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Maggie Cummings

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I am on a list serve specifically for Sulcata and leopards. There are several members who treat their Sulcata like dogs living in the house on the floor and sleeping with the house dog in dog blankets. They say the torts are trained to poop on paper. and one member keeps diapers on his tort. I have given my opinion and you all can imagine what it is and I am told that "Everyone does the best they can and everyone's circumstances are different." At this point I have lost my temper but I can't fight about it as my membership is iffy due to my argumentative sweet nature. Anyhow, I have given my 2 cents worth and am backed by the members who count. But now others are being heard from and they are saying it's alright to keep Sulcata in the house like dogs. They sleep on the floor under a light and they have free roam of the house.
I am especially frustrated by the guy who keeps his tort in diapers. Is he serious?
Any opinions?
 

dmmj

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A tortoise is not a dog, when my sulcata barks at me and stands on it's hind legs maybe then I will treat it like a dog, until then keep them outside and please no diapers. Diapers really?
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Pictures of the diapers? He says that his tortoises tail can straighten out inside the diaper to poop. But I know that Bob and my other torts poop all day long. I imagine that having poop against the cloaca can cause infection, think about how loaded with bacteria that poop is. Then to have it against the cloaca until the diaper is changed...
The others say that their torts poop once a day, one woman says at the same time every day, and they poop on paper. Seriously, I believe that tortoises are smart enough to be trained. But housebroke is another thing. I think that a healthy well fed Sulcata would poop more then once a day, and 10 am on top of it. It's 2 PM here and I have been to Bob's shed 4 times and cleaned up fresh poop already. It's pouring here and cold with random hail so Bob is spending the day inside. So he's pooping. More than once.
I am beginning to think that the majority of tortoise people are nuts, and not in a good way, present company excepted of course...
 

Becki

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I've been following that thread on the other forum and you are absolutely right to put in your "two cents". I couldn't agree with you more.
 

Az tortoise compound

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What is wrong with the world today???
Where is the common sense???
It is our job to replicate their natural environment every chance we get. definitely not in a house with a diaper on.

We do not need to do this with dogs as they have been domesticated for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. And they thrive in a pack (family) atmosphere.

Stand your ground when something is wrong regardless of what others say.

Now everyone reading this please understand that I do not frown upon keeping them housed indoors when necessary, I just don't think a tortoise running around eating little tidbits like my dogs do is a good idea.
 

PeanutbuttER

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I just think the idea of a sulcata diaper is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard yet. 1) how in the world do you make a diaper fit? It would slide off unless it was big enough to go all the way past their "waist line" on their shell and cinch up like urkle pants... 2) how does it not just rub off from the tort sitting down, standing up, and scooting around on the plastron? I've never had a sulcata, so maybe they always stand exactly straight straight up but I doubt you could get it to stay one. 3) How do you go about changing it? Once its full I'm assuming it would just drag in the dirt behind the tort. You'd have to change it pretty often which would involve watching the tort like a hawk anyways. And don't sulcata's pee a TON? Where is that going that it won't spill out of a diaper? 4) A diaper? I mean really? I bet his dogs got diapers as well.

I would love a picture because I guarantee you that is the most ridiculous looking tort in the world.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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maggie3fan said:
Pictures of the diapers? He says that his tortoises tail can straighten out inside the diaper to poop. But I know that Bob and my other torts poop all day long. I imagine that having poop against the cloaca can cause infection, think about how loaded with bacteria that poop is. Then to have it against the cloaca until the diaper is changed...
The others say that their torts poop once a day, one woman says at the same time every day, and they poop on paper. Seriously, I believe that tortoises are smart enough to be trained. But housebroke is another thing. I think that a healthy well fed Sulcata would poop more then once a day, and 10 am on top of it. It's 2 PM here and I have been to Bob's shed 4 times and cleaned up fresh poop already. It's pouring here and cold with random hail so Bob is spending the day inside. So he's pooping. More than once.
I am beginning to think that the majority of tortoise people are nuts, and not in a good way, present company excepted of course...

It's 3:30 now and I have been out there twice more cleaning fresh poop every time. Is there something wrong with Bob that he poops so much? It's nice solid turds with hay in it. So how does that woman's tort poop once at 10 am then not again?
Becki...do I know you?

PeanutbuttER said:
I just think the idea of a sulcata diaper is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard yet. 1) how in the world do you make a diaper fit? It would slide off unless it was big enough to go all the way past their "waist line" on their shell and cinch up like urkle pants... 2) how does it not just rub off from the tort sitting down, standing up, and scooting around on the plastron? I've never had a sulcata, so maybe they always stand exactly straight straight up but I doubt you could get it to stay one. 3) How do you go about changing it? Once its full I'm assuming it would just drag in the dirt behind the tort. You'd have to change it pretty often which would involve watching the tort like a hawk anyways. And don't sulcata's pee a TON? Where is that going that it won't spill out of a diaper? 4) A diaper? I mean really? I bet his dogs got diapers as well.

I would love a picture because I guarantee you that is the most ridiculous looking tort in the world.

