
 
Sounds like you need to leave him alone and let him settle in and get used to you.
Be patient, petting your cham can comes in time, cant rush it :)
 
It's really all down to each individual cham. Personally, mines LOVES attention. When I open his cage and put my hand out he comes over and onto my hand. I will sit and watch TV with him on me, and I'll rub his casque and nose gently and he closes his eyes and goes light green when I do it. He has also fell asleep on me numerous times.

He's very much a mumma's boy though, if I hand him to someone else he grasps at me and doesn't wanna let go!

He's never once acted aggressively or scared towards me.

The most important thing to keep in mind with chameleons is to NOT expect them to want to be handled/pet! It's all down to luck really if you get a docile chameleon or not, and their feelings need to be respected :)
 
Does my Chameleon like to be petted?

YES! YES
And I'm so glad someone else brought up this subject.
My 9MO female loves to be petted. Loves under her chin stroked, and the top of her head ESP when she's shedding.
She also likes being picked up, (maybe cause she knows she's getting out of her cage.)
If she didn't want to be picked up, she'd let me know.
She doesn't hiss and fluff up.

But as with any living creature, daily contact will make all the difference in the world.

Im so tired of hearing people say "Oh you should never touch them, just leave them alone....

They're not fish! I'm sure if you ignored me every day and basically just stared at me from inside a cage, I wouldn't want to go any where with you either. Putting your big hand in a cage that hasn't ever been touched by you will definitely cause it to be stressed and scared.
I'm sorry but why would I buy an animal just to look at? What a horrible life, to be stuck in a cage 24/7. Jeeeese let them out once and awhile, Their natural environment is not cooped up in a cage their entire life.
Her familiarity with me was done slowly and gradually so she was not to be stressed.

She has many house plants around the house that she hangs in, she also eats them also.

She also likes being misted. She closes her eyes and leans into it.

And she also has an outside cage, I live in FLA so our outside weather here is what her normal habitat or close to would be. At night she comes into her inside cage, this way I can track what she's eating and her supplements are ingested. Her sand box is also in this cage.

I see people posting about every little thing wrong this animal does that doesn't follow the "Reptile Books". Look, these are reptiles. Do you honestly think the wild ones have the exact controlled environment temp. every minute of every day? Or sun every single day?

And the white stuff that may once and awhile collects around their nose....IS NOT ALWAYS too much Calcium or Vit C. ALOT of the time its simply the deposits from water. Much like the hard water stains. Its not deadly either. My point is its not always what everyone's bandwagon says it is, in here.

Now I've gotten some good info here, but I've also read some poorly shared info. here.
My point is, just gather your resources collectively. Do some of your own research. And enjoy your animals. I'm also a dog trainer. I believe my chameleon is quite a happy and healthy little girl, like the rest of my animals.
 
I like to think my cham likes me petting him under his chin.. but he always thinks I'm just trying to pick him up and goes to grab my finger. So I guess not lol
 
jannb said:
All my guys are spoiled rotten. I must say that every cham I've ever had seem to have a favorite spot that they liked to have rubbed and it's on the side of their neck right at the base of their head.
Click to expand...

LOL! that's exactly the spot where Smeagie like to be pet as well.
I rub it in a circular like motion and he will lean slightly against my finger
if he thinks I'm not rubbing hard enough :rolleyes:

Sometimes when he is on top of Noogies cage, he will walk straight up to me, nose to nose!
At first it freaked out, but now I know why, he just wants to be pet!! :)
 
Like being petted?......

So nice to hear more positive experiences among other Chameleon owners.
Mine also loves the side of the head rubbed, she leans into it...LOL
 
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