Just thought I'd jump in here after following this thread. That's great that you want to get a cham even though it fell through with you taking on the 3 year old brat. IMHO, I wouldn't get a 3 week old veiled. Most reputable breeders on here wouldn't sell one that young, especially to someone who has never had a chameleon before. Typically they will hold them until they are 2-3 months old, and a bit more stable - think of it like getting a puppy before it's 6 or 8 weeks old. There are always plenty of chams available in the classifieds, or ask the breeder if they will hold your cham for another month. I'm not saying this as discouragement - I've seen how much research, time, and effort you have put in so far, and I think it's great. However, I'd hate to see you get such a tiny baby and lose him because he was simply too young.
When you do get a cham, he/she will be just fine in an 18x18x24 until they are about 4-5 months old (depending on size and growth rate), and then it's time for a larger cage. Once they get to be 1 year old, I cut their feeding down to every 2 days - it's every day until about 8 months, then gradually wean them down to every 2 days, which will work better with your schedule. You mentioned putting food in there before you leave in the mornings - will your lights be on by then? If so, that's fine to do - you just don't want to feed them too late in the day because they need the heat from their lights to digest their meal before going to sleep. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and feel free to PM me if you have further questions, though it looks like Olivia and Kate have you well on your way!
