How to free range with other pets?

[burnedrose]

So, once I move out of my current place and back to California, I'd like to free range my chameleons. However, I do have a cat and my boyfriend does have a dog, so there is a potential for some nasty instances.

Is it possible to free range when you own other pets? If so, what do you do? How do you train your other pets that the chameleon is not food? Do you free range when at home and when away, keep it in a cage? Also, I am very much for keeping the natural hunting instincts in tact VS cup feeding or hand feeding. is there a way to do this with free range where I don't have a couple dozen crickets running all over the place?

 

[millerman6401]

usualy you will have a closed off "chameleon proof" room where the cham wont run away or get hurt if he does end up on the ground to explore or whetever. ive seen most cupfeed with free range crix

 

[jannb]

usualy you will have a closed off "chameleon proof" room where the cham wont run away or get hurt if he does end up on the ground to explore or whetever. ive seen most cupfeed with free range crix

Correct. You will need a safe area, like a room with a door, that's chameleon proof to free range.

 

[Syn]

If it isn't safe, don't do it.

Find a way to make a dog/cat-proof room, possibly by making a room off limits to the pets.

 

[justjumpit621]

I have had a run in with my dog and calais haha but my dog was not interested in tangling with him. my cat's pretty much leave them alone, but my chams are on a screen porch so my other pets only go out when i'm out there.

 

[burnedrose]

Well, the new place I was looking at has a hugggeeee walk-in closet and a smaller regular closet. I was thinking of dedicating one of them as a chameleon "room", but it still seems a bit not-free-range if I were to close him off. I was even debating of clearing out one of the closets in my current place and turning it into a cham closet...but half the stuff in there is my roommate's and I really don't want to be like "oh hay, so..ummm...can you move your stuff? My cham needs this space."

 

[summoner12]

The closet is a neat idea. You could install a screen door to allow ventilation and that way you could see your cham without leaving the door open and a potential disaster if you forgot the door was open.

We have free ranges all over our apt. so the dog as a kenel and shes only out of it if she is with us. She is a small dog, but chameleons make great squeeky toys. Even though shes showed almost no interest in the cham, I am not taking any chances.

Now cats, they are the ones you need to look out for. I think a cat will be more of an issue than a dog when it comes to free range chams. I say this as in, cats can jump and climb much better than a dog. So if the cat got some wild ideas for what he plans to have for dinner, he/she is more likely to get to your cham than a dog.

You just need to be extremely careful!

 

[thephotoprincess]

We had cats and they would not even leave the caged chameleons alone. They broke through 3 different cages. We finally decided that the cats would do better in a home with more room to play and no chameleons. The chameleons are relieved!

After months of trying to make it work and keeping rooms closed off and always worrying about a door being left open or the cats breaking down the door (they would throw themselves at closed doors - bad cats!) we now have peace AND free range chameleons.

I know people have both but it didn't work for us.

 

[dodolah]

Dogs can be trained to not bug chameleons. And, your chameleon will probably smart enough to stay at high elevation. I find my dogs has no interest whatsoever in chameleon. Cats, on the other hand, are liability. They are the only one in the animal kingdom that will kill just for fun.

So, my suggestion.. Lock the chameleon room and make sure the cats (and dogs) have no access to the room period...

 

[susieqff]

Dogs can be trained to not bug chameleons. And, your chameleon will probably smart enough to stay at high elevation. I find my dogs has no interest whatsoever in chameleon. Cats, on the other hand, are liability. They are the only one in the animal kingdom that will kill just for fun.

So, my suggestion.. Lock the chameleon room and make sure the cats (and dogs) have no access to the room period...

Absolutely. Cats....The best hunters. Never trust them. Dogs. Depends maybe what breed you have. I have labs. They have grown up with everything from turtles to Chams so they r used to everything and pay no attention but I still take precautions. Can never be too careful.

I like the closet idea.

 

[albert]

I have two overfed cats and they haven't even glanced at my new chameleon (had him for a month). He does stay in his cage though which is 3'L x 2' d x 5' h. I guess the cats are used to animals they can't get (lots of fish, snakes, skink, bearded dragons, red leg tortoise, turtles, tarantula). I even have a pet rat that got out a few times over night and the cats couldn't care less.

It was a lot of fun last time catching him, it took 3 hours.

 

[justjumpit621]

Because it is somewhat relevant to this thread, I thought I would post some pictures of mine

 

[okiroo]

BEAUTIFUL! what a pritty dog. and those eyes are stunning!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

My kitty would LOVE to "play" with any of the chams...it's nearly impossible to keep her away just while I'm trying to weigh them.

