reptile boarding nyc

[killdashnine]

Need boarding for tortoise for a week. What is peoples experience with boarding? Is there any recommendations or experiences in NYC area?

 

[wellington]

Can't help ya for NY but I know of some pet sitter businesses in Chicago that will come to your home and take care of the animals and even bring in your mail. Search your area for pet sitters and also call local vets offices, they usually know of local businesses.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Need boarding for tortoise for a week. What is peoples experience with boarding? Is there any recommendations or experiences in NYC area?

Wow, for just one week? What kind of tortoise & what’s your setup/enclosure look like.

Timers & thermostats are your best friends. Get all your lights set up on timers and your heating arranged on a thermostat. Feed really well, soak your tort a good bit the day you depart. Leave a few edibles scattered about. When you return, a good soak, feed & get back on track.

Relocating your tort for just a week is pretty stressful.

Good luck

 

[wellington]

Wow, for just one week? What kind of tortoise & what’s your setup/enclosure look like.

Timers & thermostats are your best friends. Get all your lights set up on timers and your heating arranged on a thermostat. Feed really well, soak your tort a good bit the day you depart. Leave a few edibles scattered about. When you return, a good soak, feed & get back on track.

Relocating your tort for just a week is pretty stressful.

Good luck

Pretty risky leaving a tort for a whole week without someone to check in on it. Unless a very big enclosure, where many water dishes can be placed all over to hopefully not run out. No greens will last that long without getting gross. Tortoise flips and cant right itself, it dies a horrible death. I wouldn't recommend this.
A friend, family member or pet sitting business should be used.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Pretty risky leaving a tort for a whole week without someone to check in on it. Unless a very big enclosure, where many water dishes can be placed all over to hopefully not run out. No greens will last that long without getting gross. Tortoise flips and cant right itself, it dies a horrible death. I wouldn't recommend this.
A friend, family member or pet sitting business should be used.

I guess it depends how things are set up. I’m sure many folks on here have things set up pretty well to enable week long getaways. Of course....having a trusted soul to pop their head in and check things is desirable too. Like many things, a lot depends on the set up.

 

[wellington]

I guess it depends how things are set up. I’m sure many folks on here have things set up pretty well to enable week long getaways. Of course....having a trusted soul to pop their head in and check things is desirable too. Like many things, a lot depends on the set up.

Boy quite risky. Lights and heat are one thing. Easy on timers and thermostats. Only dry food will last that long and without a refillable water dish, it's just not safe, no matter the set up. A couple days, even though probably done by a lot of people is risky, but not likely to run out of good food and water. Can't say I know anyone that would recommend a week. I guess it's more the risk your willing to take.
If you had cameras set up and a person to call if there were any trouble, then I could see doing it.

 

[jsheffield]

For a week, I don't hesitate to leave my torts....

Another thing to consider is trusted housesitter, a website that connects pet owners with people willing to stay in their house and take care of their pets... I've been doing this, as a sitter, for a year and a bit.

Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

You might contact Julie at Turtle Rescue of Long Island. She doesn't do boarding, but she may know someone who does.

 

[Tom]

Pretty risky leaving a tort for a whole week without someone to check in on it. Unless a very big enclosure, where many water dishes can be placed all over to hopefully not run out. No greens will last that long without getting gross. Tortoise flips and cant right itself, it dies a horrible death. I wouldn't recommend this.
A friend, family member or pet sitting business should be used.

The risk of moving a tortoise to an unfamiliar area and leaving it in the hands of someone who may or may not know about tortoise care is far greater in my mind. What do you want to bet the person will see the tortoise behaving restlessly due to the unfamiliar environment and let it out to "explore" on the floor. Does the person have dogs, or also pet sit dogs? If a bulb stops working does the person know what to do, or do they go to Petco and get sold a double hood with a red bulb and a cfl? The list of risks and possible bad scenarios we can imagine is endless. That tortoise will be safest and most comfortable in its own environment where it has already been surviving for some period of time.

