Free-range in bedroom

[Rango_TheManEater]

Hello again!

Thank you everyone for the advice and changes you’ve recommended to make for Rango’s new enclosure. As well as a bigger and better tank, I am considering a free-roaming area for him.

I’ve done a bit of looking and have found that people will sometimes hang natural branches or bendy-branches from their ceiling. However… I also have 4 cats.

If I hang my branches from my ceiling and watch Rango carefully… would a free-roam area be a good idea? I would like for my little man to get a bit of exercise outside of a confined space.

 

[ehdee6]

The thing about cats are they're mostly on their own agenda, and have a high prey drive. Hance, if they have access to the outside lands, they'll often bring home "gifts" of some sorted wounded animal.

It's not like a dog where, if they're obedient, you can yell "No!" and they'll stop whatever they're doing... Even so, if my cham is going to be out and about for an extended time, I put my dog in a room where they can't access each other.

IMO if your free range is in a room that can be completely closed off from your other pets, it's the safest way to go.

 

[Carlton]

I've free ranged multiple chams in a bedroom. 24/7. I've known other keepers who've free ranged their chams in a spare room too. I did suspend heat and UV light fixtures from the ceiling but not perches. I do know of others who did. I built my free range out of a cluster of large potted Ficus trees and overgrown Schefflera bushes arranged in the center of the room. There were perches connecting the potted trees together. The basking and UV lighting was suspended over the trees. I lived in a pretty dry climate at the time, so ended up humidifying the entire room. It took a RainMaker misting system AND an ultrasonic humidifier to do it. The misting system tubing was arranged below the lighting, aimed to fall onto the foliage of the trees and bushes. The nice thing about that setup was the chams could move higher or lower to thermoregulate and get into cooler moister areas and access lots of water droplets. The cluster of pots was arranged on 2 pieces of stacked plywood covered with a pond liner to protect the floor. Stacking the plywood provided a bit of air circulation too.

There are problems with your idea:

1. Chams fall, and they can be injured from falling just the wrong way. OK, the distance from the average residential bedroom ceiling to floor probably won't be more than 7' or so, and a healthy cham that falls just right won't be injured from a fall of that distance (in the wild, they fall out of trees and bushes much taller than that). But they don't always fall just right. And, in the wild they're most likely falling on a soft mulchy forest floor, not rigid, seasoned plywood subfloor and/or vinyl or planking. Big difference. They also need to be able to climb back up into their branch network again too, so you need to plan for that.

2. Heat rises and tends to get trapped against the ceiling, so the temperature may not drop significantly enough to provide a night time cool down most chams prefer. How do you plan to chill the air at night in warm weather without dehydrating them? Which leads to the next problem:

3. Moist air is heavier than dry air. The air trapped against the ceiling may be significantly drier from day to night, leading to dehydration. Spraying, dripping, misting will all fall, possibly out of the cham's reach, so you need to plan how to provide access to water. Since the habitat essentially becomes the entire room, you'll need to create the cham's preferred conditions over a much larger area than a cage. You'll also need to protect the flooring, walls, and any woodwork from the effects of that higher humidity or you'll end up with mildew and other moisture damage. Any enclosed spaces such as a closet will be especially vulnerable.

4. Last but not least, there's the cat. Multiple cats. If you cannot absolutely guarantee none of your cats will be able to access that room, your free ranging cham will be at risk. Bad things can happen in an instant. A cat pursuing prey will do what it takes to snag their target even if it is feet above their head. Are you sure you want to take that chance? Don't forget that some chams, when they feel vulnerable or threatened, release their grip and let themselves fall to hide or get away. If one of your cats is waiting, bad news.

If what you're planning is a space for occasional trip outside the cage, some of those issues go away. However, once your cham learns there's a better place to be than a cage, it could be pretty frustrating for him to sit in there staring at it. May be kinder to put the cage somewhere else and TAKE him to his exercise room when you can be on hand to keep an eye on things (like your cats) for excursions instead. Barricade the door so they can't sneak in while your back is turned.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I haven’t thought about free ranging. I don’t know how to deal with fecal droppings. LOL

 

[Rango_TheManEater]

I've free ranged multiple chams in a bedroom. 24/7. I've known other keepers who've free ranged their chams in a spare room too. I did suspend heat and UV light fixtures from the ceiling but not perches. I do know of others who did. I built my free range out of a cluster of large potted Ficus trees and overgrown Schefflera bushes arranged in the center of the room. There were perches connecting the potted trees together. The basking and UV lighting was suspended over the trees. I lived in a pretty dry climate at the time, so ended up humidifying the entire room. It took a RainMaker misting system AND an ultrasonic humidifier to do it. The misting system tubing was arranged below the lighting, aimed to fall onto the foliage of the trees and bushes. The nice thing about that setup was the chams could move higher or lower to thermoregulate and get into cooler moister areas and access lots of water droplets. The cluster of pots was arranged on 2 pieces of stacked plywood covered with a pond liner to protect the floor. Stacking the plywood provided a bit of air circulation too.

