She's refusing.....

Nikkii

New Member
So she stopped eating her crickets and will only eat the superworms. I had added a feeder bowl with superworms in it, along with her crickets to her feeding enclosure. I noticed she had stopped eating the crickets (4 days).
So I removed the superworms. After three days she wont eat the crickets. She's fine/heathy, because she drank a lot of water today while being misted for 5 mins in her out door enclosure.(As she does daily), Her colours and behavior is all fine, she travels around her outdoor and enclosure. Not clumsy. Her happy self.
Now because I didn't want my baby to starve I dropped a super in her feeder today and she could barely wait for me to put it down. (I gave her another) and got the same response.
Now she also eats plants; she loves Philodendrons, and the mites larvae that grow in these moist house plants. (Which she keeps all my house plants protected).
I had to dust the worm. And I keep reading that giving her superworms daily is such a horrible thing to do. I cant make her eat crickets.
ANY IDEAS??????
 
I heard that starving them for a small amount of time helps. I think as long as you're cham is healthy they can go quite a while without food. I think you can also put some crickets in there and refuse the cham anyother food. The cham will then just go for the crickets when it is hungry. Also make sure you cham still has water readily available. Hopefully someone else chimes in with some more advice. Good Luck :D
 
I heard that starving them for a small amount of time helps. I think as long as you're cham is healthy they can go quite a while without food. I think you can also put some crickets in there and refuse the cham anyother food. The cham will then just go for the crickets when it is hungry. Also make sure you cham still has water readily available. Hopefully someone else chimes in with some more advice. Good Luck :D


starving is a harsh word I prefer food compliance.

You are right to still provide food. The chameleon is just on a hunger strike.

Just like a small child throwing a temper tantrum, you don't give in to show them who is the real boss. They won't starve themselves to death. keep giving her crickets and eventually she will eat them.
 
It's always better to feed a variety. It's very common to have chameleons get hooked on supers and refuse to eat anything else. Try horns, silks, bluebottle flies, grasshoppers, hissers, dubia, butters....... The point is if you feed a variety you seldom get hunger strikes as it keeps their interest. Try changing up your gutloading as well. Taste of the feeders is important too. Check sandrachameleons blog on gutloading for good info. Jmo.
 
Thank you to everyone. I'll let you know what happens.
And she definitely could stand not to eat for a couple days. Chubby little thing she is.
 
I suggest offering far more variety than just crickets and superworms
superworms should form no more than 20% of her diet, max. Crickets 50%.

stop offering superworms for awhile, until she is eating a range of prey again.

if she is a healthy adult not producing eggs, you could offer her crickets and have her refused them for over a week without worrying. If /when she is truly hunger she will eat the crickets.
fat chameleons are not healthy chameleons, and superworms have a high fat content.
 
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