Help, having trouble cleaning my chameleon cage :(

[LoveKebab]

So I have a chameleon thats about 5-6 months old, I just got him a new reptarium and I've been having massive troubles cleaning it.

The issue isn't so much the cage itself, but my chameleon seems to be absolutely frightened of me and I can't seem to get him out of their so that I'm able to clean it as well as I should.

I've read they don't like to be handled and that it can stress them out to the point of death, but I'm not sure how to get him to ease up to me? He's only about 6 inches long now and runs everytime I try to grab him.

I try setting my hand in front of and below him in hopes that he will just walk on it with no luck, and if I get to close he just runs off.

Should I just start carefully grabbing him out of their once or twice a day till he eases up to me???

I'm not looking to handle him or have him out all of the time, but at the same time I want to make sure he stays healthy.

And tips or advice would be much appreciated

 

[draetish]

First of all if you are afraid and jerking your hand back, that will freak him out. If you really need to clean the cage now, put a stick or something he can climb on in his cage and leave the door open and see if he will come out on his own. If not, hold the stick under his chest and use your other hand and go behind him to try to get him on the stick. Make sure you have a place for him high up once you get him out. You can let him fall asleep and then put him back in. The best way I found to take them out with your hand is to go palm up from behind and scoop him on your palm. Make sure he has something to hold onto while in your hand like a stick or tree limb. If you have time, start hand feeding him and see if he will calm down when you put your hand in his cage.

 

[LoveKebab]

Thanks for the advice, I'm not afraid of him what so ever, but he seems to completely run off if I get too close

Whats the best way to hand feed him? Everytime I try and use crickets they either jump outta my hand or wobble so much they break their own leg off. I can basically get my hand right under his head without him running off, but he never seems to climb off, but the way the cage is setup its pretty difficult to get completely under him.

And I can still clean his cage well enough to where its not an immediate problem, its just something that I know will be an issue in the future, and I'd rather him not hate me now, then when he's big and has bigger teeth

 

[jeanjacket812]

If I need to take mine out I wait till hes on the Scheffelra and I take it out with him on it then he will chill on the plant while I do what I need to do in the cage.

 

[draetish]

If I need to take mine out I wait till hes on the Scheffelra and I take it out with him on it then he will chill on the plant while I do what I need to do in the cage.

That's even better. I hold a cricket by the butt, it let's them move their front legs to get the chams attention. Don't squeeze too hard though.

 

[Carlton]

Is there a nice big houseplant around that you can use as a temporary perch while he's out? What about a big silk leaved fake Ficus? You can set it in the shower so you don't lose track of him. Once he knows there is an OK place to visit while out of the cage it will help calm him down. Chams have very detailed visual memories of "safe" places.

Yes, using a perch and your hand to "coax" him where you want him to go helps a lot. Chams freak if something comes at them from above so don't grab him by the body. Even if he does bite you it won't be serious...more startling than anything. Most gaping and threats are bluffs. If you absolutely have to get him and he won't cooperate at all, try turning his lights off, covering the cage, and let him cool down first. He will be slow and sleepy then.

 

[AReptile]

I just pick up the plant that he is perched on and take the whole thing out and put it in a cardboard box. I put my hand underneath him when i'm lifting it just in case he falls. Last night i had to remove the paper towels from his enclosure and i got him out the way i just described and he slept through the whole thing lol. Maybe try when he's sleeping perched? if he doesn't wake up easily that could be your ticket to cleaning it.

 

[mokhok]

i have a similar problem, but whenever i enter the room, he scrambles up to the tallest vine at the back of the enclosure. i tried using a stick, but he is the most scared i could have imagined and bit the stick multiple times. it would be difficult to remove the entire vine that he goes on when i enter the room, because the rest of the vine is either behind or underneath pretty much everything in the cage. he also doesnt like being hand fed, and is a very light sleeper.

 

[Elizadolots]

Can you just unzip the mesh and take if off the frame? I know you'd have to do that when there weren't any free feeders, but it's not like your chameleon would suddenly run away. Shake the mesh out outside and then run it through the wash. Voila. I have to do this soon because Spike has left a few "happy boy trails" on his mesh.

 

[Tputtwhatwhat]

My Cham is relatively scared of me too, and consequently spends a lot of time in the thick cover of his hanging pothos. If those of you that are having trouble getting your chams out of their enclosures don't have a hanging plant currently, then you could try getting one. My Cham feels safe when on his, and it's easy to remove. He never puts up a fight when I take it out, then I just put it right back, and he stays put the whole time. Hope that helps.