There are problems with your idea:

1. Chams fall, and they can be injured from falling just the wrong way. OK, the distance from the average residential bedroom ceiling to floor probably won't be more than 7' or so, and a healthy cham that falls just right won't be injured from a fall of that distance (in the wild, they fall out of trees and bushes much taller than that). But they don't always fall just right. And, in the wild they're most likely falling on a soft mulchy forest floor, not rigid, seasoned plywood subfloor and/or vinyl or planking. Big difference. They also need to be able to climb back up into their branch network again too, so you need to plan for that.

2. Heat rises and tends to get trapped against the ceiling, so the temperature may not drop significantly enough to provide a night time cool down most chams prefer. How do you plan to chill the air at night in warm weather without dehydrating them? Which leads to the next problem:

3. Moist air is heavier than dry air. The air trapped against the ceiling may be significantly drier from day to night, leading to dehydration. Spraying, dripping, misting will all fall, possibly out of the cham's reach, so you need to plan how to provide access to water. Since the habitat essentially becomes the entire room, you'll need to create the cham's preferred conditions over a much larger area than a cage. You'll also need to protect the flooring, walls, and any woodwork from the effects of that higher humidity or you'll end up with mildew and other moisture damage. Any enclosed spaces such as a closet will be especially vulnerable.

4. Last but not least, there's the cat. Multiple cats. If you cannot absolutely guarantee none of your cats will be able to access that room, your free ranging cham will be at risk. Bad things can happen in an instant. A cat pursuing prey will do what it takes to snag their target even if it is feet above their head. Are you sure you want to take that chance? Don't forget that some chams, when they feel vulnerable or threatened, release their grip and let themselves fall to hide or get away. If one of your cats is waiting, bad news.

If what you're planning is a space for occasional trip outside the cage, some of those issues go away. However, once your cham learns there's a better place to be than a cage, it could be pretty frustrating for him to sit in there staring at it. May be kinder to put the cage somewhere else and TAKE him to his exercise room when you can be on hand to keep an eye on things (like your cats) for excursions instead. Barricade the door so they can't sneak in while your back is turned.

Absolutely all good points!

My floor is made of soft carpeting, and I have a faux fur carpet on top of that, which is maybe about 2” thick. I’m sure it doesn’t help the Cham much if he falls, but at least it’s better than cold wood flooring!

My Cham will ALWAYS be supervised, and my door will be shut. “Outside” time will be temporary, and may even allow him to bond with me more easily if he’s on a higher level than I am (I’m 5’2, and my ceiling is maybe 5’10 because I live in a converted attic space). Also, my cats are... ahem… not very intelligent. If I have a suspicion that one is hiding and waiting, I can simply spray them with water or lure them out with treats before locking them away and releasing the chameleon.

As I said before, this will be a temporary structure, and I’m considering placing it in front of my window for my Cham to get natural sunlight. (The sun rises in the direction my window faces, and poor Rango has MBD, so there’s no harm in a little sunshine )

As for cooling… I have a fan I could use (NOT a ceiling fan, of course, but a plug-in) that I could use to circulate the air. Without pointing it directly at the Cham, of course. Otherwise, whether for heat or for cooling, my air conditioner may suffice if done carefully. (I also have a spare basking lamp & bulb available, if need be!)

Again, thank you for these concerns. They’ve made me realize that I need to be extra cautious. I don’t want my baby boy being too stressed or getting hurt!

 

[nightanole]

My free range is setup different. I have sticks going from the cage to the window. I also have plenty of sticks going down to the carpet.
I keep the bedroom door shut 24/7, so no cats. If i did have cats living in the room, they would not be in the room during cham time.

But you would be surprised how much chams like walking around the room on the floor. Mine loves to make a lap around the walls looking for rookie chams invading his territory. Then its look out the window for a few. And at some point he goes back to his cage on his own for sleeping.

 

[jamest0o0]

My parsons lived on a free range in our office during winter. A couple of my panthers were also full time free range. I have 2 cats, but they were kept out of the room unless I was right there next to my Cham with the door open. my Savannah can easily jump the height of a ceiling. I think if you’re in arms reach and the cats aren’t close by it’s fine, but a cat can fling across the room in the blink of an eye and grab an animal. Figure that’s how they catch birds. I’m not a fearmongering worry wart type, but I definitely respect the predatory instincts of a cat and take precautions. Sure some house cats might not ever bother an animal, but they’re just so unpredictable(unlike dogs which someone else mentioned). My Savannah one time was gently playing with a baby squirrel that got in our house, while my lazier adopted shelter cat tried to destroy it… in another scenario my shelter cat completely ignored a chipmunk while my Savannah almost instantly ripped its head off….. so you just never know lol.

