Drogo, the escape artist!

[caseysteadman]

So, I have moved into my new house and Drogo with me. Thankfully, my two roommates are just as in love with the little bugger as I am! A few days ago, one roommate was looking in his enclosure for him but couldn't see him. She yelled upstairs to let me know he was "MIA" and to see if I could spot him. I told her since his cage is so big, he can go unnoticed for quite sometime, even to a more trained eye. So I put a few crix in his feeder cup and decided if they weren't gone in 20 min, it was time to send out the search party. (Man, does he boogie down to that feeder cup almost as soon as I open the door to his cage). Well of course, 20 min later the crix were all intact, and I was in a panic! I've got one roommate on the counters looking on top of our shelves, one on the floor looking under the couch, table, fridge, etc, while I'm just scanning anywhere I can think to look. And that's when I see the shadow behind the curtain almost 30 ft from his cage! I whipped back that curtain and he was just like "Oh hay mom, it's adventure time, didn't you know?"

He's escaped two more times since then, but someone has been in the room with him to notice him on the outside of his cage. We have absolutely no clue how he's doing it, but I am planning on setting him up a nice little free range outside of his enclosure because he OBVIOUSLY hates his home. (If I'm not feeding him and open the door, he's almost immediately on my hand, just wanting out). And of course doing a very, very thorough inspection of current enclosure.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is this a behavior that should concern me more than amuse me? (I understand him escaping is dangerous, of course, but is this a sign that there is something wrong IN his cage? - There is absolutely nothing wrong that I can possibly imagine, at least everything is in accordance with everything I've read here.)

Hope this amused everyone and if anyone has any suggestions, I greatly welcome them!

 

[carol5208]

I would say he just wants out and there is probably nothing in the cage that is scaring him or anything like that. My one guy used to be like that. As soon as I would open up the door he was running to my hand and then did not want to let go when I would try and put him back in. I would love to know how he is escaping. You should set up a video camera and see if you can catch him!!! Are you using the traditional screen cages like most of us? Is the door closed when he goes missing or you are finding the door open with him missing???

 

[chamycham]

Houdini reencarnated in your cham

 

[caseysteadman]

Well, I built his cage myself, so if I had to guess, there is a hole in the mesh screen somewhere, I just have to find it! And I can't go to his cage before I leave for work, because if I stick my hand in there he's on it immediately and fights like CRAZY when I try to put him back! I love that he enjoys being out and about, but he's starting to give me gray hair!

 

[squeekz1992]

Thats soo funny. He looks guilty in that pic lol

 

[Ashlovesem]

you are very lucky for that! mine will NOT come out without a fight! it makes me so sad because i love to hold her & she cant stand it!

 

[caseysteadman]

Just to let everyone know:

There was the tiniest hole in his screen that he was escaping through! It has been fixed, and we (here in the great landmass between Mobile and NOLA) have been Drogo escape free for almost 3 entire days now! Let's just hope we can get through the thunderstorms Issac will be sending our way without losing power!

 

[Carlton]

Reminds me of a wc male K. fischeri multi I rescued. Originally I put him on one side of a very large (about 5'x4'x4') heavily planted divided cage with a male wc T. deremensis on the other. I kept finding him across the barrier no matter how I tried to outsmart him. I wondered if he preferred the "other" side and switched them. However he'd just squeeze back onto the other side again. I finally noticed the deremensis didn't seem to care as he spent his time low in the foliage and the fischeri roamed the top near the lights. I removed the cage barrier and watched them closely for signs of stress. After a couple of weeks realized there was nothing going on between them. The two shared the cage peacefully for about 2 years. Even found them roosting on the same branch at night with their toes touching. Sometimes it works!