My BGK is older but he's been coming out of his cave LOTS since I've been hand feeding him. He is usually outside of his cave in the afternoons and evenings now...I guess whenever I'm in the room. I think he likes having "a buddy or an equal" because he rules the tank. Sometimes, not at feeding time, when I can see his nose coming in and out of his cave, I wave my finger in the area and it is kind of like a game. Eventually, he comes out for a visit.
I guess if he had a another GK in his tank, he might not hang out with me so much. I can't help compare it to dogs though. You can have two dogs that love each other, but they still really want that "one to one close time" with their humans as often as they can have it. I'm convinced that when I'm hanging out with our TSN or our BGK and find myself smiling at them with total love, they must sense it. Some would say......and I guess a few months ago, so would I.