She knows better when I'm around (through trial and error), but she'd launch herself in a heartbeat to get one of them. In the big outside cage apparently my little jackson was on the bottom so his tail fell through the bottom mesh. She took a decent chomp of his tail before I could snatch her up. I felt so terrible! He had a few punctures and bruising but after a course of antibiotics (kitties have toxic saliva) and some time he healed up just great! I've heard stories of pet rats killing chameleons and they're not even predators. Oscar has crawled on my dog before and she didn't care at all but I would still never leave him unsupervised around her. If you want to have your chams out then all other pets must be completely out as well...the risk is just too high.

 

[justjumpit621]

BEAUTIFUL! what a pritty dog. and those eyes are stunning!

Thanks she's a Husky X Greyhound. She is so well behaved. She doesn't really mind the chams if they get in her path, they hiss at her and she walks away. But my cat's are funny. They sit there patting them while the chams lunge at them. I do shoo them away but they are declawed so i'm not super worried about a 2 second encounter.

 

[okiroo]

Thanks she's a Husky X Greyhound. She is so well behaved. She doesn't really mind the chams if they get in her path, they hiss at her and she walks away. But my cat's are funny. They sit there patting them while the chams lunge at them. I do shoo them away but they are declawed so i'm not super worried about a 2 second encounter.

i had a declawed kitty but something ate her :/ all my cats are now outdoor and fixed but not declawed. 6 to worry about dureing basking time. they look at them but than they look at me. haha. cant touch my chams!

 

[DavidBuchan]

Dogs can be trained to not bug chameleons. And, your chameleon will probably smart enough to stay at high elevation. I find my dogs has no interest whatsoever in chameleon. Cats, on the other hand, are liability. They are the only one in the animal kingdom that will kill just for fun.

So, my suggestion.. Lock the chameleon room and make sure the cats (and dogs) have no access to the room period...

Actually, ask any chicken farmer -foxes kill all the chickens, and take just one......I totally, 100% agree with your suggestion though (not worth the risk - certainly at first), but maybe gradually introduce them, always with people present
This thread got really interesting when you see dogs (and apparently even cats) who won't even threaten owners/keepers other animals......truly when humans really take over the world then the Lion will lie down with the Lamb

 

[Pilotman800]

For some reason the cat thats in my house has become interested in her new "hiding spot" in my room. Its the same room where I keep my cham, and I don't think the cat has even noticed my cham yet. My little guy is so well hidden in his umbrella plant.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

My Veiled spends a majority of his day Free ranging throughout different tree's in the house all connected in some way by vine, stick, or close range branches. He does this while a cat, and two dogs are free ranging themselves, a G pointer, and Great dane and a typical black and white house cat. Never have i ever remotely seen that cat take any interest in Lambeau, nor have the dogs looked even twice at him. Its very possible for them all to co exist, of course i recommend monitoring a scenario like mine or many others before leaving a unattended party.
We also have a Iguana who on seperate times will roam the house, he ha much respect from both the dogs and the cat being as he is way over 5 ft long, thick and can move his weight, this may play a factor into the furys leaving the scaleys alone

 

[EvilLost]

So, once I move out of my current place and back to California, I'd like to free range my chameleons. However, I do have a cat and my boyfriend does have a dog, so there is a potential for some nasty instances.

Is it possible to free range when you own other pets? If so, what do you do? How do you train your other pets that the chameleon is not food? Do you free range when at home and when away, keep it in a cage? Also, I am very much for keeping the natural hunting instincts in tact VS cup feeding or hand feeding. is there a way to do this with free range where I don't have a couple dozen crickets running all over the place?

I'd agree with others that you either have a "cham-proof" area they are free-ranged in, or you free-range only while you are around.

Personally speaking, I fully free-range my panther and I have a cat (I "try" to keep him in his enclosure, but as he has been growing he has begun to wander the entire house...I have come home to find him sitting on the couch next to my cat before). I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS. My cat is *VERY ABNORMAL* in that he does not harm a thing nor does he ever play (never chases stuff, never swats at stuff etc). He lets my birds land directly on him (who i also let free-fly under supervision). I have seen my cat go up to my chameleon when he's wandering on the couch or something and just sit there and watch him....


It took a little while and I did actively handle my chameleon with overt care while my cat was aware of his presecne when I first got him. I do believe that had something to do with it but of course I can't say for sure....