Going on vacation without cham, how to get him water constantly?!

[v639dragoon]

Hey guys,
I'm down in san Diego at college with my veiled cham. I normally hand mist him 5 times a day and he has a live ficus too. I'm going to be gone for 6 days for thanksgiving. No one will be able to mist him, all are going home.

How can I keep my cham hydrated for 6 days? I was thinking a dripper but i'm pretty sure it will run out before 6 days. Anyone have any tips on what I should do or experience?

Has anyone built something that connects to your computer and can be turned on and off via the Internet? Thanks!

For food I'm just going to put a bunch of worms and crickets in there.

 

[Dinky]

humidifer with a modified tank for extra watering time with a timer....or call marty up for a mist king or other comparable mister unit

 

[jannb]

You will have to have a cham sitter. You CAN NOT leave your guy alone for 6 days. There are other member here from San Diego. Just post a new thread in classifieds in the wanted section for a cham keeper for those dates and I'm sure someone will be glad to keep him.

 

[jake01]

I'm going to Orlando for a couple days this weekend and I'm having a friend who keeps Panther chameleons (not a forum member) with a key so he can stop by and fill the drippers/feed some crickets.

 

[hallenhe]

I've had a series of people from work over the years come by to keep an eye on things when I'm out of town; none have any chameleon experience (outside of my chams), and all have been able to put out fresh food, mist and water without incident. Five times a day is more than he'll need when you're out of town; a dripper filled daily and somebody to mist once a day is fine.
They can also take in your mail and keep an eye on your house for you.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

He'll be fine for six days alone.

I left my pair of veileds alone for 6-7 days at a time once or twice a year.

Just make sure you spray them more than usual before you leave, maybe feed them some grapes or something high in water content (any kind of melon would do well), if they will take it, aaaaaaaaaaaand leave either a dish of feeders in there with high moisture content - like horn worms.

The moisture in the bugs will be more than enough to keep him hydrated.

 

[beeze]

I wouldn't want to be your pet. Doesn't seems very humane and probably against the law here in the US to leave a pet alone for that amount of time.

 

[BocaJan]

I wouldn't listen to Brock. If you want to keep your chammy healthy either find someone to feed and wat4er it or take it with you. You are responsible for that animal 100%. It is in a cage and can't fend for itself. Don't even think of leaving it alone.

 

[v639dragoon]

Yeah, I don't want anything to happen to my cham at all. I'd be devastated if something did. That's why I was thinking of building an automated system controlled by my pc here. I could than use a remote desktop program of some type and control this computer from afar to control a misting system or food dispenser or even have a camera set up.
I just got him a new DIY 2x2x4 cage and spent like 5 hours setting it up. Anyone have any idea's for hour to build this automated system which can be controlled and monitored by a pc? Thanks!

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Almost all reptiles are designed to make the most of a meal, and moisture content plays a HUGE role in that. I think my 8 year old female veiled enjoyed the extra 3-4 years to her lifespan compared to most others in the hobby.

Chams can fend for themselves and will. If you can't find someone to take care of him for you, then like I said, just get some hornworms, butterworms are great too.

Dripper will be fine too, if you make it go veerrryyy slowly, one drip every several minutes to a larger leaf where it pools or collects, then that makes only a few days without water, not 6.

Do what you want, I'm just speaking from (successful) experience. Obviously setting up an automatic misting system is the best choice, but not necessary for just 6 days...

 

[v639dragoon]

Yeah I have some hornworms and butterworms. I'll let them roam around the cage probably and I'll set up a leaf so it collects/pools the water from the droplets. I heard that veiled chams are the hardiest of all the chams to.

 

[gmotdot]

MistKing!

A Habba Mist or similar won't last 6 days...

MistKing with a large pail (10L) set to run for 5 mins, 3 times a day will more than provide what your cham needs!

(And of course food!)

 

[summoner12]

You can buy a mist king if you are really worried.... Or like Brock said you could go 6 days with no water.............. But he might be a bit thirsty when you get home.

Top him off on fluids.... and when you get home shower him well.

