# Tortoise care when you're away



## pdrobber (Jan 3, 2012)

A recent thread got me thinking about what I do and what others do when they go away and leave their tortoises for a few days but I didn't want to propose my discussion in the OP's thread so that they could get clear answers to their own advice seeking. 

Do you get a sitter to do everything exactly the same you do and hope that they actually do? Does the species and age really decide? (Russians being able to do OK in lower temps, whereas another species might be much more susceptible to sickness if cold and off a consistent environment pattern)

I personally have been making sure mine are well fed and hydrated before I leave, then turn off the lights and the lights stay off until I return. They do not get fed until I return either. It is absolutely never more than a few days. (although we know tortoises can go awhile without eating, as we recommend tough love strategy when stubborn tortoises don't eat what they should be) I feel this is safer because there is less/no risk of fire being caused by a light malfunction/falling. There is no/less chance of bulb exploding/burning out/shattering. There is no/less chance of a tortoise being flipped over and baking under the basking spot. 

A few months ago I remember there being a discussion about keeping lights off for a day once in awhile to simulate a cloudy cool weather day. 

So are they fed while you're gone? Do you turn off the lights and make it seem just like a cloudy, cool break in the weather so that they are less active and rest? With subadult/adult Russians in a home that doesn't get too cool I feel this is OK. With hatchlings/young tortoises or other species this might not be possible to do, right? or at least it might not be passed off as OK as quickly. 

Depending on your location and climate, and how long you're gone for, do you move your tortoises inside for security issues? or move them outside for feeding/lighting access? 

Please share your methods/opinions.


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## cherylim (Jan 3, 2012)

As yet, I've only been away from Emrys for one night at most. I simply left him with clean water when I went at 7am one morning, and kept his light off. When I returned at approximately 3pm the next day, he was up and sitting on his basking slate under the light, anyway. Still had plenty of water, his plants were fine and that was all there was to it.

Before I got him, I knew that if I planned to go away for longer than two nights I'd be requiring outside care. I collated a few local places that offered a boarding service, I found a few pet-sitters who would come to my house and follow my instructions, and I also found that the pet shop I purchased him from also offer a boarding service that I could rely on if I wanted to.

Of the two options, I do prefer the idea of a petsitter, and knowing Emrys is in his home environment. However, that would require me to allow a stranger into my home during my time away, and I'm nervous enough when the landlord sends someone to check the gas and electric! 

Boarding seems like the safer option for my property, but it requires me to move Emrys, sort out 'temporary accommodation' for him, and I guess I have this niggling fear that something would happen and they'd try to send me away with a different tortoise. 

Emrys being more important than my general home property, I expect I'd take the pet-sitter route.

Longer-term care is something I'll come to if I ever need to, though I imagine I could rely on a lot of people to look after Emrys if I wanted a week or fortnight away. For the most part, I'll be planning all future holidays around him, choosing pet-friendly places in the UK wherever possible.


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## wellington (Jan 3, 2012)

I have left mine for four days. I leave everything as is. My lights etc are on timers. I over feed a little before I leave on the first day in the early a.m. I have never had my tort flip so I don't have to worry about that, I make sure there is no way possible for him to do that. I grow grass and weeds in his enclosure, so he can eat while I am gone. I also put some ground up Mazuri for variety and make sure his dish has fresh water. He has two separate enclosure join by a tunnel. The one side has a MVB for day time and Che for night. The other side only has a Che and gets some light from the MVB. He can go back and forth as he pleases. I turn off the humidifier but water both enclosures before I leave. I will be vacationing in Hawaii on spring break for 7 days. My parents will be taking my dog and tort for then. I think he would be fine, but I don't want to worry about him while relaxing on the beach, sipping mai tais  
I have left my cat, bird, lizards, fish, hedgehog on their own while gone for upto 5 days and I have never had a problem. If done right, there is no reason it can't be done. I actually have had more problems with my dog when I have had to board her. The reason my parents take her now when possible.


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## itsmeshell (Jan 3, 2012)

I have left stumpy my Russian for 3 nights 4 days. His lights are on timers and I just feed him extra before I go and leave some in his enclosure out of the way of his heat bulb. I soak him before I go and top up his water dish. He has always been fine but I wouldnt leave him alone any longer. I wud probably move him to my parents I think.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 3, 2012)

Hi Peter:

Because I have so many animals, I have to have someone come in twice daily and look in on them. I have all the food ready and in the fridge so all they have to do is grab a bag, feed, open doors and turn on lights. Then they have to come back at night and make sure everyone has gone into their house, turn off lights, close doors.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Jan 3, 2012)

We hire a person to live at our place while we are both gone. Main concern is if one gets turned over and general observations.


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## Katherine (Jan 3, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> We hire a person to live at our place while we are both gone. Main concern is if one gets turned over and general observations.



Same. I don't really feel that mine "need" someone to feed them or adjust their environment if I am leaving for a week; but in the unlikely event they flip over and not right themselves or get injured somehow it would be very unfortunate if no one were around. I would rather hire someone for my own peace of mind then wonder about them the whole time I am away. Our big tortoises also have free reign to leave their warm night houses and graze but every once in a blue moon I have a lone tortoise decide to go to bed somewhere other than their warm house at night. If I am leaving during the cooler months my pet sitter can also ensure no one is out in the cold overnight. I know lots of people who leave reptiles alone without an issue and if I am going for a day or two then I will consider leaving them be; but anything longer I always get a sitter.


