# Roaming



## Mlthomas59 (Sep 24, 2018)

3 times a week we allow Flash to roam the house while we clean his cage. He hasn't quite figured out the dog door yet.


I guess it is time to close the hatch.


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## Gillian M (Sep 25, 2018)

Please do not allow your tort to roam around the house. He could hurt himself, one could kick him by mistake, he could swallow something harmful, God forbid.

And a very warm welcome to the forum.


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## Mlthomas59 (Sep 25, 2018)

Gillian Moore said:


> Please do not allow your tort to roam around the house. He could hurt himself, one could kick him by mistake, he could swallow something harmful, God forbid.
> 
> And a very warm welcome to the forum.


I watch him closely and I am the only one in the area. I monitor him real closely. I follow him around. I would never let him rat anything nor get into anything harmful. Any area gets blocked and sweeped up before he is turned out. It's not like he is left out on his own. I follow him closely to eliminate any harm. I'm not that new to raising animals or that neglecting .


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## Minority2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Mlthomas59 said:


> I watch him closely and I am the only one in the area. I monitor him real closely. I follow him around. I would never let him rat anything nor get into anything harmful. Any area gets blocked and sweeped up before he is turned out. It's not like he is left out on his own. I follow him closely to eliminate any harm. I'm not that new to raising animals or that neglecting .



Here is a very good example of what can occur with allowing your tortoise to walk on the cold floors of you home. Keep in mind that tortoises will not completely empty their bowels whenever they're soaked: 


saginawhxc said:


> Unless you followed him around with a heat lamp there is no keeping them warm at floor level. Almost all floors (unless you have in floor heat) are way colder and draftier than we realize. They are cold blooded and NEED an external heat source to stay warm. Plus there are threats of the tortoise eating things it shouldn't such as hair, trash, etc... These things could lead to impaction which could lead to a very sick or even dead tortoise. All in all, probably should skip letting him wander the floor.
> 
> Plus, the other day we were having a minor heating crisis in my outdoor housing so I put my 11 pound sulcata on the floor of my living room for just a few minutes. It's something I've never done. He proceeded to poop on my floor and then track poopy footprints all over my floor. While I was cleaning that he proceeded to flash out his disgusting tort penis and drag it all over my living room floor. During this entire time my 19 month old daughter is chasing him around the room and cackling with laughter. I spent over an hour cleaning and disinfecting the room to the best of my ability. This was all for 15 minutes of time on my floor.



If you feel that roaming space is needed, a separate temporary outdoor enclosure would be much safer than the floors of your home. The vibrations you make while closely following your tortoise on the floor may also cause stress and fear.


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## Mlthomas59 (Sep 25, 2018)

Minority2 said:


> Here is a very good example of what can occur with allowing your tortoise to walk on the cold floors of you home. Keep in mind that tortoises will not completely empty their bowels whenever they're soaked:
> 
> 
> If you feel that roaming space is needed, a separate temporary outdoor enclosure would be much safer than the floors of your home. The vibrations you make while closely following your tortoise on the floor may also cause stress and fear.


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## Gillian M (Sep 25, 2018)

Minority2 said:


> Here is a very good example of what can occur with allowing your tortoise to walk on the cold floors of you home. Keep in mind that tortoises will not completely empty their bowels whenever they're soaked:
> 
> 
> If you feel that roaming space is needed, a separate temporary outdoor enclosure would be much safer than the floors of your home. The vibrations you make while closely following your tortoise on the floor may also cause stress and fear.


I agree though at the same time I would not allow Oli to roam around the flat.


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## Mlthomas59 (Sep 25, 2018)

As far as heated floors I believe 92 degrees in the room was enough heat since we don't use the a.c. as far as hair and stuff like that the floor was swept before hand as far as feces he had his movement beforehand. I don't mind cleaning up after him we don't have any infants to worry about. 
And now mind you his indoor cage is part of the floor he was roaming on I just opened his gates. And yes he does go outside once it warms up, but we also allow him freedom while we are watching him, key words watching him.


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## Gillian M (Sep 25, 2018)

Mlthomas59 said:


> As far as heated floors I believe 92 degrees in the room was enough heat since we don't use the a.c. as far as hair and stuff like that the floor was swept before hand as far as feces he had his movement beforehand. I don't mind cleaning up after him we don't have any infants to worry about.
> And now mind you his indoor cage is part of the floor he was roaming on I just opened his gates. And yes he does go outside once it warms up, but we also allow him freedom while we are watching him, key words watching him.


Any pics of the cage you mentioned?


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## wellington (Sep 25, 2018)

If I am reading your post correctly, the indoor cage which sits on the floor is more like a fenced off area in the room, rather then an actual cage? Then you open the gate and he can go into the rest of the room, correct?