And I wouldn't leave any water. I'd take the bowls out so the water couldn't be fouled. A soak before leaving and after returning will do just fine. Remember that the old way of starting tiny hatchlings was to soak once a week, keep them on rabbit pellets, and have no water bowl. This is how it was done for decades, and it still done that way in most of the world, and most of the babies survive(d). One week with no water for an adult Testudo living on damp substrate and nibbling on spineless opuntia pads should have no effect at all. They go months with no water in the wild.

 

[wellington]

The risk of moving a tortoise to an unfamiliar area and leaving it in the hands of someone who may or may not know about tortoise care is far greater in my mind. What do you want to bet the person will see the tortoise behaving restlessly due to the unfamiliar environment and let it out to "explore" on the floor. Does the person have dogs, or also pet sit dogs? If a bulb stops working does the person know what to do, or do they go to Petco and get sold a double hood with a red bulb and a cfl? The list of risks and possible bad scenarios we can imagine is endless. That tortoise will be safest and most comfortable in its own environment where it has already been surviving for some period of time.

And I wouldn't leave any water. I'd take the bowls out so the water couldn't be fouled. A soak before leaving and after returning will do just fine. Remember that the old way of starting tiny hatchlings was to soak once a week, keep them on rabbit pellets, and have no water bowl. This is how it was done for decades, and it still done that way in most of the world, and most of the babies survive(d). One week with no water for an adult Testudo living on damp substrate and nibbling on spineless opuntia pads should have no effect at all. They go months with no water in the wild.

I never recommended to take the tortoise any place. In home pet sitters that come to your home. I also would think the owner have enough sense to give a complete caresheet with answers to the "what ifs".
Also didn't realize so many opinions have changed from the past when members were against them being left alone for even a day or two, hmmm.
Reverting back to the old way, even for a week should never be recommended in my mind. Sure they survived, well some at least. Plenty of animal sitters who's job is to take care of your animal according to instructions within your own home. I have always paid a friend if my son was going with us.
Most people that are into doing any type of animal care, usually cares enough to follow instructions or make a phone call to the owner if needed.
I still would not take that risk!

 

[Tom]

I never recommended to take the tortoise any place. In home pet sitters that come to your home. I also would think the owner have enough sense to give a complete caresheet with answers to the "what ifs".
Also didn't realize so many opinions have changed from the past when members were against them being left alone for even a day or two, hmmm.
Reverting back to the old way, even for a week should never be recommended in my mind. Sure they survived, well some at least. Plenty of animal sitters who's job is to take care of your animal according to instructions within your own home. I have always paid a friend if my son was going with us.
Most people that are into doing any type of animal care, usually cares enough to follow instructions or make a phone call to the owner if needed.
I still would not take that risk!

Ideally, someone would go to the home and take proper care of the tortoise daily. I don't know why, but so many people we say this to are resistant to that idea. Seems simple to me. I have 10 people I could ask to do this and half of them would refuse payment.

This being the case, we are left with the lesser of two evils: 1. Leave them unattended, but in their own environment where they are safe and comfortable, or 2. Take the tortoise, with or without its enclosure, and move it somewhere else.

I think the first option is the better of the two. Much safer and better for the tortoise in my opinion.

 

[wellington]

Ideally, someone would go to the home and take proper care of the tortoise daily. I don't know why, but so many people we say this to are resistant to that idea. Seems simple to me. I have 10 people I could ask to do this and half of them would refuse payment.

This being the case, we are left with the lesser of two evils: 1. Leave them unattended, but in their own environment where they are safe and comfortable, or 2. Take the tortoise, with or without its enclosure, and move it somewhere else.

I think the first option is the better of the two. Much safer and better for the tortoise in my opinion.

We will have to agree to disagree.
Now if I had to take a tort and use the person watching it enclosure then i would leave it home. But i have heard of only one place that boards reptiles that has their own enclosures but I think you can still bring your own.