Pet World has a little 4 inch Red Foot now. What a sweetie it is.

In the absence of being able to buy every tortoise I see, I've made it my own personal mission to call out the manager of every store and tell them what needs to be done for the Torts in their care.

Sure they won't listen, and they'll dread seeing me come, but maybe after enough months they'll try to get SOME things right just so they don't have to hear about it.

So this little sweetie was COVERED with mites or something... little tiny bugs just crawling all over her neck and front legs and in the shell in that area. I showed an floor person and told her what needed to be done, but then I called the manager that was on. Unfortunately it wasn't the guy that has tons of torts himself, and this lady was like "I don't see anything but we'll soak her anyway." Turns out they've reused the substrate in that cage for the last several "residents" of that cage... so they need some clean substrate as well.

I'll go back in a few days and talk to the manager guy who has the torts at home. Make sure he gets things taken care of.

Or I'll be back. MWAHAHHAHAHAA!

(LOL!) Oh and I don't try to approach them all "know it all" like... more like "I understand you haven't had this one for more than a week so you really couldn't know what it came with and this is common so all he needs is a simple soak and clean cage..." blah blah blah!



(And maybe one day I'll go back for her.... but not for a month or two at least... and not if she looks really healthy actually 'cause then she has a chance of getting bought and not staying there for months and months and months)

Kelly,
I wonder if printing up some specific care sheets would help.?To have the pet store hand out when they sell them?
The pet store near me usually gets some kid to cover the "exotic" dept. Once in awhile it's one who truely has an interest and even less occasionally they get someone very knowledgable, but they never stay.I have been debating doing that my self.(Printing some care sheets) Do we have a spot on this site that we can post care sheets that can be printed from?I know I can go to other sites. I just hate thinking about when the people who have no clue buy them. Gee maybe I'll get the plastic dish with the plastic palm tree along with this little turtle for my kid..... UGH I could just scream!!!! Nay

Petsmart passes out care sheets, but they are always totally WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Care sheets are a great idea, I am planning on having some done for my WTTS site when I get it up and going. If so anyone is more than welcome to print them off and pass them on to pet stores, etc. Maybe Danny has some written or could be persuaded to write some?

So I went back to check on the little sweetie. They had taken care of the mights, and changed out the substrate (about time!) That was good.

BUT she wouldn't open her eyes AT ALL, not even a sliver. The day prior they decided to give her eye drops... since her eyes were watery. :\ I told the floor girl AND the manager that those watery eyes meant the tank (yes of course it's a glass tank) is not humid enough for her and all she needs is more misting/more humidity. But they forced eye drops on her and now she won't open her eyes.

IDIOTS! I hope they don't do more damage to her. :\

Kelly, I think I just heard something. What? What was that? Oh...I think it was a little tort calling your name! LOL

Dude I wish but my tort funds are more than spent this month! And they're asking a pretty penny for her!!! I hope she'll do okay for another month!!!!!!!!!

I recently had a similar experience but with a different outcome. Saw arf in alocal privately owned petshot kept in dry, cool enclosure ( this was roomy for change) being fed dry tort chow and lettuce. She had a small water dish. I spoke to the owner about proper care of a rf. He promply upping the heat to about 85, gave her a larger water bowl (large enough for her soaking), and a hide with dampened moss and said he would get proper diet for her and also research further about them. He is primarily a snake guy but concerned about all. Checked back a few days later and changes had been made. Some pet shops see that healthy animals sell well. He is about 1 mile from a Petco & Petsmart that can't understand why their herps don"t sell well. I wonder why.

Update on petshop tort. Friday when in to check on her and found her dry enviorment without hide (tort in hide doesn't sell well). When into horsetrader mode and walked out with her.Suggested setup was ideal for large male bearded dragon, which he said sell better. Okay. Put her in her new home, where she soaked for about 1/2 hour, gave her welcome dinner of necturines and collards (went for the collards immediately), and then settled into her damp moss bed. She is now a happy 4.5 inch rf.

Congrats Itort! So happy when I hear stories of rescue. You will have to give us some pics!