 

[Carlton]

My free range is setup different. I have sticks going from the cage to the window. I also have plenty of sticks going down to the carpet.
I keep the bedroom door shut 24/7, so no cats. If i did have cats living in the room, they would not be in the room during cham time.

But you would be surprised how much chams like walking around the room on the floor. Mine loves to make a lap around the walls looking for rookie chams invading his territory. Then its look out the window for a few. And at some point he goes back to his cage on his own for sleeping.

All but one of my free range Melleri strolled through the house on the floor pretty regularly. Of course, once they learned the floorplan they would march from one sunny window to another during the day. They would insist on taking the same "safe" route each time. If there was an obstacle in the way, the cham would hesitate, rocking and dithering, one front paw hovering in the air. I also had a F. verrucosus who would stretch out on his side in a sun-warmed patch on the carpet. I had several potted plant stands in front of windows, so the chams would climb up onto them and bask through the leaves. Mufindi in particular happened to be quite sociable and would sometimes climb up onto the couch and walk across my shoulders as I sat there reading. (S)he would sit next to my ear and allowed me to rub him under the chin.

Mufindi also carried on a long standing feud with the other cham in the plate glass door on my stereo cabinet. He'd plant himself in front of it and both would run through their whole territoriality repertoire. Wild spots and colors, inflating, tail lashing and curling, mad ear flapping, head bobbing, nose butting, gaping, hissing, and pawing. The finale usually ended up with Mufindi squeezing his way around behind the cabinet, then getting tangled in the mess of power cords and connector cables. And needing to be rescued by me. He was sure he'd find that "other" cham someday!

Sometimes one of the chams ended up detouring into the bathroom, but the bathroom was usually cooler than the main living area of the house. They'd end up on the cold tile between the tub and the toilet. Then their brains would slow down and there they'd sit until I retrieved them. Mufindi also seemed to enjoy taking a time out on top of the refrigerator's condenser fan housing. Guess he liked the warmth on his underside.

There are a couple of pretty funny stories about my house-strolling chams I'm sure I've shared here before. For those who haven't read them, they are at the bottom of this reply.

Hornworms and the UPS man:

One of the plant stands sat in the window at one side of the front door. It got sun much of the day. One day one of the Melleri was basking there when I decided everyone deserved a nice juicy hornworm snack. Duly accepted with their usual gracious rapacity, though how one can be graceful while eating a gooey thing like a hornworm only a cham knows. Anyway, at that moment, the UPS man rang the doorbell. As he handed over the package he spotted something moving on the plant stand and his eyebrows shot up. I made the introductions. Instead of the usual "wow, how beautiful!" he stepped back wrinkling his nose with disgust. I looked at the cham. It had a long sticky string of hornworm guts hanging off of its chin.

Melleri and the houseguests:

My dad's family had lived in Front Range CO for generations. As chance would have it, I ended up taking a job in Denver and buying my first house about 5 miles from "my" generation of the same family. I'd never met them. Anyway, both sets of parents insisted we meet and carry on the multi-generational relationship. OK, fine. We planned a pizza-and-a-movie afternoon at my house. I ordered pizzas for them to pick on the way. The kids were in charge of the movie. They chose the first sequel of Jurassic Park. I'd never seen it. Anyway, as I rushed around tiding up the place, Mufindi decided to take his daily constitutional through the house. He'd parked himself behind the fridge for a while as usual. I forgot all about him.

My guests showed up with cooling pizza and movie a bit behind schedule, so instead of my planned tour and introduction to the residents of the free range room, we all gathered in the living room to enjoy those first instead. Not a peep from Mufindi.

During one of the more gruesome feasting scenes was the time Mufindi chose to make his entrance. All three of the visiting kids were sitting in an enraptured row on the couch, pizza clutched forgotten in their hands, eyes glued to the TV. As were mine. Too late to react, I spotted Mufindi who had just climbed up the back of the couch and was reaching out to put a paw on one of the kids' shoulders. As soon as he felt the soft touch, the kid whipped around in time to see a googly-eyed green and yellow striped dinosaur's head right next to his face. He screamed at the top of his lungs. The other kids took one look and catapulted off the couch. Both parents leaped out of their chairs, dad yelling "What the F is THAT!"

Apologies and introductions followed. Mufindi was unphased by all the commotion. After all, it was HIS couch!

 

[leedragon]

Hello again!

Thank you everyone for the advice and changes you’ve recommended to make for Rango’s new enclosure. As well as a bigger and better tank, I am considering a free-roaming area for him.

I’ve done a bit of looking and have found that people will sometimes hang natural branches or bendy-branches from their ceiling. However… I also have 4 cats.

If I hang my branches from my ceiling and watch Rango carefully… would a free-roam area be a good idea? I would like for my little man to get a bit of exercise outside of a confined space.

No. Cats will kill it at some point. Also free range should be in a designated part with all the things a regular enclosure have, plants, uvb light, mister, daylight. The best you can do is to get an enclosure that is big and have it there.