Maggie's heart attack...again...and again...

[Maggie Cummings]

Ha Ha fooled ya! This is one of my Sugar Gliders taking a piece of slivered almond from my hand. They are so cute and soft. I really like them. But I digress..

This is a corner of Bob's pen where I used a piece of heavy lattice that used to be a door, so it's very heavy...it's a shade spot in the summer and Bob spends his afternoons snoozing under there.

only now it looks like this...

The barrier at the stairs looks like this

Ethan from next door knocked nicely on my door but I didn't hear him as I was sleeping very deeply while I was pretending to watch the NASCAR race. Then he got scared so he pounded on my door, this is what he showed me...

OMG!!! What the heck can I do with a bulldozer who knocks over a baby gate that is supposed to withstand massive pounds of pressure and climbs up 7 stairs and down 6 stairs??? I won't be able to keep him if I can't keep him safely. So he gets stuck in front of my car...

For all of you who requested this I finally remembered to get a picture of Bob and his infamous cart. He is almost too big for it...

Look at his head and face. Look at his chin how rough it is. Look at his face; used as a battering ram.

So that's the latest Bob story. I didn't try to be cute or funny because I am scared. I have always known that there would come a time when I couldn't keep him anymore, but I thought that would happen when I ran out of grass, not from him escaping. I'm not ready for that time to happen now. I had talked to Jordan about putting a fence up on the side of my house as there's a nice strip that's good grass. But I guess instead I need to have him build a gate at the stairs.
He knows how to climb those stairs, so I guess that's what needs to be blocked off. Gosh, who would think that such an animal could do what he does? There's 7 stairs up and 6 down and he evidently just has the knowledge and ability to go up and down. Guess that's kind of a dumb sentence, but I am just amazed at him.
He is just something, isn't he??? Looking at that beat up face bothers me. What an animal he is. An amazing animal, frustrating, irritating, and just amazing...

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Hmmm...strong-willed, clever, creative, determined, stubborn...now who does that remind me of, in the human world?

And who's the lucky guy that got to push Bob around in his cart?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Awww Maggie I hope you can get your yard more secure! Bob seems very determined. Do you think there is something going on with these recent escapes besides that he is getting bigger/stronger and the enclosure has not? Maybe Bob is anxious for Spring too. Best wishes.

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...I didn't know they could climb stairs!!
You're going to have to put those cinder blocks together with mortar. He now knows he can move them, so I bet he is going to keep doing it.
good luck
Patsy

 

[terracolson]

I must say my two year old got out of that gate.. they dont work good...

I suggest getting a gate you can screw into something.. or make a wood one..

and what about using cement with the blocks?

Or using a 2 by 12 before it?

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, Maggie...you've been pretty lucky so far. I know you don't have much money, and only one working hand, but this is really starting to scare me. I'd so hate it if you lost Bob.

 

[terryo]

Why is he doing this all of a sudden? I'm worried about you too Maggie...you need help. You have to put in a chain link fence or something.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hmmm...strong-willed, clever, creative, determined, stubborn...now who does that remind me of, in the human world?

And who's the lucky guy that got to push Bob around in his cart?

That's Ethan the 10 yr old kid from next door. He's been a consistent pain in the a** since I moved in. But he sure saved my butt these last 2 escapes. I went to put some ointment on Bob's face but he was already in bed. And I hurt my back pulling him out from in front of my car. Then I had to rework where he knocked over the blocks, so I'm telling ya, my back is screamin. That's a lot of heavy work for an old lady. Ethan can't help me anymore then he does now as his parents and I don't speak. They are Jehovah Witness so they don't approve of me, and I don't like them because they've lied to me so it's a stand off.
I think that he is escaping like this because there's no grass in his pen. We've just now started having sunny days. We haven't seen the sun for months. So I'm hoping now that we're having sun that the grass comes back in his pen and he is more satisfied being in there. I can't take this, what happens when he escapes and I'm sleeping and nobody see's him? The mere thought of that scares me so bad I can't think about it even. So I need to figure out how to put a real gate at the stairs. Maybe the Habitat for Humanity here will help me, they may even have a gate. My plan is to go there Monday. In the mean time I have added more stakes in the blocks. This part that he got thru is totally on the opposite side from his other escapes so he must just spend his time looking for a weak spot, and it looks like he uses his face to find that weak spot. His poor face! Look at it! And he does no damage except where he walks, so it looks to me like he finds a weak spot and breaks out mostly using his poor face and he heads right for the stairs because I have a lot of stuff in my yard, gazing balls and a headstone for Bubba's grave and none of that stuff is broken. So he goes straight for the stairs and up there to freedom...whee! I wonder how long it takes him to get up those stairs and how determined he has to be to force that big flat body up in a manner that is not normal to that animal. What an amazing being he is...

