Recreation

[Maggie Cummings]

This subject has come up recently so I thought I would throw in my opinion. I socialize all my animals, with tortoises I start when they are hatchlings. I hold them and talk to them and I touch their heads and pull on their legs and I know that all this sounds silly. But if you take one of my tortoises to the Vet she can hold their heads and give injections without them pulling their head or limbs in and causing trouble. My animals are easy to care for because I do these easy things to them. As for toys here's some of what I use for hatchlings and yearlings...

That is Abscess Nose I am using as my model. He is 3 years old and his sinus cavity's are infected and it seems like no matter what I do they stay full of liquid and he can't breathe thru his one nostril...but back to the toys...I use anything that will engage their minds...

I am seriously having a problem using this new tiny pics...why change things that worked well before??? I am old and as such I hate change!!!

I use other models as well. I make sure that none of my animals are afraid of any other of my animals. My cats mostly ignore my tortoises and this one wants to play with the smaller torts. Roxie my older kitty loves to lay under the basking lights...She basks just as well as a tort does...

I even use a crumpled piece of paper...wait you scream...My tortoise will eat paper...yep so will mine but he wants to play with it more. And if he does eat it...he poops it out just fine...

I hope that makes sense and you all understand that I believe it is important to socialize our animals, especially our larger torts. Socialization makes them easier to handle...here's a very pretty face

and with that I will say good night and I will go watch Survivor...

 

[AnthonyC]

Love the pics! Thank you for sharing!!

 

[l0velesly]

Haha, it's nice to interact with tortoises. I do hope they actually benefit from it xD I wish I could teach my tort tricks.

 

[Torty Mom]

Maggie that's awesome!! My kitty isn't afraid of Lou, he climbs right on over him if he is in the way!

 

[harris]

You tell a story better than anyone I've ever read on here. And I don't watch Survivor, but whoever King Robby's rooting for is who I want to win.

 

[lynnedit]

Great story and advice. Your ideas have stood the test of time...

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Thanks everyone for your nice comments. The whole point of this thread is to show that I believe socializing our torts makes them easier to handle, and they need toys to engage their minds...

 

[dmarcus]

Bob likes bigger toys like sprinklers with hoses attached and plastic swimming pools

 

[Turtle Guru]

Nice pics

 

[anmiller0]

I love your pics! My Yoshi has 1 toy a small plastic tortoise that he climbs on and moves around. I also crumble up news paper and he likes to climb through it, over it, and hide under it.

 

[drgnfly2265]

I have been trying to do the same with Bowser. I don't want a 100 pound or so bulldozer not used to other people or animals. And like you said about going to the vet. I could just imagine a vet trying to check out a tort and the tort hiding in it's shell.

I take Bowser with me sometimes when I go to petstores, the gun store, and other places. She is used to being in different places now. When I let her down to walk she wants to explore and interact with everyone.

She is used to the dog now and the dog is used to her. All my dog wants to do is sniff her butt Must be some weird dog thing...

I'm still working on having her used to me touching her legs. She lets me pet her head. But her legs and feet are different.....unless I have a treat or she is out of her area and trying to explore, that's when she doesn't care. If I touch her front legs she pulls them in fast. How long did it take your tort to get used to you doing that? I should have started earlier...

I love all your choices of toys that you give your tort. So far I gave Bowser an upside down chrome water dish that shows reflections, kinda. I wasn't sure what else I could give her.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I have been trying to do the same with Bowser. I don't want a 100 pound or so bulldozer not used to other people or animals. And like you said about going to the vet. I could just imagine a vet trying to check out a tort and the tort hiding in it's shell.

I take Bowser with me sometimes when I go to petstores, the gun store, and other places. She is used to being in different places now. When I let her down to walk she wants to explore and interact with everyone.

She is used to the dog now and the dog is used to her. All my dog wants to do is sniff her butt Must be some weird dog thing...

I'm still working on having her used to me touching her legs. She lets me pet her head. But her legs and feet are different.....unless I have a treat or she is out of her area and trying to explore, that's when she doesn't care. If I touch her front legs she pulls them in fast. How long did it take your tort to get used to you doing that? I should have started earlier...

I love all your choices of toys that you give your tort. So far I gave Bowser an upside down chrome water dish that shows reflections, kinda. I wasn't sure what else I could give her.

Yes, you should have started earlier. If I were you I would just pet her legs and rub them and in a couple of weeks start pulling on them. It takes a while. I don't remember how big she is, but small enough so you can carry her around, so she's still young enough that you can work on her legs. Be consistent and do it every day and she will get used to it...don't give up! And I compliment you on taking her around town with you. I used to do that with Bob too, until he got too big. But I do believe that's good for them...

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Bob likes bigger toys like sprinklers with hoses attached and plastic swimming pools

hahaha, thanks, I needed that!

 

[Claireabbo]

i also do what you do. i have interacted my tort with my little chiuhuahua and to my supirse my chiuhuahua was more scared and freaked out than my tort! hahaha what a wimp! i also introduced him to some dog toys and he wasnt that interested but oh well