Food escaping

[abcatgirl]

Hello, it's been a very long time since I've been on the forum but I'm back for now.

My veiled chameleon (male, 15 months) is currently healthy but I'm having problems getting his food to stay in the cups. He is fed crickets, superworms, mealworms, calciworms/BSFL, and butterworms every other day + occasional waxworms. In order to feed him I put the worms in two birdseed cups meant for parakeets (about 2" wide, 2.5" deep) on each side of his cage. Cage is made of wire and they are now able to climb out and get to the bottom of the cage where they are left alone and not eaten. How do I get them to stay in?

Another concern is that I haven't seen my chameleon eating lately. I know he IS eating, but I haven't seen him going around and eating his crickets or his worms. I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill because I am very busy during the day and can't really monitor him constantly. Any advice?

 

[Remkon]

It's pretty easy to make your feeder-cup...
Just google images 'cup feed chameleon'

Lots of em are made from the plastic milk jugs.
I made a smaller one out of a plastic soup bowl I got from takeaway Chinese.

Just be creative and take a cup or jug that isn't transparent.

If you need inspiration I can upload a picture of what I made later...

 

[LanceLee]

some chameleons just don't like eating out of cups and dishes. he might prefer them roaming about and hunting them. my chameleons will get to the bottom of the cage if the preys are there, but crickets usually climb to the upper parts of the cage.

if you are worried if your chameleon is eating or not, you might consider installing a cheap wifi video cam and monitor the cage off-site.

 

[Remkon]

some chameleons just don't like eating out of cups and dishes. he might prefer them roaming about and hunting them. my chameleons will get to the bottom of the cage if the preys are there, but crickets usually climb to the upper parts of the cage.

if you are worried if your chameleon is eating or not, you might consider installing a cheap wifi video cam and monitor the cage off-site.

This is also considered cup feeding (photo thanks to whomever uploaded it ), and you can hang the 'cup' up high and hang a branch close to it:

 

[ZaydPulskamp]

Do I have to do either cup feeding or free range? can I just feed my baby all hand fed?

 

[ZaydPulskamp]

This is also considered cup feeding (photo thanks to whomever uploaded it ), and you can hang the 'cup' up high and hang a branch close to it:

Do I have to do either cup feeding or free range? can I just feed my baby all hand fed?

 

[Remkon]

Do I have to do either cup feeding or free range? can I just feed my baby all hand fed?

if he takes handfeeding you can but I would also cupfeed since it can be handy if your cham is used to it for when you go on holiday and you want to leave some food or when you just don't have alot of time to hand feed (my cham is very slow taking food from the tongs).

I'd prefer cup before free range because it limits the amount of insects running lose that can possibly escape into your home and also the amount of insect corpses in the enclosure.

Also don't expect him to understand the cup straight away.

 

[abcatgirl]

Thank you all! I will probably use that jug/wire feeder idea, will keep you updated.

 

[abcatgirl]

This is also considered cup feeding (photo thanks to whomever uploaded it ), and you can hang the 'cup' up high and hang a branch close to it:

How big is the bottle?

 

[Remkon]

How big is the bottle?

I don't know, It's not my cupfeeder... I'd get like a quarter galon bottle if there are any. Otherwise just a milk jug

 

[abcatgirl]

Before I make it I have been looking at some other feeders. This one appears to be for geckos but do you think it would work?

 

[Remkon]

While some chameleons may learn to go to the bottom of the enclosure to eat I think they prefer to 'hunt' up high.

So you can try it but it's no guarantee it will work.

 

[Rayzilla]

But be careful about letting it fill with water from misting or dripping. I have heard that it is possible for chams to drown in deep water.

 

[Peachypink]

Before I make it I have been looking at some other feeders. This one appears to be for geckos but do you think it would work?
View attachment 163594View attachment 163595

Both dubia roaches and crickets will escape from that

 

[abcatgirl]

Yes, he does like to eat up by the basking lamp, and the crickets have free roam around his cage anyway. Probably would work if I could get it up higher, and water wouldn't get in it that way.

So I probably won't use this one. Does anyone have suggestions of names of the feeders they use or recommend?