won't eat crickets!

[Skradmore]

I posted about a week ago saying my 5 month old veiled stopped eating crickets and i still havent seen him eat one in over a week. he used to be pretty plump and ate like horse. hes definatly a little leaner now, i feel like this hunger strike is coming from his cage which is a glass terrarium with a vent on the front down at the bottom and screen on the top. its only 2 feet tall and 18 by 18 for width and depth. he is always trying to get out, i have a plastic tree in my room i let him free range on while im around and as soon as he's in the tree hes a much happier chameleon as his colors get all bright and cool. last night i actually let him fall asleep and wake up in the tree and had no issues. hes still not eating though, i can usually get him to eat 2 large meal worms in a day but he doesnt care about crickets. i dont have access to roaches or locusts or any of those crazy bugs to give him a really good veriety. I guess im just wondering if its possible for them to go on a hunger strike stricly because their cage is a little too small, and i like to atleast hope that he would eat before he starves to death.. im in the middle of constructing a nice big screen cage for him. ive already filled out the questionaire on my last post and there wasnt much anyone had to say about me taking care of him poorly.

 

[Kate]

I've just read your previous thread and wonder if you have sorted out your supplements. As stated before plain calcium wo/d3 every feed and calcium w/d3 twice a month and multivit twice a month is what is recommended here. I cannot recommend brands as I'm in uk but if you need help I'm sure someone from Canada will help. Your temps in such a little viv are high as there is not much room for him to thermoregulate. It does seem as if he is not happy in his viv. Could he be seeing his reflection in the glass? Have you tried hand feeding or cup feeding while he is on his tree?

 

[mcleodschams]

any of the calcium without d3 are pretty good on the market and also the clcium with d3 they are all pretty good aswell my self i use repti calcium both with and with out d3 thats by zoo med and then for a vitamin i use the rep-cal herpavite with beta carotine is a great multivitamin

 

[mcbdz]

Can you by off the internet? If so you can try ordering different feeders that way. Or from members on here if any are in your area could help you out. I have read on here lots of chams get tired of crickets and need more variety. Is there anywhere you can go in the country maybe to collect some bugs in the wild and see if you can start breeding something yourself? Have you try seeing if he'll eat some veggies for you. Some veils will eat greens, fruit.

 

[Skradmore]

so he's eatin a couple crickets now and i can get him to eat about 3 meal worms a day. I don't normally feed him meal worms as often but i noticed his tail isn't as plump as it used to be so i feel like the extra fat might be good for him since hes not eating many crick's. I also bought multi-vit powder and dusted up the crickets before i put them in. he's still spending a lot of time pushing his head against the glass like its an invisible wall he cant see. i really don't think his reflection bothers him as hes been in glass since he was 5 weeks and hes 5.5 months now. the new cage is coming soon so hopefully that fixes him feeling cramped! thanks for all the help everyone, this is a great forum!

 

[CaliChameleon]

I am having the same problem my 5.5 month old Veiled is in a small screen cage and when I open the door he eats to always get out he lost interest in all his feeders hornworms silkworms everything you can think of he didn't want it but while he is in his cage spends most of his time trying to escape I don't understand why but I am getting my guy a big cage I think that will fix it

 

[Mmcbain1]

You could free range