Scratching at the ceiling-driving me crazy!!

[Psychobunny]

Smidget is a very small, but full grown veiled male.
He is about half the size of a normal veiled his age, though he is perfectly healthy and active.

Anyway, I figured, due to his small size, he could live fine in a 18 x 18 x 36'' screen cage.
He seems to have enough room to move around, but he has a habit that is driving me crazy.

He hangs unside down, directly under the UVB, and scratches at the screen, as though he is trying to dig his way out. He only does this to the ceiling, and always under the UVB.
I checked the bulb with my Solarmeter (bulb is less then 6 months, and it's a Arcadia HO 6%), and it's fine. So I know he is getting the proper amount of UVB.

He scratches for hours, every day!! I can hear it in my room, he just keeps at it.

Why is he doing it?
He also beggs to be let out, by climbing on the door when he see's me, so I let him out to the free range.

I have a larger cage in storage, a 24 x 24 x 48'', plus I ordered another X-large (same size) from LLL Reptile.

Do you think he needs the bigger cage?

Smeagol, my other veiled, is in a X-large cage, he does not scratch the ceiling, but he does beg to be let out when he see's me enter the room by scratching at the door.

I will need to go and cut some tree branches to fit the x-large cage, but I have everything else I need to set one up, except the drain pan.

Do you think moving him to the x-large cage will stop his continual ceiling scratching?

Sorry for the long winded post

 

[Fogerty]

You are more knowledgeable than I , Oh wise Psychobunny ,but my educated guess is that he craves natural sunlight, and wants to get closer to it. I would bet that the behavior would continue regardless. does he like to go outside?

 

[Sundragon]

I have no experience with this but my two cents would be: why not try?

 

[fleetwoodchams]

You are more knowledgeable than I , Oh wise Psychobunny ,but my educated guess is that he craves natural sunlight, and wants to get closer to it. I would bet that the behavior would continue regardless. does he like to go outside?

Fog,

You hit this right on the head.
Memphis my year old Ambilobe loves to be held. But loves loves to go outside even more!
He has a habit of climbing the cage door when he sees me,
but since it's gotten nice out and we go outside often, he now has started doing exactly what Bunny describes. Climbing upside down right under the light and scratching to get out.
I have the light suspended (not laying directly on his cage) but it is close enough that I am going to move it up today so he doesn't get too much UVB
Bunny, all I can say is we have created little monsters by giving them love attention and freedom.
Could be worse : )

 

[junglefries]

Several of mine do that (male and female). You spoiled him by letting him out or giving him a 'treat', now that is what he wants. Several of mine want out and one male veil wants superworms. And he wants them NOW! Congrats. You have joined the 'spoiled brats' club. Welcome. Dues are due at the first of every month, promptly!

 

[Psychobunny]

Actually, he hates going outside!
and when I bring him back in, he still scratches on the roof of the cage.

It does seem like that is the answer though, sure sounds logical.

Maybe he will get used to going out. I really should take him out more then i do anyway.

He may also think going to the light is a way to escape?!
He does scratch at the door, maybe, that failing, he scratches going up to find his way out?!

Who can tell what goes on it their little cham brains

 

[Olimpia]

I've never had a ceiling scratcher, but I'd move him into the larger cage anyway. It may be a matter of him looking for more height, especially if the cage is sitting on something at hip level, he may be trying to get up high for safety. The extra foot of height may help with that, along with the increased space over-all.

 

[Psychobunny]

I've never had a ceiling scratcher, but I'd move him into the larger cage anyway. It may be a matter of him looking for more height, especially if the cage is sitting on something at hip level, he may be trying to get up high for safety. The extra foot of height may help with that, along with the increased space over-all.

I'm thinking about that too, maybe he wants to be higher up.
After all, the free range is above his cage!

Anyway, he gets a bigger home regardless, I have already planed it out.

 

[Olimpia]

Oooh that might be it. If he sees "greener pastures" higher up he may be trying to reach them. It's natural, after all, so he might be sitting there baffled as to why he can't climb up to those tempting free range vines!

 

[Psychobunny]

It could be that, he doesnt really need to see it to know it's up there.
And like I said, he is always begging to be let out.

I wish I could figure a way to just leave him out, no cage.

But all my other guys beg to come out too!!
Cant just turn them all loose

Maybe the bigger cage will help!?

But Smeagol is in a big cage, and he still begs like crazy to come out!!

I have some very spoiled brats

 

[fleetwoodchams]

It could be that, he doesnt really need to see it to know it's up there.
And like I said, he is always begging to be let out.

I wish I could figure a way to just leave him out, no cage.

But all my other guys beg to come out too!!
Cant just turn them all loose

Maybe the bigger cage will help!?

But Smeagol is in a big cage, and he still begs like crazy to come out!!

I have some very spoiled brats

Sometimes if we can't go outside because of bad weather I just leave the cage doors open(with my supervision of course). This seems to make them chill out a bit. No one ever climbs out (yet) They just sit there and look at me like " Now that's what I'm talkin' about? " LOL
Like Olympia said they have a sense of freedom.
But in Bunny's case he'll probably head right for the free-range.

 

[junglefries]

cage height....breeding season??????

Before moving him to larger cage... how high is is cage off the ground. To meet the 6ft rule, if he is in a 3' tall cage, his stand would need to be 3' tall. I don't know your height of your stand, but i would try raising his cage first. However, realistically i feel it may not help. The good news is the scratching seems to be periodically. Kinda like panther males chewing on branches. Also, he could be looking for a female. Both sexes can become restless when it is breeding time. Now is the season. Veils DEFINITELY seem a little more aggressive at wanting to get to do the nasty.

 

[Psychobunny]

Well, his cage is on a table, I would say, about 28'' high. Add the cage, and highest spot he can get, and that would be about 58'' high.
But his old cage is worn out anyway, have to keep patching holes, and corrosion forming around the bottom frame, so instead of replacing it with the same size, I decided to give hime a larger one.

When I got home from work yesterday afternoon, he was not scratching.
When he see's me, he parks himself dead center, and an inch from the cage, and he just stares at me. If I move to his cage, he gets excitted and reaches his little arms out expecting me to open the door, and let him out.

But all my chams do something like that.
If I let one out, then they all scratch and climb the door begging to come out.

I have to be careful letting out more then one at a time.

My oldest veiled is very territorial, and will attack any other cham on the free range. So when he is out, everyone else has to be safely locked up

 

[junglefries]

The arm thing gets me. My male nosy be and a male blue bar always do that. At first, it is like hold me. Then you realize, they are reaching for anything to climb on. Big googly eyes, tiny arms, big poopers, etc... weird little creatures, aren't they?

 

[ridgebax1]

Omar does this too but under his heat lamp. That is how he burned his back. All his pulling on the screen got it loose from the frame and said hole allowed him to climb up close to the light! His back is now looking infected and he seems to be in pain when I touch the area to clean it and put Neosporin on it! He has a doctor appointment Monday; I hope he can recover from this. He is not eating for the past couple of days but I am giving him extra water. Keep fingers crossed for him!

 

[Psychobunny]

I had a panther with a small burn from the heat lamp too.

It's crazy how fast infection can spread to the rest of their body.
He was on Baytrill for 2 weeks, and it was horrible, it was a terrible strain on him. Made him weak, diarrhea, wouldnt eat or drink!
I had to force feed him.

All because of one small burn area on his back!!