He says he uses a 'tad' of duct tape to hold it in place. His tort is one that only goes once a day. Not only do Sulcata pee a ton, it squirts out hard with a real force to it. It would just have to blow a diaper off, duct tape or not. I wonder if he's not pulling my leg? I just can't believe a Sulcata wearing a diaper. A kid diaper or an adult I wonder...:p
 

Becki

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Maybe not....I post here occasionally, but never on the other forum. Hi! :)
 

Jermosh

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Eh, I raised a green iguana from a hatchling to 4.5' and treated him like a cat. He had full run of the house, I even had him potty trained minus a few misses on the bowl. He was an awesome pet.
 

terryo

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My friend has a Sulcata that's pretty big, and has the run of her yard in the Summer. In the Winter, he has the run of her house. She has a walk in closet with heat and lights, where he sleeps at night, or just goes in when he wants to rest or whatever. He's pretty big, but I don't know how much he weighs. It has worked for her all these years since he was a hatchling, and he's pretty smooth too.
0905001441a.jpg
 

Tom

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maggie3fan said:
Pictures of the diapers? He says that his tortoises tail can straighten out inside the diaper to poop. But I know that Bob and my other torts poop all day long. I imagine that having poop against the cloaca can cause infection, think about how loaded with bacteria that poop is. Then to have it against the cloaca until the diaper is changed...
The others say that their torts poop once a day, one woman says at the same time every day, and they poop on paper. Seriously, I believe that tortoises are smart enough to be trained. But housebroke is another thing. I think that a healthy well fed Sulcata would poop more then once a day, and 10 am on top of it. It's 2 PM here and I have been to Bob's shed 4 times and cleaned up fresh poop already. It's pouring here and cold with random hail so Bob is spending the day inside. So he's pooping. More than once.
I am beginning to think that the majority of tortoise people are nuts, and not in a good way, present company excepted of course...

First of all... there are other tortoise forums? What's the point of that?

Second, my torts poo several times a day. It looks like Great Dane piles with the texture and smell of horse poo. It would fill and over flow a diaper before noon. Seriously. My 50 pounders make piles as big as my 150 pound Danes.

Third, I guess you didn't know this Maggie, but all animal people are a little "off". Some are just a little farther "off" than others. We don't really fit in with the rest of society and that's what draws us to the animals. When I was a kid and Mom would take me to somebody's house, all I wanted to know was what animals they had that I could play with. I really couldn't have cared less about the people or other kids. I would have LOVED coming to your house when I was a kid, but I probably would have driven you nuts. You would have had to put my crayon drawings of Bob up on the fridge.
 

Kristina

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Tom said:
Third, I guess you didn't know this Maggie, but all animal people are a little "off". Some are just a little farther "off" than others. We don't really fit in with the rest of society and that's what draws us to the animals. When I was a kid and Mom would take me to somebody's house, all I wanted to know was what animals they had that I could play with. I really couldn't have cared less about the people or other kids. I would have LOVED coming to your house when I was a kid, but I probably would have driven you nuts. You would have had to put my crayon drawings of Bob up on the fridge.

I am the same dang way. My grandparents still talk about my pets I had as a young kid, and how they were all so tame and well trained, and they knew it was because I was so good to them and communicated with them on a level that most people can't understand. I used to get so angry at my brother because he didn't know how to "move right" around them, or how to be "quiet" (not just noise, but inside, too, if that makes sense) around them.

I didn't get along real well with other kids, but I could mimic animal sounds to a T. I still can. Sometimes I forget myself in front of company when I am meowing or purring back at the cats, but that is another story, lol. Not to mention the fully grown wild animals I interacted with, the deer and the rabbits and the pheasants, but I don't want to start sounding too odd here...

My point is, that is NOT normal behavior. So yes, I am a little off, and I bet almost every one of you could find ways that you are a little off too :p

Does that I mean I agree with Sulcatas in the house? Well, yes and no. I think that if the only choice you have is to keep them in the house, then you should try to set up some sort of appropriate habitat.

Diapers? Nutso, in my opinion.
 

RV's mom

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We're coming into fall here in Phoenix - temps are dropping but expected to hit 90* again this week. The uncertain weather has RV stomping the yard, and somewhere in that tort brain she remembers being in the house. Several times a day she'll be at the patio door, trying to come in through the glass. We thought it was funny when she was younger, that she slipped into the house without our knowing it (doggie door) but she's a little too big now to wrestle back outside. She is a forever outdoor tort. Even if she thinks not.

As for diapers on a tort. sheesh.
 

Terry Allan Hall

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Just trying to imagine how you'd keep a diaper on a tortoise...and Tom makes a very valid point about how often you'd have to change that diaper daily.

Believe I'd try to paper-train one, instead...had a friend w/ a free-roaming house-iguana that used damp newspaper, in a large plastic tub, and only "missed" occasionally (if an iguana, the intellectual equal to a mildly slow chicken, can do that, a tortoise certainly can! ;))
 

froghaven5

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I have to say this thread has had me laughing out loud this morning. I agree with all of you. (Even the being "a bit off" bit) ;)
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I have always know I was a little bit off center, I am glad the rest of you are too...:p
 
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