She wants to eat in her cage ...

[Rebecca Stout]

My gu started to not eat as much as I wanted. So, I started to leave a plate of food in her cage when she wouldn't. Now, she doesnt' eat out of the cage all the sudden. I use the same little white saucer and it's put on the same square slate tile in the same spot in her cage. I make sure I only put it in when she is on the other side of the tank sleeping, hiding, or busy. I leave it and she takes her sweet time ever getting to it that day. But she eats it.

My question is how bad is this?

 

[Zach]

It shouldn't be too bad as long as she doesn't start become cage aggressive/food aggressive. A way to help prevent that would be to do other things in her cage instead of just putting your hands in there to feed her. Mess with her substrate to mix it up, take out the poo & pee, go in to take her out & let her roam.

You could always take her out to feed her & if she doesn't eat it don't feed her that day. Sounds kinda mean but they can handle not eating for awhile. Eventually she will realize, or get hungry enough, to eat outside of her cage again.

 

[Josh]

How old is she again? I leave food out for my tegu and she just kinda eats when she wants but she's not eating much this time of year.
I always feed live prey outside of her enclosure though. And I always supervise so anything not consumed is removed from her presence. I also always make sure I use tongs to feed her.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

The best we can tell, she is a year and a half old. The "breeder" told us the group he was selling was "about a year". Funny that he didn't know exactly. So, that's the story with that. Kaiju is not food driven at all. I can't even lure her with it or anything. So, because shes not driven or territorial, I've just been placing it in her cage the way I said, and she gets to it when she gets to it. It can be hours from that point. So it sounds like, it's okay to do what I'm doing ... but I have good advice on how to "change" her to eat outside the cage again if I want to. I guess I'll proceed with what I've been doing as it has worked. I'll take extra care in fiddlind around in her cage to keep her friendly and welcoming me in there.

I feel so much better now. I was so stressed thinking what I was doing was horribly wrong even though it's been working so far. Thank you.