- Joined
- Dec 16, 2011
- Messages
- 195
When you see someone who obviously has their tortoise (or turtle) in inappropriate housing do you say something? If yes, how do you so without coming off as rude or like a know-it-all?
I know of a person who has several tortoises and turtles and really hasn't done much for research on a proper setup. The turtles are in a MUCH too small aquarium and the tortoises have lived off of grocery store greens (i.e. lettuce) for quite some time now. Time and time again I've made (friendly) suggestions, sent article links, showed them my setup and even suggested visiting this forum and I get passed off as someone who is trying to act like I'm the better pet owner, when really I'm just concerned for the well being of this persons animals.
And then there have been several instances where I've seen random setups in various places online and once in a pet store that were just horrific! I don't know any of these people personally, so I feel a bit bossy making suggestions, but at the same time I feel like I have to do something. Generally I comment along the lines of "That's a lovely tortoise you have there, but did you know if you blah, blah, blah you'll have an even better set up and s/he will be healthier?" This lead to eye rolls and yelling.
The whole thing just infuriates me. I have loved tortoises and turtle my entire life and have wanted to own a tortoise for as long as I can remember...but I didn't. I wanted until I had the means to provide the best home I could. And I spent months reading every book and website on care I could find, researching breeds, and lurking on here so that I knew as much as I could before I even ordered my little guy. And then to see these people out there...buying them from pet stores and what not without having any idea about lighting, food, how much space they need, etc...it just makes me so sad.
I'm sorry this kind of turned into rambling rant. It's something that has been on my mind for a while now and I was just wondering how others approach it. Thanks for any thoughts!
And I wanted to add that I am VERY thankful for this forum! I'm not a huge poster, but I do read through tons of threads and love the information I get. This forum has been an extremely valuable resource in my first year as a tortoise parent.
I know of a person who has several tortoises and turtles and really hasn't done much for research on a proper setup. The turtles are in a MUCH too small aquarium and the tortoises have lived off of grocery store greens (i.e. lettuce) for quite some time now. Time and time again I've made (friendly) suggestions, sent article links, showed them my setup and even suggested visiting this forum and I get passed off as someone who is trying to act like I'm the better pet owner, when really I'm just concerned for the well being of this persons animals.
And then there have been several instances where I've seen random setups in various places online and once in a pet store that were just horrific! I don't know any of these people personally, so I feel a bit bossy making suggestions, but at the same time I feel like I have to do something. Generally I comment along the lines of "That's a lovely tortoise you have there, but did you know if you blah, blah, blah you'll have an even better set up and s/he will be healthier?" This lead to eye rolls and yelling.
The whole thing just infuriates me. I have loved tortoises and turtle my entire life and have wanted to own a tortoise for as long as I can remember...but I didn't. I wanted until I had the means to provide the best home I could. And I spent months reading every book and website on care I could find, researching breeds, and lurking on here so that I knew as much as I could before I even ordered my little guy. And then to see these people out there...buying them from pet stores and what not without having any idea about lighting, food, how much space they need, etc...it just makes me so sad.
I'm sorry this kind of turned into rambling rant. It's something that has been on my mind for a while now and I was just wondering how others approach it. Thanks for any thoughts!
And I wanted to add that I am VERY thankful for this forum! I'm not a huge poster, but I do read through tons of threads and love the information I get. This forum has been an extremely valuable resource in my first year as a tortoise parent.