For Steven--How I potty trained my igs

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Posted by Diana on June 02, 2001 at 22:58:43:

Hi Steven,
I was so glad to get your note, which asked me how I potty trained my igs. To me, that meant you read every word of my post to you, and that you digested it. Thanks for reading it so closely.

As for how I trained our iguanas to go in their "potty" instead of on the floor, it was actually pretty easy. (This doesn't mean it will be a piece of cake for you; many ig owners report it being a struggle for them. I'm just saying that it CAN be easy if you're lucky.)

When we first adopted Habib (our female) she lived in a tiny cage provided by her previous owner. She went to the bathroom anyplace she wanted. I'd have to scoop out the poop, wash down the walls etc every day. I hated it. Then I read that iguanas natually like to deficate in water and that by providing a "poop bin" (that's what we call it around here) with a couple of inches of warm water in it, iguanas will actually sort of train themselves by seeking it out to poop in.

When she was less than 1 year old, we tried to potty train her and had success! On the first day, we put some warm water in the Rubbermaid container (a bin-like thing--they come with lids) we bought, and gently put her in it. She licked it, investigated it, and then went to the bathroom in it. We praised her ("good girl! That's a good girl!") and rinsed her off in the faucet and dried her off with a towel and put her on her basking spot to warm up. We simply emptied the bin into the toilet and flushed it! No poopy mess to clean up off the floor or in her cage!

The next day, at the same time of day, we picked her up and again put her into the poop bin. She went again, and so on and so on. You can actually even train them as to what time you want them to go (within reason, that is). By that, I mean, if you start putting him/her in the bin each morning, he/she will most likely go each morning. But, if you want her to go later on in the day, you can wait until then and then put her in the bin every day. I prefer mornings, because then I know it's done and I don't have to worry about it all day.

Sometimes, they DO go more than once a day, so I ALWAYS leave a few inches of water in the poop bin and leave it in plain sight so that if one of them has to go when I'm not home, they can use it all by themselves and all I have to do is empty it when I get back home.

Rare is it anymore that one of them has an accident. When they do go on the carpet now (they are free-roamers) we are almost sure it's not an accident, but rather, them making a "statement". They seem to only use the floor when they are mad at us for not letting them outside in their cage out doors etc. For instance, when we leave them alone for too many hours, they will sometimes poop on the floor and smear it in just to show us that they're displeased with us leaving. But mostly, they go in their poop bin.

In February, we adopted another ig--a 3 year-old male--from the local petstore. I was worried about potty training him, because there at the petstore, he was forced to poop in his tiny cage and then sit in it all day long. He was covered with poop when I brought him home, and had not been allowed to go to the bathroom in water. For the first several days he pooped right in his new bed-into the freshly washed bedding I made him. He had no idea that he should use another area to relieve himself in.

I was SO frustrated! I was used to a potty trained, clean, freshly bathed iguana (Habib) and was having a hard time with Bobbit (the male) because he had no clue about using his water bin. But, slowly, after putting him in the warm water at the same time day after day, he got the hang of it and now he always uses it on his own--sometimes twice in a day all by himself.

Even in their outside cage, we provide them with a rubbermaid bin (buy the most shallow one you can find. If it's too deep, they can't get in and out. Look for one that's only three or four inches deep) and they seem to always use it. They will climb down from the basking spot, go to the b-room, and climb back up. Much more hygenic than sitting in poop all day!

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions after reading this. I'd be happy to help you further.

Good luck!
Diana
PS: Oh, I forgot to add that when first tring to train Bobbit, when he couldn't seem to go, I would stand near him and slowly and softly pour warm cups of water over his back. It sort of soothed him, and the sound of running water seemed to help him go. Sometimes, it can take up to a few minutes for them to go, but they almost always eventually do.
Also, you can put your ig right into the bath-tub to go to the bathroom. Personally, I like the idea of having a "poop bin" better because they can't climb into the bath-tub by themselves; you have to put them in it every day, and make sure they don't have an accident. Also, I like to take long baths myself and the idea of bathing in an iguana toilet just doesn't sit well with me. But I think many ig owners just use the tub and let the poop and urates go down the drain. Spray the tub with antibacterial spray and you're done! It's up to you how you want to do it. I think the key is consistency. Put them in the water each day at the same time, pour warm water over their backs and gently praise them and say nice things to them. It works!