 

[K9KidsLove]

Somebody needs to help Maggie organize a "Bob" work day. Maggie makes sandwiches & tea and everyone else rebuilds the enclosure. Wish I was closer so I could help.
good luck
Patsy

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Somebody needs to help Maggie organize a "Bob" work day. Maggie makes sandwiches & tea and everyone else rebuilds the enclosure. Wish I was closer so I could help.
good luck
Patsy

No, that would be embarrassing for me. Doctorcosmonaut is going to help me put up a gate at the stairs. I think that will take care of the problem. I have a chainlink fence that totally surrounds my property. So even if he continues to get out of his pen he can't get out of my yard if I have a gate at the stairs. That's the only way out for him.

 

[Candy]

I'm pretty sure that I know why Bob is doing this all of a sudden Maggie. I think it is time to get a female for Bob. Whenever you want a male to stay in one place you have to give him something to stay for (some entertainment perhaps). Bob's probably at that age where grass is not the only thing he's looking for (if you know what I mean ) Now the question is.....Can you handle two of them?

 

[Stephanie Logan]

It's too bad Queenie is a different species and you promised not to breed her...a new tortoise would just be that much more work, I think...I like Terryo's Love Rock idea...too bad no one has perfected and marketed Tortoise blow-up dolls.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'm pretty sure that I know why Bob is doing this all of a sudden Maggie. I think it is time to get a female for Bob. Whenever you want a male to stay in one place you have to give him something to stay for (some entertainment perhaps). Bob's probably at that age where grass is not the only thing he's looking for (if you know what I mean ) Now the question is.....Can you handle two of them?

No I can't and wouldn't consider breeding him.

 

[reptylefreek]

See this is why I named my sulcata Marlin, named him after a 4x4 guy(Marlin Crawler) who builds transfer cases for toyotas so they could crawl over and up anything. Marlin is only 1 and he scales some hills in the yard i never thought he could. So I'm not surprised Bob climbs stairs. Too bad money is always a problem for me too cuz im just north of you in washington and I would love to help. But not working everyday means no place to live in.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

See this is why I named my sulcata Marlin, named him after a 4x4 guy(Marlin Crawler) who builds transfer cases for toyotas so they could crawl over and up anything. Marlin is only 1 and he scales some hills in the yard i never thought he could. So I'm not surprised Bob climbs stairs. Too bad money is always a problem for me too cuz im just north of you in washington and I would love to help. But not working everyday means no place to live in.

That's OK, Bob and I are fine. It will all work out. I can take care of myself. But we could always meet for pie...

 

[ChiKat]

Oh Bob, what are we going to do with you?! Aw look at his poor scratched up face. I can't imagine him climbing up those stairs!! Wow!
Take care of yourself Maggie!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

This morning first thing before breakfast I took a rag and some baby oil and went out to treat that poor tore up face. He was sort of awake with his front half out of his sleeping box. So I sat down in front of him and lightly rubbed his carapace and he rammed me. Suddenly and violently; he got my knee good because i was sitting smack in front of him and really didn't expect that. So I lightly again touched his carapace and he lunged at me again and got my one leg and knee, so I moved away and reached over and lightly touched him again and he sucked his head back in and closed his legs in front of his face and threw is body sideways at me. Man, what the heck is wrong with him? He's never acted like that before.
He's a big animal and he is now at the size where I can't control him. I guess he woke up grouchy or something. So I moved behind him and stood stock still. It took him a while before he came back out...but when he did I squirted baby oil all over his face neck and arms, and like Elvis I left the building.
So when I went for my usual evening socializing, he looked like a caramel apple. He had so much dirt stuck all over that baby oil! Poor Bob, so now I poured warm water over his face neck and arms, and oh Lordy is he mad at me!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

carmel apple! LOL!

 

[spikethebest]

can you pour concrete and make a cinderblock border all around your yard?

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Man, I'm sad I didn't have access to a computer for the last few days... We have serious work to do... When I can free myself from the cruel grasps of school work.