New Baby Veiled what to do about cage

[Lindseyj66]

Well yesterday i got a new chameleon and my day didn't go as planned i was supposed to get a male between 6 months to a year and ended up with a female of undetermined age (she is about 2-3 inches) so maybe 2 months?? anyway my cage is a 2 foot by 2 foot by 4 foot tall cage. Most baby chameleon would be overwhelmed by this right? my little girl, named her Cleopatra, doesn't seem to be but, do you guys think that i should put her into a smaller cage until she gets bigger or do you think that as long as she doesn't act stressed this cage is ok??

 

[babyjoe]

I would put her in that cage it'll be fine they have no boundaries in the wild and they do fine.check out resources at the top of the page for care sheets there great also being female you'll need to read up in setting a laying bin in the future I believe there's,a link in the care,sheet.also with the big cage it would be a good idea to set up a feeding cup in a place that's visible to her where she spends most of her time.if you type sprite bottle feeder into the search option you'll find a good thread on that

 

[LazardLizard]

As long as there are MULTIPULE avenues of travel and cover to top, bottom, and all sides, I wouldn't worry about it. That being said, you will also have to watch and make sure she is finding food and eating it as well as she knows where to find water. If you see her doing her thing with no issues..... let it be.

 

[Lindseyj66]

she has passed by the food cup multiple times but hasnt eaten yet, but she has drank fluids ive only had her 24 hrs and ive heard it can take up to 4 days for a new chameleon to feel settled enough to eat. I have to leave the house for school tomorow would it be fine if i put around 5 crickets in her cup all day even though i wont be here to watch her? in case maybe shell decide to eat when no ones watching

 

[JohnDoe]

she has passed by the food cup multiple times but hasnt eaten yet, but she has drank fluids ive only had her 24 hrs and ive heard it can take up to 4 days for a new chameleon to feel settled enough to eat. I have to leave the house for school tomorow would it be fine if i put around 5 crickets in her cup all day even though i wont be here to watch her? in case maybe shell decide to eat when no ones watching

That should be fine i would possibly put more in there i believe new babies should eat as much as they can many times a day so maybe more crickets will entice her more

 

[Lindseyj66]

That should be fine i would possibly put more in there i believe new babies should eat as much as they can many times a day so maybe more crickets will entice her more

ok thank you will try also, is it normal for alot of feeder insects to die right away??i bought about 150 and had about 20+ die i think last night

 

[JohnDoe]

ok thank you will try also, is it normal for alot of feeder insects to die right away??i bought about 150 and had about 20+ die i think last night

Yeah mostly but making sure you properly gutload and clean the cricket enclosure will keep them from dieing off.

 

[FabrizioHC]

The main problem with babies and large cages is food. But I think you mentioned you plan on cup feeding her, so the food will always be in one spot. Just make sure she has enough food and get the temperatures as accurate as you can, mist her, give her the needed supplements, and she should be totally fine.

 

[Lindseyj66]

The main problem with babies and large cages is food. But I think you mentioned you plan on cup feeding her, so the food will always be in one spot. Just make sure she has enough food and get the temperatures as accurate as you can, mist her, give her the needed supplements, and she should be totally fine.

The problem im having is that she shows no interest in the cup and doesnt seem to notice foods in it, i dont think shes been cup fed before so im not sure what to do

 

[LazardLizard]

2 of the newbies I have aquired are the same way with the cup, so i just threw the crickets in and watched from time to time. 1 ran for them with no problem, the other is slow and stealthy, but still nails them.

Let nature take its course and see what the baby does, toss the crickets in and watch.

 

[FabrizioHC]

The problem im having is that she shows no interest in the cup and doesnt seem to notice foods in it, i dont think shes been cup fed before so im not sure what to do

Well, she doesn't know what's in the cup.

What you should try is grab the cup and show it to her until she starts showing interest in it. For all she knows a predator might be hiding in there, so that is why she shows no interest. You might want to try hand feeding her as well so she gets acclimated to you.

Here's some reference to how you can do it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNcEBipc1sA

 

[Lindseyj66]

So after 5 days of her not eating from the cup i just put a cricket on a leaf in front of her and she ate it and repeated this until all tenish crickets were gone! she was like finally!!! so i think i was right about her not liking the cup because she ate fine when she saw the food, so now i just have to take the time and feed her lol, ill still have the cup up but i moved it to the area where she ate the 10 crickets and does most of her basking so well see what happens

 

[Decadancin]

Welcome to the forums! So far you've gotten some good advice. I would suggest posting a picture of her enclosure so we could offer some suggestions. Make sure there is a vine above the feeding cup so throughout her travels she will notice the movement. Also, at that age, since you are feeding smaller crickets, you could easily just let some free in the enclosure. Just make sure there are no puddles around the bottom. (Crickets don't need a swimming pool ) The only issue there is if the crickets can get out you may not be able to judge how much she is eating. Also, if you post a picture of her we can give you an idea of her age. Best of luck with your little girl and once again, welcome to the forums!!!