Changing the Setup - Stressful?

[AZJ0SH]

I want to add some more foliage and branches into my enclosure, will adding new items to the enclosure without messing up the main setup of the vines/plant cause stress on the chameleon from the new surroundings?

I thought I had the perfect setup, but I noticed my cham wants to be closer to the lights, and closer to the dripper, so I am going to add some horizontal branches and more vines and a small pothos.

 

[Olimpia]

There's always that chance, but there's not much you can do to keep him 100% stress-free for his entire life. It's silly to think that you need to be afraid of never doing anything because he might not like it for a little bit. If you remove him gently from the cage and put him somewhere out of the way (maybe on a plant in the bathtub) while you tweak the cage, when he gets back in he'll probably just be curious with the changes.

He'll always be happier to have improvements made to the cage, so the 5 minutes he might be stressed will be worth it if he's then happier in the long run.

 

[Hoj]

ya my guys are always very curious when i put them back in.. but one time i treid to add a pc of vine while camo was in his cage, ( he is the most tollerant cham ever never hisses or any thing ) while i think maybe he recongnized it as a threat kinda prob resebles a snake, i would think. he was pissed at that vine, i acctually had to take it out and then put it back a few days later when he wasnt in there

 

[AZJ0SH]

There's always that chance, but there's not much you can do to keep him 100% stress-free for his entire life. It's silly to think that you need to be afraid of never doing anything because he might not like it for a little bit. If you remove him gently from the cage and put him somewhere out of the way (maybe on a plant in the bathtub) while you tweak the cage, when he gets back in he'll probably just be curious with the changes.

He'll always be happier to have improvements made to the cage, so the 5 minutes he might be stressed will be worth it if he's then happier in the long run.

The problem I am having is removing him from the enclosure safely, I have tried multiple times to coax him onto a small leafy branch so I can move him out of the enclosure, but he moves to the back out of the enclosure and hides.

He has gotten really used to my hands, for example I was putting his crix in today and he was piratically eating them out of my fingers, but when I try to get him to come out he hides.

I have a few pothos hanging on my patio, maybe I can try to put one in his enclosure until he gets on it and just pull the pothos out with him on it? Worth a shot I guess.

 

[Olimpia]

Or maybe open the cage, put a plant or something outside it, and wait for him to walk out on his own. It might take a while, I'm not going to lie, but if you want to plop down on a chair across the room and read or sit on a laptop, just look up every little bit and see if curiosity gets the better of him. Or reach in with a longish stick and see if you can coax him up onto it and then pull him out gently. Maybe hold a juicy worm or something for him towards your end of the stick.

The trick is taking it slow and not doing quick, scary movements. I've sat for 3 full episodes of a 45 min show waiting for one of my guys to come out of his cage calmly lol but it makes all the difference not to grab them out and freak them out about you for weeks.

 

[AZJ0SH]

Or maybe open the cage, put a plant or something outside it, and wait for him to walk out on his own. It might take a while, I'm not going to lie, but if you want to plop down on a chair across the room and read or sit on a laptop, just look up every little bit and see if curiosity gets the better of him. Or reach in with a longish stick and see if you can coax him up onto it and then pull him out gently. Maybe hold a juicy worm or something for him towards your end of the stick.

The trick is taking it slow and not doing quick, scary movements. I've sat for 3 full episodes of a 45 min show waiting for one of my guys to come out of his cage calmly lol but it makes all the difference not to grab them out and freak them out about you for weeks.

I have cats, so I can't leave the cage door open. Sorry I am not providing enough information.

I have plenty of patience for him, I saw for 2 hours the first day I got him to make sure he was eating/drinking. I have a chair near his enclosure I sit in and just watch him hunt.