Hunger strike! Need suggestions...

[benjie]

Hi!

Our 9 month old Nosy Faly has decided that he no longer likes crickets or silk worms and has chosen to only eat butter worms and his favourite, wax worms. He hasn't touched a cricket in a week and ignores the silks.

I am hesitant to just feed him buuter and wax worms as I know that they are not the most nutritious and should be more of a treat. I am dusting the ones that he does get, but I am still trying to encourage him to eat the crickets. I have been trying to keep 10 crickets in his cage for him to eat when he's ready, but he is just not interested. I have even been limiting the worms for a couple of days hoping that he will get hungry and have some crickets. Up to this point, he has loved crickets and has been eating 10-12/day.

Besides the eating, he still seems to be himself and is drinking and still very active.

Any suggestions for some other feeders that I can give him that are nutritious? What kind of feeders and how many? Or should I continue to give him the crickets and let him decide when he is hungry?


Thank You!

 

[RyU]

Superworms will be better than waxworms. Try to see if your cham will take those. If you really want to get him back on crickets, just starve him till he eats.

 

[MelissaB]

My guys really like anything that flies, or is green. Maybe try some hornworms? You can also get fly spikes or phoenix worms and let some of them turn into flies. My panthers go crazy for those.

 

[kinyonga]

Did the temperature,perature in the cage or anything else change lately?

 

[little leaf]

you can cheat, and make him eat the crix, but I would get roaches - a way better feeder, but Max, my panther, every fall will go on a hunger strike - but he just wont eat at all - his original owner warned me of this - the first yr I thought he was going to about starve to death - so then I started to "cheat" and when I would mist him , and he would open his mouth , I would pop in a roach - once it was in his mouth, he would eat it no issue- never spit it back out- maybe try that - also, I would not leave crix in his cage over night unless they are in a feeder cup - they can bite him at night

 

[benjie]

Thank you for all of the tips!

I just might try not feeding him for a day or two and see if that changes his attitude. It will likely be harder for me than for him!

I don't think that I would have the chance to "cheat" and pop something in his mouth... He only opens it when he's angry or has his tongue out for a bug. And no, nothing has changed in his cage.

He still has not been eating much- today he only had one silk worm. He was offered a hornworm, 2 more silks, and some butters as well, but wasn't interested.

I touched base with a breeder and she said that she has heard of this issue with wax worms as I guess this is usually their favourite, and will refuse food until they get them again. I guess that I am just worried because I am not sure that he is considered an adult so therefore shouldn't be going on a hunger strike. I am also not super familiar with worms as a staple food as he has been on crickets until this point. How many of which worms would be the most nutritious? Can he really just live off of a silk worm or two a day?!

He is still himself and pooping and drinking.

Thanks again for all of your advice- I really appreciate it.