(not free) ranging - alternating cages?

[Echoezra]

I am planning for my newcomers, and although I'm paranoid about free ranging because of my curious cats, I was considering the possible benefits of setting up additional cages to alternate them to in other rooms, to get sort of the same benefit of getting out of their "usual home cage" for a change of scenery, new plant, new view, etc. I like the idea, but I mean inherently it comes with handling. But only momentary, not extended. Lots of people do this regularly for outside time, free range time, etc, right, and that's okay. And I'm thinking it would sort of make up for not having one extra-large cage, if there were multiple slightly smaller ones? Do you think this would be more beneficial than stressful?
And what are the thoughts on swapping chameleons between cages? Like either inside or outside, sharing one cage at alternating times, that won't bother them, being in a cage another cham was just in?

 

[jojackson]

Why not build several nice sized cages connected by enclosed 'walkways' and let it roam at will?
I wouldn't be swapping between animals, it defeats the purposefulness of any hygiene practices you have in place.
You dont want to spread disease or parasites.

 

[Echoezra]

So then do you guys who have more than one chameleon never put them on the same free range plants, and have separate multiple outside cages for each one?

 

[jojackson]

Anywhere one animal comes into contact with the feces of another and associated bacteria, risks cross contamination.
Scrubbing cages every time you swap might become a pointless chore.
Yes I have 2 different plants outside for sunning, these get hosed and occasionally washed with hot soapy water to remove traces of crap from leaves and branches, and sunlight kills bacteria.
No idea what anyone else does.

 

[Cainschams]

So then do you guys who have more than one chameleon never put them on the same free range plants, and have separate multiple outside cages for each one?

I have nice light screen cages that I take in and outside. I keep small species so I have nothing bigger than 16x16x30's now so the cages arent heavy and easy to move.

 

[Olimpia]

I'm the opposite, I don't believe in hospital-like sterility. Don't get me wrong, I'm very careful about their fecals and all that good stuff, but I don't lose sleep over making sure nothing is ever shared between my guys. Before each one of them got a free range I had two big ones that I would let them take turns in.

I you opt for swapping them around, you could build one or two nice big cages and realy give them room to stretch their legs.

 

[Echoezra]

I guess I wasn't thinking it would be quite as worrisome about parasites & such contagious issues if dealing with captive bred babies as opposed to wild caught. I know there's always risks like from environment & food, but i guess if it was from food source, its likely it would affect all anyway if everybody's eating from same food sources etc?
Maybe if I did more frequent fecal checks than the average non-sharing person would do, it wouldn't be so bad? I mean I don't want to put anyone at risk unnecessarily of course, but I did like the idea of rotating them, for a few reasons. I could easily wipe out any feces I could see before switching them, but yeah if there's one like hidden in a plant or something it might be there until "cleaning day".