Sleeping outside of cage?

[apocalypse910]

Loki has a slightly heated cat bed that he absolutely loves. I got it for him to nap in so he's not terrorizing out laundry piles. One night i made the mistake of letting him sleep in it and ever since he's thrown apocalyptic fits if I try and make him sleep in his cage. He'll literally stay up all night banging on the glass - he also rips down his entire misting system which usually takes a few hours to repair.

Am I doing him any harm by letting him sleep in the cat bed (aside from turning him in to a spoiled brat)? I'm slightly worried about dehydration - I've heard of insufficient humidity leading to kidney failure in other species and I wasn't sure if it was a factor in tegus. He still spends a decent portion of the day in his cage with his misting system and huge water dish.

 

[HeatherN]

i let Tarot sleep outside of his cage when he wants. he did the exact same thing when i let him sleep under my bed for the first time. he does this adorable thing where he squeezes between the pads of this folding mattress i have with only his nose sticking out so he can breathe. ive found that he will seek out whatever he needs when he needs it. he drinks out of my dogs water when hes thirsty, goes back to his cage when he's cold or dry, and will explore when he feels the urge. i have seen no ill effects from allowing him to do so, he actually seems happier for it. as long as your place is tegu-proofed and he has reasonable access to his cage and its amenities, i say go for it! use your judgement about it, if hes looking dehydrated, something should be altered.

 

[apocalypse910]

i let Tarot sleep outside of his cage when he wants. he did the exact same thing when i let him sleep under my bed for the first time. he does this adorable thing where he squeezes between the pads of this folding mattress i have with only his nose sticking out so he can breathe. ive found that he will seek out whatever he needs when he needs it. he drinks out of my dogs water when hes thirsty, goes back to his cage when he's cold or dry, and will explore when he feels the urge. i have seen no ill effects from allowing him to do so, he actually seems happier for it. as long as your place is tegu-proofed and he has reasonable access to his cage and its amenities, i say go for it! use your judgement about it, if hes looking dehydrated, something should be altered.

The funny thing is that he'll never leave the bed on his own. My husband forgot to bring him downstairs one morning - ended up getting back from dinner at 7 and he was still sleeping in his bed.

 

[HeatherN]

i thought that too at first. it was pretty much the same thing, i would come home and he was still there! i thought he was stuck at first, but i think he's just enjoying it a ton while he first has it. like when a kid discovers peanut butter and jelly or something and wants it for every meal every day. he started leaving on his own when it was time for him to wake up and all that stuff. ive really come to trust his independence as time has passed. i went from being a super worry-wort to letting him do his "thang"

 

[HeatherN]

but of course each tegu is different, and one should always keep an eye on em. if you dont feel confidant in letting him stay, then i say, don't! he should be following your schedule and rules, not the other way around. ^.^