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thanks Diana..... i hope i can "Potty Train" my ig!!! n/p Steven 06/03/01 (0)

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: Hi Steven, : I was so glad to get your note, which asked me how I potty trained my igs. To me, that meant you read every word of my post to you, and that you digested it. Thanks for reading it so closely. : As for how I trained our iguanas to go in their "potty" instead of on the floor, it was actually pretty easy. (This doesn't mean it will be a piece of cake for you; many ig owners report it being a struggle for them. I'm just saying that it CAN be easy if you're lucky.) : When we first adopted Habib (our female) she lived in a tiny cage provided by her previous owner. She went to the bathroom anyplace she wanted. I'd have to scoop out the poop, wash down the walls etc every day. I hated it. Then I read that iguanas natually like to deficate in water and that by providing a "poop bin" (that's what we call it around here) with a couple of inches of warm water in it, iguanas will actually sort of train themselves by seeking it out to poop in. : When she was less than 1 year old, we tried to potty train her and had success! On the first day, we put some warm water in the Rubbermaid container (a bin-like thing--they come with lids) we bought, and gently put her in it. She licked it, investigated it, and then went to the bathroom in it. We praised her ("good girl! That's a good girl!") and rinsed her off in the faucet and dried her off with a towel and put her on her basking spot to warm up. We simply emptied the bin into the toilet and flushed it! No poopy mess to clean up off the floor or in her cage! : The next day, at the same time of day, we picked her up and again put her into the poop bin. She went again, and so on and so on. You can actually even train them as to what time you want them to go (within reason, that is). By that, I mean, if you start putting him/her in the bin each morning, he/she will most likely go each morning. But, if you want her to go later on in the day, you can wait until then and then put her in the bin every day. I prefer mornings, because then I know it's done and I don't have to worry about it all day. : Sometimes, they DO go more than once a day, so I ALWAYS leave a few inches of water in the poop bin and leave it in plain sight so that if one of them has to go when I'm not home, they can use it all by themselves and all I have to do is empty it when I get back home. : Rare is it anymore that one of them has an accident. When they do go on the carpet now (they are free-roamers) we are almost sure it's not an accident, but rather, them making a "statement". They seem to only use the floor when they are mad at us for not letting them outside in their cage out doors etc. For instance, when we leave them alone for too many hours, they will sometimes poop on the floor and smear it in just to show us that they're displeased with us leaving. But mostly, they go in their poop bin. : In February, we adopted another ig--a 3 year-old male--from the local petstore. I was worried about potty training him, because there at the petstore, he was forced to poop in his tiny cage and then sit in it all day long. He was covered with poop when I brought him home, and had not been allowed to go to the bathroom in water. For the first several days he pooped right in his new bed-into the freshly washed bedding I made him. He had no idea that he should use another area to relieve himself in. : I was SO frustrated! I was used to a potty trained, clean, freshly bathed iguana (Habib) and was having a hard time with Bobbit (the male) because he had no clue about using his water bin. But, slowly, after putting him in the warm water at the same time day after day, he got the hang of it and now he always uses it on his own--sometimes twice in a day all by himself. : : Even in their outside cage, we provide them with a rubbermaid bin (buy the most shallow one you can find. If it's too deep, they can't get in and out. Look for one that's only three or four inches deep) and they seem to always use it. They will climb down from the basking spot, go to the b-room, and climb back up. Much more hygenic than sitting in poop all day! : I hope this helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions after reading this. I'd be happy to help you further. : Good luck! : Diana : PS: Oh, I forgot to add that when first tring to train Bobbit, when he couldn't seem to go, I would stand near him and slowly and softly pour warm cups of water over his back. It sort of soothed him, and the sound of running water seemed to help him go. Sometimes, it can take up to a few minutes for them to go, but they almost always eventually do. : Also, you can put your ig right into the bath-tub to go to the bathroom. Personally, I like the idea of having a "poop bin" better because they can't climb into the bath-tub by themselves; you have to put them in it every day, and make sure they don't have an accident. Also, I like to take long baths myself and the idea of bathing in an iguana toilet just doesn't sit well with me. But I think many ig owners just use the tub and let the poop and urates go down the drain. Spray the tub with antibacterial spray and you're done! It's up to you how you want to do it. I think the key is consistency. Put them in the water each day at the same time, pour warm water over their backs and gently praise them and say nice things to them. It works!

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