This is essentially what I do. If he's hanging around by the door, I let him out. If he's awake when I'm hanging around in the living room, I open the door and if he feels like it he comes out. He does like to go on a tour of the living room every evening, at least in the summer when the living room is a pretty comfortable place for him. In the winter it's not quite as appealing!
If he comes out on his own, he always gets picked up at some point and sometimes I bring him with me while puttering around the house if he's not ready to go back in - meaning, I hold him up next to the door and let him go back if he wants. If he's had enough, he goes back on his own. Sometimes I have to just put him back because I have to go to bed or whatever. Especially in the summer though (when the house is at least warm and humid enough for his comfort, if a little too much so for ours), I see no problem in letting him roam the living room for an hour or two if he wants.
I'm pretty sure he gets that we're connected with the doors opening. Sometimes when he sees us enter the room, he'll come out of his hide and start nosing at the door to be let out.
When he's in shed or heading toward blue, he doesn't particularly want to come out, so I don't make him unless there's some reason in particular like cleaning or doing something to his cage.
I figure that when it's his choice, handling and exploring time is good exercise and enrichment. If I just haul him out whenever I feel like it whether he's in the mood or not, it's more likely to be a cause of stress or reinforce negative associations with being handled.
Coluber, Love this post. I’ve read that one aspect of enrichment is letting the animal make choices. You don’t force yourself on your critter so he starts to see you as a “friend” and so you’ve gained his trust.
Personal opinion. Most species in the pet trade are ok to handle and build relationships with. Some like GTPs and a few others are more for display because they can be nippy. Hots I would not handle at all.
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Originally Posted by Coluber42
