Bonding Session With Cham...

[Scotty]

Hi all,
Just thought i'd share an enjoyable experience I had with my 5 month old male veiled named "popeye".
Well, I upgraded his drainage system in his enclosure by installing a tub underneath, which then drains into a bucket underneath that, the whole base of the enclosure is basically open now for the water to drain off, 100% better than before...
Anyway, I thought I would remove popeye so as not to stress him out, so I placed him on a hibiscus plant from the enclosure and positioned him on a chest of drawers nearby.
As I was working away, I looked up to notice him watching everything I was doing, as if to say "what are you doing to my home buddy"!
I stood up and "as you do" proceeded to have a conversation with him telling him what I was doing to his pad, which to my amazement, he didn't shy away or try to climb to another branch to get away, which is what he usually does, he was quite happy to sit there and listen. He was showing his beautiful happy colour, not his pissed off colours, at this moment we finally bonded for the first time, hooray!!!
I kept working away with him contently sitting in his hibiscus watching away, it was an absolute classic, he actually seemed interested.
I finished upgrading his enclosure and it was time to put him back...I placed my hands near him and he didn't even try to run away, which is his normal reaction, he just climbed on my hand, unbeleivable change in behaviour! So I put him back in his enclosure and he did,t bolt for cover, just cruised off looking back as if to say "do I have to go back home".
Feeling really elated from my bonding session with my little guy, I thought I would give him a treat of a couple of silkworms i've been feeding up for him. I placed them on a vine near him and he hissed and wanted to take my head off again like usual....
I was devestated... I guess the learning experience from this is he must be cage protective, that's cool, but I intend to get him out more often and just place him in a plant nearby me and take it from there!
Anyone else had a similar experience?
Sorry for the long post, but you may get a laugh out of it!!!
I did...
Cheers
Scott...

 

[dodolah]

lol.. how fun..
actually the hissing part at the end was perfectly normal.
After all they are very territorial.
chameleon, at least mine, tends to be calmer when they are outside.

Mine still has a huge attitude when he's inside his jungle.
Today was also the 2nd session.. he start climbing all over my back head.. and actually fell a bit to my shoulder (no worries.. just about 2 inches away)..


Chameleon is quite moody.. So hang in there!

 

[Scotty]

It was a hilarious outcome, although the moment we had, i will remember forever ( he says with a tear in eye)...LOL
Does yours let you approach him when out of his enclosure?

 

[dodolah]

It was a hilarious outcome, although the moment we had, i will remember forever ( he says with a tear in eye)...LOL
Does yours let you approach him when out of his enclosure?

well, he still kinda sway his body away but he doesn't run.
Actually i am afraid that he might bite me; so, i always wear a cool brown leather glove that i get from target
But, the first time he saw that brown glove was when i had to take him to the vet.
So, he's absolutely hating the gloves!

the cute thing is he always run for cover to my left hand and start climbing my shoulder.
Plus, he hates my girlfriend
lol... she loves chameleon; but she always complain that my cham got an attitude.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Great Story Scott!

Thats a great story Scott! It reminds me of a couple of my pissy adult male Panther chams. They don't like me putting my hands in their cage or doing anything with them in their familiar surroundings. They will puff and hiss. Things totally change if I take them to the vet for a check up though. At the vet's office everything is unfamiliar and they don't recognize the vet. They will cling to me during the whole appointment. They look up at me with their eyes as if to say "Please protect me Mommy!" When the vet picks them up and looks them over they will keep trying to get back to me. They will rush from the vets hands over to me and climb up my shirt or arm. It's a total hoot. Then they get home and can't get away from me fast enough or hiss at me fierce enough.

 

[Scotty]

Too funny Catherine,
Good to see it's normal behaviour...lol

 

[bucky]

I take my cham out and put him on this small perch thing on my bed,he goes back and forth to the perch,then on my bed,its cute,im gettin a plant for him today to have outside the cage and so givin him showers would be easy without takin his huge plant in his cage(stupid terrarium bar down low doesnt help...)