First day - won't eat

[modernjamie]

Hi all,

I just got my baby panther chameleon this morning. He seems to be fine and been moving around in his new enclosure.

I kept him separate from my cats and isolated in a room for him to relax. After several hours, I went in to check on him and he started shedding and he was half way done. I read that chameleons should be fed on the first day so I put some dusted crickets in a plastic cup and offered to him. I think he can see them but he won't eat. I tried to offer a few times but he started closing his eyes (is it due to the stress?), so I stopped.

Is it common to not eat on the first day? I'm very worried.

Also, I misted warm water in his cage, trying to avoid misting directly on him. Do chameleons get stressed if they get misted on their body?

Any tips and advice helps. Thanks!

 

[melmelion]

most chameleons dont eat when they are brand new, give him about a day and try feeding him again. Yes chameleons do get stressed when sprayed at. how old is your boy? if he is very young and shedding in a new habitat that is strange. he might have been scared of your hand in the cage. try leaving a cup of crickets for him to check out. when chameleons close their eyes it is usually discomfort, stress, or illness.

hope this helped a bit!

 

[Kath44]

Some don't eat when they're shedding, add to this he is somewhere new. Leave the cup with crickets in and leave him be. He may eat when you're not looking. Remove any crickets before lights out if he hadn't eaten and try again tomorrow.
Some don't like being misted, some do. Mine changes his mind, depending on what kind of day he's having. Sometimes will move away from being misted, sometimes staying put and allowing it.
Check out the caresheets on the site. Kath.

 

[modernjamie]

most chameleons dont eat when they are brand new, give him about a day and try feeding him again. Yes chameleons do get stressed when sprayed at. how old is your boy? if he is very young and shedding in a new habitat that is strange. he might have been scared of your hand in the cage. try leaving a cup of crickets for him to check out. when chameleons close their eyes it is usually discomfort, stress, or illness.

hope this helped a bit!

Thank you both for the comments! I attached a clear plastic cup on the screen wall with some crickets in it and he shot his tongue and tried to eat them from outside. Now, I put some duck tape on the cup so he can't see the crickets from outside. I have no doubt that he will eat now. Thanks for the advice!

He is very young (3-4 month old). Is it strange to shed in the new environment? How come?

 

[Ferrah88]

He is very young (3-4 month old). Is it strange to shed in the new environment? How come?

Shedding in a new environment isn't strange at all, but it can cause him to lose his appetite! I think that's all they were trying to say. Both are factors that might cause a cham to stop eating temporarily, and both together must really be uncomfortable to the little guy!

As the others have mentioned though, don't worry about him not eating right away. Even if he is really young, he can do fine without eating for a couple of days! It took Midori almost a week to eat her first meal with us, so I know how scary it can seem (I thought she was sick, turns out she was just getting used to her new surroundings).

Good luck with your new little guy

 

[modernjamie]

Shedding in a new environment isn't strange at all, but it can cause him to lose his appetite! I think that's all they were trying to say. Both are factors that might cause a cham to stop eating temporarily, and both together must really be uncomfortable to the little guy!

As the others have mentioned though, don't worry about him not eating right away. Even if he is really young, he can do fine without eating for a couple of days! It took Midori almost a week to eat her first meal with us, so I know how scary it can seem (I thought she was sick, turns out she was just getting used to her new surroundings).

Good luck with your new little guy

Thank you for the helpful tips! I try not to enter his room and stare at him for a long time because I do not want to stress him out. I hope though he eats soon

 

[allysonandleonardo]

My baby girl started shedding when i got her too and my mom read on some website that shedding makes them itchy and spraying them with warm water helps their skin feel better, but in the mornings she gets really cranky and gets mad and stressed when i do any thing, even when i brush my teeth lol