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## Gillian M (Sep 25, 2018)

wellington said:


> If I am reading your post correctly, the indoor cage which sits on the floor is more like a fenced off area in the room, rather then an actual cage? Then you open the gate and he can go into the rest of the room, correct?


That's exactly what I understood, though I'm not sure.


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## Mlthomas59 (Sep 25, 2018)

You know I'm not even going to respond so that you can bash me as well


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## Mlthomas59 (Sep 25, 2018)

All I'm going to say is my tortoises has a clean bill of health with the vet and is a HAPPY tortoises who is very loved and cared for. He is not neglected like you all are making it sound like you all don't know me from Adam and have no right bashing me!!!!


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## wellington (Sep 25, 2018)

Mlthomas59 said:


> As far as heated floors I believe 92 degrees in the room was enough heat since we don't use the a.c. as far as hair and stuff like that the floor was swept before hand as far as feces he had his movement beforehand. I don't mind cleaning up after him we don't have any infants to worry about.
> And now mind you his indoor cage is part of the floor he was roaming on I just opened his gates. And yes he does go outside once it warms up, but we also allow him freedom while we are watching him, key words watching him.


Just be sure he is not living on a slippery floor. This will harm his legs and leg muscles and he will not be able to properly walk. Even if you can put proper substrate in his actual cage or fenced off area, if you haven't already. 
Btw, love the pic of him by the doggie door. If it were lower, I bet he'd be going out it in no time. If you can give him a fenced area outside he'd rather be there. If it's got the doggie door fenced into his outside space, a ramp on both sides of the doggie door might work with a little help from you at first.


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## TammyJ (Sep 25, 2018)

Hi and welcome to the site. If you stick around a while, you will be glad, although it may seem at first that you are being criticised. It's only the very experienced members here trying to help you keep a healthy, thriving tortoise! Flash is beautiful and if you came here for help or advice on his care, you are sure to get all you need! So please provide us with all the information you can on how you keep him, what you feed, substrate in his enclosure, humidity etc. - and some more pictures! Thank you.


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## Yvonne G (Sep 25, 2018)

Hey, Michele: I'm sorry you feel you are being bashed. That certainly is NOT our intention. It's just that some of us have done what you're doing and have had poor to bad results from it. So we want you to not have to experience what we've experienced. It's only for the safety of your tortoise, and no bashing intended. Here's a link to a thread about this same subject for you to read:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/roaming-in-the-house.158702/#post-1498362


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## Gillian M (Sep 25, 2018)

Yvonne G said:


> Hey, Michele: I'm sorry you feel you are being bashed. That certainly is NOT our intention. It's just that some of us have done what you're doing and have had poor to bad results from it. So we want you to not have to experience what we've experienced. It's only for the safety of your tortoise, and no bashing intended. Here's a link to a thread about this same subject for you to read:
> 
> https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/roaming-in-the-house.158702/#post-1498362



Definitely *NOT *our intention. I recall was told the same thing when I joined the forum.


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## wellington (Sep 25, 2018)

Mlthomas59 said:


> All I'm going to say is my tortoises has a clean bill of health with the vet and is a HAPPY tortoises who is very loved and cared for. He is not neglected like you all are making it sound like you all don't know me from Adam and have no right bashing me!!!!


No one is bashing you and we certainly don't think you are neglecting him. We are just sharing what we know and have learned and seen about things you are doing that can be harmful. If we didn't point them out too you and something happened, we have failed as tortoise/animal lovers. We just want the best for your tortoise as you do and to be sure you know of the possible dangers so you can catch them before it happens. 
If you seen someone caring for an animal and you seen a possible danger in the care of housing, would you sit by and saying nothing, letting the animal possibly get hurt? We point out what needs improving, changed or what could be a danger. Then it's up to you to take action or not. It is our job responsibility as a forum and animal lover to point these things out incase you or anyone else didn't know.


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## jamespc (Nov 4, 2018)

Hi there,

Is he a California Desert Tortoise? I have one too. I was given mine by a colleague who had rescues with babies. Mine looks the same as yours and is about 15 years old now. I keep him in a revised planting bed during the hot summer months with boards on top of the bed for shade and this time of year he is in a reptile terrarium in the office. I do not heat him anymore, he hibernates and wakes and sleeps when he wants. I used to have him in crushed almond shells but now have him in a substrate made from oats and it makes his poop hard and easy pick up. Do your tortoise seems to know you? Mine does not even though I have had him since he was a baby and I used to watch TV with him on my chest and bathe him in a salad bowl with warm water every so often.


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