# Letting you Tort walk around the house



## Gunter (Apr 2, 2012)

So I want to let my tort walk around my house.Only problem,if I do my mother will only let me if I clean up any droppings right when they come out.But I want to let her walk around so should I soak here before letting her to walk around?


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## matt581 (Apr 2, 2012)

We let are sulcata walk around the house they say not to be hes like a dog lol. We only let him do that 2 times a week or so and thats in the winter. Summer outside lol.


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## JoesMum (Apr 2, 2012)

A daily soak seems to regulate peeing disasters. It's not 100% foolproof though.

Many keepers don't like to let their torts wander. Joe can in our tiled conservatory, but I value my carpets elsewhere.

You need to take care that he can't catch on any cables and pull things down (our radio didn't work after it hit the conservatory floor) and there's nothing your tort could eat in mistake for food. The other problem is making sure he doesn't get too cool to eat properly.

Don't fall out with your mother over this. I'm a mum and I know how horrible it can be to clear up tortoise wee and poo... I don't know how they do so much!


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## ascott (Apr 2, 2012)

A healthy happy tortoise is always locked and loaded....ready to go off at will....


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## Katherine (Apr 2, 2012)

I probably would not let your tortoise walk around the house. Nevermind the droppings/mess he could create, a house has many hazards to a tortoise of any size. Even a cleared and supervised area will have cooler temps and artificial flooring which can be hard for a tortoise to navigate/locomote on. Why are you thinking you want to him to walk around the house? Perhaps we can help you explore another solution which keeps both your tortoise and his droppings off the floor of the house : ) If you must, I would soak him both before and after his supervised indoor stroll to ensure he stays hydrated and also to ensure you get any particulate matter, hair, chemical cleaning products and other things he could have picked up from the floor off his underside and feet.


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## Madkins007 (Apr 2, 2012)

You can keep the house clean, and you can make it safe for the tort. With some work, you can even make it warm, etc. for him.

My question, though, is what do you think he is getting out of this?

He is being stressed by being picked up and moved, and dropped in an unfamiliar habitat with no obvious hides or shelters from dread predators. Yes, there is a benefit to stimulating them, and many torts, especially red-footeds, like to explore new places, but this is a stressful thing to do.

A common answer is 'exercise', and my response to that is to make a bigger habitat. Seriously- that way he can exercise when he wants to, not when you decide to do it to him.


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## JoeImhof (Apr 6, 2012)

Madkins007 said:


> He is being stressed by being picked up and moved, and dropped in an unfamiliar habitat with no obvious hides or shelters from dread predators. Yes, there is a benefit to stimulating them, and many torts, especially red-footeds, like to explore new places, but this is a stressful thing to do.



Actually, not at our house. They come out many days per week, so it is not an "unfamilar habitat". Also, we have some big blankets out in the room where we let them out, and a big blanket is one of the best hides ever! the love to climb inside and under the blanket.
That part of our house is very familar to them, and has hides.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 7, 2012)

If you set your home up right, and live by yourself or share your life w/ understanding folks, having a house tortoise can work, as long as you're careful to tortoise-proof your home. 

My first tortoise had the run of my homes for the most part (had her for 19 years, after she'd been w/ my grandfather for 30-odd years, who also allowed her run of his house during the winter, and out in his garden during the warm months)...

One thing that I insisted on in every apartment/house we shared was a "doggie door" to the porch, so she could go out and sun herself at will. 

Inside, she had a warm spot on the bottom shelf of my bookcase via a heating pad directly beneath and a plant spotlight just above her spot, so she could alway warm up at will.

Obviously, this might be difficult with a sulcata, or other large tortoise, but she was a Hermann's, so it worked out fine.

And I soaked her every day, so she had relatively few "accidents", but I also always had a roll of paper towels on hand, 'cause she wasn't perfect...just delightful.


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## qixer01 (Apr 7, 2012)

My newly adopted Sulcata get to run around inside at night and when it is too cold outside. He has not had a accident since I got him. When he needs to go poop he goes to either the front door or back door and sits there. He stays inside every night. He has a heating pad and blanket that he knows is his. After his "bath" he goes to bed on his heating pad. Lol


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## Kerryann (Apr 9, 2012)

I have designated areas for my tortoises inside. My vet said that you have to be careful because they will eat stupid stuff that may be very small and hard to see. My marginated is more shy and scared but my russian isn't uncomfortable or scared at all. In the area I put up for them, I put up an area they can go hide in if they want. My marginated used to hide when we first got him but now he roams. The russian never hid and in fact climbs all over me and my husband. Last night I had her out and she was chasing our feet and biting our toes. 
We always re-clean the area before we put the tortoises in and we also monitor them the entire time they are outside of their enclosures. 
I also have a barrier up so that our dogs can't be in the same area as the tortoises.
There is a lot to worry about


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## b16 vas (Apr 9, 2012)

It's a lot of hassle but they seem to enjoy having a roam around so I always let them out.


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## Vegasarah (Apr 10, 2012)

Well personally, I have converted an entire area of my kitchen into my tort's 'play area'. I have tile, so clean-up is a snap as far as droppings go. I have up a baby gate to keep him in and my other critters out. I have a piece of slate and a light for basking set up for him. A dish of water and I even sprinkle some greens around for him to nibble on if he wants to. He has a couple of hides too, but he doesn't use them.
I put him in there every day for some 'exercise' if I see him doing laps in his enclosure. Usually after his soaks I let him loose. But only for an hour or so at a time so he doesn't dry out. He seems to enjoy it, he is a very curious tort.


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## rachaelbramwell (Apr 11, 2012)

Hi my tortoise has always roamed around my house daily and he is 12 now, he makes us laugh as he has his favourite places like under the bean bag this is when i no he,s ready to go back in where its nice and warm,he even scratches at the patio door to get outside when its nice and yes believe it or not he does come back to the door to get in like a dog ! you are right mind lol do bath before or it will stain !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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