our chameleon wont let us hold her...advice please?

[ilovemoose]

My boyfriend and I got a chameleon...moose...four days ago and she will NOT let us hold her. we try to slowly and gently put our hand in front of her but she just turns around. She will do anything possible to get away from us. We've been told to just hand feed her and let her adjust because she is new. Does anyone have any suggestions to make our baby girl love us?

 

[Bizzle90]

My boyfriend and I got a chameleon...moose...four days ago and she will NOT let us hold her. we try to slowly and gently put our hand in front of her but she just turns around. She will do anything possible to get away from us. We've been told to just hand feed her and let her adjust because she is new. Does anyone have any suggestions to make our baby girl love us?

If you've just gotten her, then it's normal...I'd keep trying to hand feed her and maybe eventually she will eat!

A trick I use to hold my guy is kind of forcing him to run outside the cage where I can easily grab a hold of him - but he also runs like hell from my hand!
But, once he's on me, he seems okay

 

[mangopixie]

When I got my chameleon I was told not to handle him for one week, to let him get used to his surroundings. He was super scared of me at first. I did offer the crickets by hand and after the week was up I tricked him into climbing onto my hand by holding the branch in front of him and having a cricket on my arm just out of his reach, so that he had to put his front legs on my hand to reach it. That way he could get used to the way my hands felt slowly. Just go slow, keep at it, and don't take it personally when she's shy. Good luck!

 

[suzi]

You may also want to try putting a plant outside the cage and keep the door open and let him come out of the cage on his own sometimes they are less territorial and scared and more friendly when out of their cage. You can also try using a stick for him to climb rather thn a big scary hand

 

[Elizadolots]

You should try the suggestions to get her to let you hold her, but really, you need to be prepared for the idea she won't want to be held. I don't hold mine. I very rarely take one out (the nice one) for a few seconds to display him to people...then back he goes. They are not really "pets" in the sense you can pet them.

Some will be friendly, but some will not and you need to find a way to deal with that if yours is not friendly.

 

[laurie]

Hello, what kind of cham is little Moose? Since our trip to Alaska I have become a moose nut. Saw your title and had to say hello. Just take some time with the holding moose and hopefully it will get better. I do have a cham I have had for a year and she will drop to the bottom of her cage rather than let me touch her. She doesn't even want me to look at her. But all my others are a lot better and several will walk onto my hand when I put it in the cage for them.

 

[kongchi]

Moose used to be my nickname lol. I would handfeed only. It would take you about 30 minutes a day for about a month but that might work.

 

[wontbme]

please dont stick your hand in there trying to get her.

My chameleon, turns 8 months on sept 28, and she wont willingly climb on, only if i entice her with food. she'll still hiss at me. you need to understand that your a gigantic beast in her eyes. Don't let her believe your after her, so under no circumstances do you forcibly grab her, it'll terrify her and you will probably shorten her lifespan by a year in that little moment of impulsivity.

You live in fear, and you live with distrust. so never do anything to terrify her.

 

[allencg101]

I wouldn't try holding her for two weeks let her get settled in first and then do the hand feeding while she's getting use to her new home post pic and what kind of cham is she??? silk worms and horn worms are a good treat for her also.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Yeah, female Veileds especially, and particularly when young and in a new house do not want to be held. Don't let all the pictures fool you.........not many people handle their Chameleons every day, they just aren't that sort of animal (with some exceptions........). My female is now about 8 months old and she will approach me for food and misting, but she would much prefer it if I didn't acknowledge her existence at all. She would prefer, like most Chameleons, to remain unseen by the eyes of such a large predator as me...........
Try to think of looking after her like keeping tropical fish.......this might help you to resist the urge to take her out the box..........

 

[jake01]

Handle as little as possible imo .