Is it cruel?

[ronnie]

When i put Trixxi on the inside of my window sill to bask in the sun she will "paw" at the window...i was watching her today for a good 5 min and i felt kinda sad .....she was looking out at the trees swaying in the wind and i felt sorry for her.....do you think this is healthy for her or maybe(inadvertently)i am being cruel(showing her want she can't have!)

 

[dodolah]

Ronnie, uvb cannot pass plastic or glass. Therefore, he does not exactly benefit from basking that way (except for heat).
You want her to bask and enjoy the real benefit of the sun, then either take her outside or open the window.

 

[ronnie]

I don't want to open the window as there are loads of cats where we live and i wouldn't want to take a risk(even a small one)with one making a grab for her(the man next door keeps pigeons and he has lost 5 in the last month)to the local killing machines....cats!i let her bask there because she seems to like the heat...i have taken her outside a few times and held her in my hand but she was mad to run off and i would be paranoid about crows when i am holding her!......do you think it is cruel to let her see out the window?

 

[Lbbkinght]

Mine

My chameleon also used to do this, so I bought a plant, chameleon safe, that was strong enough to support his weight, and put it by the window. Now he will sit and look out the window for hours. He seems happy with his plant.

 

[dodolah]

Do you have some kind of a screen cage to put her in while basking outside that will protect her from crows and cats? -of course, that still mean you should monitor her/ or perhaps bring that cage inside and open the window and let the sun cast its light on the cage.
And, as far as the window thing, some chameleon might get stress overtime due to that. So, i wouldn't do it often.
If you gonna do it for heat only then just use a heat bulb inside the comfort of her cage.
Otherwise, i see no reason why you would put her into the situation knowing that she would reap the same benefit from just being in her cage.

I would, however, suggest for you to put her outside (when weather allows).
The benefit of sunlight on our chameleon is wonderful!

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Chameleons benifit form basking in filtered sun, if only that they seem to prefer it. They'll bask in bright filtered sun before they sit under a bulb. Might not get that UVB to them, but they seem to prefer it to a bulb.

 

[ronnie]

Thanks for the reply guys....shes still sitting there now.....doesn't seem to want to go back inside viv!!

 

[jojackson]

Not cruel, its not longing to go out there, it just dosent understand the invisible barrier.
The only cruelty might be if you allow it to overheat due to magnified/intensified sunlight through the glass. Be careful of that.
As pointed out its only getting heat on the window sill, it needs to get out there for UV exposure.


P.S looks like a nice sunny spot, I wouldnt want to go back either!

 

[eisentrauti]

Couldn't come UVB through plexiglass ?

 

[Miss Lily]

Could you somehow rig some fly screen up to the window? Or buy/make a cage for outside? Lily used to love being outside in her sunbathing cage. It was my male suggies old cage. I added some rope branches and dowelling for perches and a large ficus and she loved it!

 

[jojackson]

No, im sure plexigass/plastics would filter Uv also Ben. Flyscreen at the window is a great idea.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99272.htm

The above link does say some 'pure' plexiglass will allow uv penetration but not to what extent. I think you have to be able to test a few scrap peices of different thikness with a uv meter.

Note though that if its highly polished and verticle as it would be in your window, there will be considerable 'bounce'/reflectivity
I would think. Depending on the angle of the sun on it, and ofcourse the intensity of the sun aswell.

 

[ronnie]

Here are some new pictures of Trixxi out and about today in the garden....when she was on the grass she moved a lot faster than i thought she could,tail up in the air and on the prowl

 

[Miss Lily]

You've got her an outside cage then?! Bet she loves it out there! Those pics on the grass remind me so much of Lily in the daisies. It's amazing how they bask so differently in real sunlight! Lovely pics Ronnie!

 

[ronnie]

You've got her an outside cage then?! Bet she loves it out there! Those pics on the grass remind me so much of Lily in the daisies. It's amazing how they bask so differently in real sunlight! Lovely pics Ronnie!

Yeah....i thought that too(about Miss Lily)when i looked back at the picture...the cage i had her on is the bird cage.....i have some exo-terra vines and fake leaves on top of it and she sits on it and basks and she will use it to climb on to the window sill(i use bamboo with garden twine wrapped around it)and tie it to the side so she can climb down onto the sill....works so far so good...but i'm seriously thinking about knocking up a outside enclosure for her...nothing to fancy(not likely with my D.I.Y skills...LOL

 

[Miss Lily]

Yeah....i thought that too(about Miss Lily)when i looked back at the picture...the cage i had her on is the bird cage.....i have some exo-terra vines and fake leaves on top of it and she sits on it and basks and she will use it to climb on to the window sill(i use bamboo with garden twine wrapped around it)and tie it to the side so she can climb down onto the sill....works so far so good...but i'm seriously thinking about knocking up a outside enclosure for her...nothing to fancy(not likely with my D.I.Y skills...LOL

Sounds like my DIY skills then! If I ever manage to make Amy's new cage it'll be a miracle, lol! Could you actually use the bird cage? They don't tend to roam around much outside (well Lily didn't). They usually just sit and soak up the sun. You could buy a flexarium for outside use.

 

[ronnie]

Flexarium?where would i get one of those?i thought maybe using a bit of 2x4 wood and making a tall structure and wrapping mesh around it!!(maybe a bit more technical than that!)....she mainly sits on top of the bird cage(much to fiddly trying to get her out of it!)

 

[Miss Lily]

Your idea will probably work, but you'll need to make it secure and don't forget the door! There are some flexariums on ebay.