Friendliness

[mirrinias]

Hi again. Jean-Luc is getting progressively more unfriendly, and in the past few days he's started to lunge at me when I put my hand in the cage! Before, he would hiss sometimes, but not every time. He hasn't handfed since day 2 of me having him. I've had him for about 5 weeks now.

I'd really like to have him associate me with food, and come out voluntarily on my hand, but I'm a bit clueless on what steps to take. He definitely won't take food out of my hand at all, and I feel that he wouldn't unless he was pretty hungry. But I don't want to starve him!

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Nate135]

Have u tried cup feeding? By putting insects in a cup and putting the cup into his cage, ur cham might begin to associate u with the food he gets. Hopefully causing him to get excited wen u near his cage because hes hoping u have a snack for him. Hopefully that would lead to him allowing u to hold him. Just a thought

 

[mirrinias]

Right now I have a "cricket feeder", which is a bottle cut with the front open and mesh on the back and bottom to encourage the crickets to climb. Everyday I throw in the crickets and he comes over and catches them. If I were to cup-feed, how should I hold the cup? Should I just put the cup in and let him eat out of it, or hold the cup in my hand and show him the crickets?

 

[froggielog]

jean-luc.....XD I love that!

How old is he?

 

[mirrinias]

He is approaching 6 months in 2 weeks.

 

[showjet95]

Its a veiled. Its hit or miss with them either being nasty and mean or friendly and calm. You lucked out

 

[creddjobs]

It takes time a patience! He will come around eventually. If he doesnt, then thats just the way it is... Good luck!

 

[froggielog]

Have you tried hand feeding with worms? I would never hold the roaches or crickets, so I always used worms to get them used to me. Wax worms are usually a good treat

 

[Carlton]

He is approaching 6 months in 2 weeks.

He's approaching the "terrible teen" years. Hormones are starting to affect his mood now and he's trying to convince himself that he IS king of his turf. Many chams start to mellow out again after maturity but that is totally hard to predict.

 

[mirrinias]

He's approaching the "terrible teen" years. Hormones are starting to affect his mood now and he's trying to convince himself that he IS king of his turf. Many chams start to mellow out again after maturity but that is totally hard to predict.

Good to know. Maybe I'll pick up some waxworms as a treat to make him a little happier. Would it be wise to completely stop handling him except cage cleaning days? Up until now, he's been handled every day for 15-30 minutes, and he usually chooses to spend that time in the window plant.

 

[Wykd]

I would:

• continue to use the cricket feeder
• do not pick him up or touch him, approach slowly from the front lower area and let him decide when he wants to step onto your finger.
• Get some tongs- i have yellow ones. I make sue he sees that tong put the crickets in the feeder. I also will slightly crunch a cricket with the tongs * not kill - but slow the cricket* and place it near them so they can see it move.
• Just clean and feed and dont make eye contact with him other than the 1 attempt daily to extend your hand to him slowly

I make sure to offer him the crippled cricket before putting the others in the feeder. He has not ate yet so will be more readily accepting of it. I would just make that 1 attempt to let him come to you and from then out dont make eye contact with him. He may think ur eyeing him for dinner.

 

[froggielog]

Good to know. Maybe I'll pick up some waxworms as a treat to make him a little happier. Would it be wise to completely stop handling him except cage cleaning days? Up until now, he's been handled every day for 15-30 minutes, and he usually chooses to spend that time in the window plant.

IMO,I wouldn't stop handling all together, if it gets to the point that he would rather make a flying leap off your hand instead of sitting there or climbing around then I would stop, for his safety. But just for a few minutes a day is good and on a free range plant thing too.

 

[Preekoo]

My male veiled started to do the same thing, hissen at me all the time or tryen to hide from me. I started hand feeding all his worms and giving him space to chill out. Then i got some fake ficus trees, found a broken in half one which has really come to my use. Put the broken half on the shower floor and let some kinda hot water spray on the side of the shower wall and let it bounce on to him while he's on the tree. That will improve their mood alot. It made my guy really happy and he has stoped hissen at me as much. And I put him on a non broken ficus tree and set his lamps up next to it and he just chills on that most of the day. I'm also waiten for a good day to let him get in his outdoor setup I made him. If you want a cham that will get use to you, go the extra mile for em.

 

[mirrinias]

Could he shower with me, across the tub, on his plant? Would that make it too scary for him? I'm home all day tomorrow, but it's cleaning day which tends to be stressful anyway and I leave him alone except for cleaning on those days.

 

[Preekoo]

Just whenever you have some spare time to kill, take 10 mins or so and just keep an eye on him. He should be fine. The water needs to be a lil hot, not warm but hot. Because the water cools down by the time it gets to him.

 

[blackened]

Good to know. Maybe I'll pick up some waxworms as a treat to make him a little happier. Would it be wise to completely stop handling him except cage cleaning days? Up until now, he's been handled every day for 15-30 minutes, and he usually chooses to spend that time in the window plant.

Just make sure the waxworms are a treat because (nutritionally speaking) they are one of the worst feeders.

Very high in phosphorus. I believe a Ca ratio of about 1:7 (I'd try to calcium dust these, maybe get their back a little wet so the dust sticks), and very fatty too.

 

[mirrinias]

Of course -- as I said, as a treat. I'd prefer to get him some butterworms, as they're a real food and I know he likes them, but shipping is a tad expensive for me to do that right now.