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## LittlefootNCera (Jan 3, 2012)

We are big time RVers so I am already obsessively mulling this one over. We take our dog and leave food/water for the cats. We are rarely gone more than 4 days. I am however imagining I will need a pet sitter twice daily. We average 1weekend a month Fri-Mon between March and Oct. with about two weekends a month in may/june/july.


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## EKLC (Jan 3, 2012)

lights are on timers, and I have a webcam set up. I check up on my tort and if there were a problem I would call a roomate to sort it out.


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## Floof (Jan 3, 2012)

I haven't had to leave my guys alone for more than a day yet, but have a trip to visit family planned in a couple weeks that'll have me away for 5 days. We're having friends pet-sit the dogs, and my plan is to pay their son to come in and feed the torts and beardie while we're gone. Lights are on timers.

If I only had the Russians, I'd likely be fine feeding them extra heavily for 2-3 days before leaving, then turning off everything but one basking light (on a timer) so they still have heat without worrying about unnecessary extra fire hazards, and calling it good. But I don't feel comfortable leaving the leopard tort without food and fresh water for so long. He's too little.


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 3, 2012)

My lights are on timers and I have someone come in and feed. Most of my animals are rescues that are pretty fragile so I don't want to be gone for 4 or 5 days and not feed them and have a problem getting them to eat when I come home. I have been pretty sick and not fed at the normal time and if you do that a couple days in a row those animals then don't eat. I'd leave box turtles in a heart beat...but I don't normally feed them every day anyway.


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## N2TORTS (Jan 3, 2012)

I never go anywhere "because" of all my shelled buddies! ....omph


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## Baoh (Jan 3, 2012)

I leave mine be. I do not change their habitats, although flipping under an intense heat source is a valid concern. I may feed extra beforehand, but typically not. I tend to do a thorough soak before and after. In my experience, a human error can prove far more dangerous to my animals than being left to their own means. On the occasions where tragic events have unfolded for my animals, other humans supposedly meaning well have always been at the root.


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## Katherine (Jan 4, 2012)

Baoh said:


> I tend to do a thorough soak before and after. In my experience, a human error can prove far more dangerous to my animals than being left to their own means.



I also do goodbye soaks. I agree with your very valid point that a well meaning but unfamiliar human can do a lot of harm; if leaving an animal with a petsitter (even one you know and trust) I think it is imperative you walk them through your daily routine multiple times and leave an extensive contact list for them. I personally make the tasks as simple as possible generally limited to "observation" Asking a person unfamiliar to tortoises to soak them could leave you with a chilly, scalded or drowned tortoise. Some things innate to an owner (like water depth and temperature of a soak) maybe be misinterpreted by a well meaning sitter so if you are entrusting your animals to someone keep it simple and SPECIFIC.


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## JoesMum (Jan 4, 2012)

In summer, Joe's out in the garden and fends for himself. Our next door neighbour can see him over fence and comes round to feed him.

Normally he hibernates in the winter. He hasn't this year, but when we went away for 2 nights at Christmas we did a mini hibernation. Popped him out in the unheated (but frost protected) conservatory for the duration and he didn't move at all the entire time. He was back to his normal self in under 24 hours.


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## GBtortoises (Jan 4, 2012)

Baoh said:


> I leave mine be. I do not change their habitats, although flipping under an intense heat source is a valid concern. I may feed extra beforehand, but typically not. I tend to do a thorough soak before and after. In my experience, a human error can prove far more dangerous to my animals than being left to their own means. On the occasions where tragic events have unfolded for my animals, other humans supposedly meaning well have always been at the root.



I completely agree! I don't change anything in their normal routine except to ensure that they're fed normally and well hydrated before I leave.


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## tortoises101 (Jan 4, 2012)

My future tortoises will consist of Asian and Madagascan species. With those rarities, I would definitely get a friend to take care of them while I'm gone, leaving them some caresheets, maintenance instructions, and a vet's phone number in case of emergencies.


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## Talka (Jan 4, 2012)

I just fork over the cash for the vet. My parents helped me over Christmas since it was $200 to board him for 10 days. Expensive, yes. But they fed him well, soaked him, and otherwise left him alone as instructed. I called a couple times to ask about his care and how he was doing. He returned to me a little more outgoing than before, too!


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## zesty_17 (Jan 4, 2012)

it depends on the time of year & length of time i will be gone. winter months, all turtles are inside, lights off, lids/etc on the tanks/enclosures etc to keep the cats out. all the box turtles get is pelleted food and grass and self-waterer. water turtles get no food while i am gone. sitter can feed 1x in the middle of my absence, and make sure the waterers are working. the only exception to this is the baby box turtles, in which i set them up at the sitter's house with heat, etc and had her water & mist daily, & feed them every other day. So far this has worked for us. in the summer the food schedule is the same, but they are outside instead of in the house.


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## Morty the Torty (Jan 4, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> We hire a person to live at our place while we are both gone. Main concern is if one gets turned over and general observations.



Do your adults ever flip over?


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## ALDABRAMAN (Jan 4, 2012)

N2TORTS said:


> I never go anywhere "because" of all my shelled buddies! ....omph



 I believe you.





Morty the Torty said:


> ALDABRAMAN said:
> 
> 
> > We hire a person to live at our place while we are both gone. Main concern is if one gets turned over and general observations.
> ...



 Not often, however it has happened with some of our smaller males in the past during breeding attempts.


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