Diet and feeding

[jcalpacagirl34]

I have a 1 year old male red foot tortoise. I have only had him a couple of weeks and I am wondering why he only likes the Mazuri tortoise diet and the wet cat food i give him once in a while. He won't eat any fruits (mangos, pineapples, papaya, strawberries and raspberries) or veggies (leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes and spring mix) that I offer him. Is it possible he is getting all his nutrients from the commercial diet and the cat food? Does anyone have any suggestions on other foods I can offer him and other methods I can try to get him to eat other things? Thank you

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Well don't forget torts are a lot like kids they like candy ! But we have to be the adults and choose the good food for them !

 

[JoesMum]

Well don't forget torts are a lot like kids they like candy ! But we have to be the adults and choose the good food for them !

Your tortoise is being stubborn. They're good at that.

As Grandpa Turtle says torts can behave like a child that only wants to eat chips and chocolate.

The know what they like and they like what they know. Mazuri is addictive!

You're the one supplying the food. You're the one in charge.

Your tortoise will not starve itself. It can go a long time without food and come to no harm as long as it is soaked for at least 30 minutes every day that it refuses food.

To introduce new foods:
1. chop them up and smear them thoroughly in Mazuri so your tort can't only eat the Mazuri
2. If your tort eats the food reduce the Mazuri a little at the next feed
3. If your tort refuses, leave the food in place for 24 hours and then replace with a fresh mix in exactly the same proportion as the day before.

Keep going until you can serve food with no Mazuri at all. It will probably take weeks. Take it slowly.

Be strong, we're here for you. Your tort will go on hunger strike, but you're doing it for your tort's own good.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I and many others have had this exact same issue.
Your tortoise will eventually eat other things once is it good and hungry.
Also, they can go a LONG time without eating. Weeks. Months. It won't starve to death.
Once you break the cycle. You can still feed the Mazuri. And eventually the tortoise will know that it will come sooner or later and still will eat everything else.