Can someone tell me how to cup feed?

sensation

New Member
My chameleon has been home since Wednesday and he wont eat. I've held crickets and mealworms about an inch to his face and he doesn't pay them any mind. I am getting a little worried. I don't want to release the crickets in his cage because frankly, I doubt he'll ever find them at the bottom.

I have a cup in his cage but crickets will just jump out so I was wondering if someone can dumb down cup feeding. What type of cup do you use? How big is it? How do you keep crickets in it!?!?

The crickets I have are the smallest available at Petsmart so I know he can eat them. I'm starting to get worried :(

Its crazy because I've owned 3 veiled Chameleons and they NEVER had a problem with eating. I know he's new and some on here have said theirs didn't eat for the first week and a half but I dont know if I can wait that long!
 
hello, i have a cham with no tounge, and what i do so the crickets cant get away is put them into their dusting container, and then into the fridge for 3-4 min, this slows then down then i cut off their back legs with cuticle scissors, this make them pretty immoble, and easy for my cham, also try different cups my guy only likes his opaque green shotglass, LOL
 
I started off cup feeding.

However once I began to dumb my crickets in the cages, my guys eat much better! I think they really like to hunt the crickets down.

If you have a screen cage, the crickets will climb it no sweat.
 
So a shot glass would work?

I use Deli cups (cheap and easy to get), then place a branch or 2 sticking over the cup. Make sure to keep the cup away from the basking spot.

I would also make sure to put the cage in an area that doesn't get much traffic human traffic. The stress of moving and people always looking in can scare them off feeding.
 
if you use a very smoothe dish, like a glass dish, at least 2 and a half inches tall, and you gutload your crickets, you shouldn't have a problem. and most chameleons won't go for food when waved right in front of their face. it scares them
 
I actually use a "red" plastic cup like the ones for parties, but i devised a holder for it by using a Rabbit/Guinea Pig water bottle holder ziptied it to the inside of the cage and the cups sit perfectly in place and very easy to remove.
 
If you are going to cup feed, then an opaque or semi-opaque cup is good. If the cup is see through, the chameleon will try to hunt "through" the cup. You can use a plastic "party" cup or a deli cup or a milk bottle. All work.

Poke holes in the bottom of whatever you use to allow for drainage. If you don't do that, when you mist your chameleon the water will pool in the cup and drown the feeders....that's not good for anyone.
 
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