Will they go back?

[Sticktongue]

recently changed my free range and made it bigger and nicer. I posted a thread about it if you would ilke to see pictures.

He loves it but i only let him roam it when i'm home most of the day, which is saturday and sunday. I feel bad caging him other days because he just loves hi FR. I cage him because i do not have basking, UVB or water over the FR. He can climb back in his cage whenever he wants to get all 3 of those so my question is.. Will he just go back in whenever he needs to get one of those 3 things? The mist king goes off 5 times a day for a total of 20 minutes. I also put a dripper in the cage to run while i'm at work.

 

[moner]

i dont dont free range my little guy, but this is the way i see it...

you cage him when you are not around for his SAFETY. ask yourself something; how much worse would you feel if something bad happened to him while you were away?

 

[d3s5]

I just started free ranging on August 9. After the first couple days, he wasn't anywhere I wanted him to be - on top of the free range with all the lights, for instance. And the very next day, he spent ALL DAY in the blinds! I went over a couple times to hand feed him that day. He has spent the last couple days in his free range. He is so much more active and happy in the free range. It is stressful since I am just starting, but I spent months preparing for this. Not just his free range, but also Cham-proofing the entire room. I think moner is right, safety has to be your biggest concern.

 

[Carlton]

If your cage is higher, brighter, warmer than your free range he MIGHT go back there, but not necessarily, at least at first. For example, by the time he realizes he wants to warm up, his brain is chilling out and he may just sit where he is. He may not go back to get a drink unless he already goes to a dripper in the cage. Same for feeding. The free range is going to attract him if he can get higher up. I think I would do whatever I could to make his cage an integral PART of his free range rather than a separate space. But also, if it isn't a safe area for him when you aren't home (you can't close a door or keep him away from other hazards in the room) you should cage him and let him out as you do now.

 

[Sticktongue]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I ahve decided to continue just FR on weekends while i am here.

 

[ChameleonNerd]

why don't you find where he likes to be, then get lights that you can hook up to shine onto those spots?

 

[jjk85]

I have a small free range setup connected to a cage for one of my chams. I usually leave the cage door open so he can go in and out as he pleases. I have a uvb and heat lamp setup for the free range and just a uvb on the actual cage. I find that he does go back into the cage for water and he climbs back in every night once the lights go out and it's time for bed lol.