Think about it... a WC is in the wild... who knows how long it has been since he got a good drink, he gets picked up, shipped around the world... Do ya think they are misting them and taking good care of the animal on its trip? NOPE. It is in a bag, in a box with many other chams and the conditions are not good. Then who knows how long it takes. here you have a cham that is well cared for and will have semi ideal conditions but no water or food. They are built to do this, because they liev in the wild. PLUS you are tlaking about a veiled. My vieled hardly ever eats.... I bet I could go two weeks without feeding him and he wouldn't miss a beat. (of course he is older... almost 2 years)

 

[veiledchamguy]

Almost all reptiles are designed to make the most of a meal, and moisture content plays a HUGE role in that. I think my 8 year old female veiled enjoyed the extra 3-4 years to her lifespan compared to most others in the hobby.

Chams can fend for themselves and will. If you can't find someone to take care of him for you, then like I said, just get some hornworms, butterworms are great too.

Dripper will be fine too, if you make it go veerrryyy slowly, one drip every several minutes to a larger leaf where it pools or collects, then that makes only a few days without water, not 6.

Do what you want, I'm just speaking from (successful) experience. Obviously setting up an automatic misting system is the best choice, but not necessary for just 6 days...

If I were you I would not offer this advice especially when you advise its ok to leave chams home for 6 days sheesh call it a week! The Original poster probably doesnt have a timer for the lights so therefore they would be left on 24/7 a huge detriment and stress to the cham...what if he did heed your advice and to come home to find out both his chams passed...would that be a (successful) experience?

 

[Cainschams]

LMFAO!!!! You guys are too funny. I agree with Brock and Kevin 100% Brock made great points to hydrate the cham very very well days before he is leaving and also to leave a slow dripper and high moisture content feeders in the cage. I think we all agree that the best thing to do is get someone to watch him and use these methods for a last ditch effort. Personally I wouldnt be worried about a veiled.

Great post Kevin!!

Think about it... a WC is in the wild... who knows how long it has been since he got a good drink, he gets picked up, shipped around the world... Do ya think they are misting them and taking good care of the animal on its trip? NOPE. It is in a bag, in a box with many other chams and the conditions are not good. Then who knows how long it takes. here you have a cham that is well cared for and will have semi ideal conditions but no water or food. They are built to do this, because they liev in the wild. PLUS you are tlaking about a veiled. My vieled hardly ever eats.... I bet I could go two weeks without feeding him and he wouldn't miss a beat. (of course he is older... almost 2 years)

Veiledchamguy. Your post is all assumptions. Provided this animal is a well established sub adult to adult there will would be no worries for me to leave it alone for that amount of time especially using Brocks advice.

 

[BocaJan]

Being a senior on here means you have been here awhile and listened to all the advice people have given. I can't believe you are actually encouraging him to leave his chameleon alone for 6 days. Being in a cage is totally different than being outside where they can lick dew off leaves and catch some bugs when they get hungry.

I am saddened that you can take responsibility for something but yet think so little of it you would leave it for 6 days.

 

[jannb]

Being a senior on here means you have been here awhile and listened to all the advice people have given. I can't believe you are actually encouraging him to leave his chameleon alone for 6 days. Being in a cage is totally different than being outside where they can lick dew off leaves and catch some bugs when they get hungry.

I am saddened that you can take responsibility for something but yet think so little of it you would leave it for 6 days.

I agree! They are like little babies depending on us to take care of them and make the right choices. I would not leave any pet alone even for a weekend and chams are more delicate than most pets. He could get sick, suffer and die and be dead for days before you even found him. Veileds get sick and die all the time. I see more sick and dying veileds on this forums than anyother chameleon.

 

[bridgofaith]

I agree! They are like little babies depending on us to take care of them and make the right choices. I would not leave any pet alone even for a weekend and chams are more delicate than most pets. He could get sick suffer and die and be dead for days before you even found him. Veileds get sick and die all the time. I see more sick and dying veileds on this forums than anyother chameleon.

I agree as well. Irresponsible pet ownership.

 

[ciafardo 4]

I agree! They are like little babies depending on us to take care of them and make the right choices. I would not leave any pet alone even for a weekend and chams are more delicate than most pets. He could get sick, suffer and die and be dead for days before you even found him. Veileds get sick and die all the time. I see more sick and dying veileds on this forums than anyother chameleon.

No offense jann but being a senior on here ain't worth the paper its printed on. I've seen seniors on here that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.

 

[ciafardo 4]

Oh and by the way animals are not like babies period!If my chameleon dies of dehydration i won't have criminal charges brought against me for child abuse.