Spoiled Sulcata?

[richalisoviejo]

I’ve only had my hatchling since January 19th. When I purchased him they said he was a month old. He eats like a little horse. When I left in mid March to Puerto Vallarta for a week my neighbor took care of the cat and Henry my Sulcata. I left a plastic container in the fridge of what I feed him daily, but the entire week I was gone he didn’t eat. He waited until I came home and munched for half an hour. My neighbor said he would even come out of his little hiding place.

I have found that a Sulcata must get attached to their owners, or perhaps I spoil him?

 

[tortoisenerd]

My little guy is spoiled. He was visibly upset when I left him for the weekend awhile back. That's surprising your tort wouldn't eat...was he still in his enclosure in your house, just the neighbor bringing the food?

 

[richalisoviejo]

Yep, all she did was open the screen and put food and made sure he had fresh water. She said he would watch her but would not come out, he ate like a little piggy when I came home

 

[Stazz]

Awwwww ! That makes me worry about Tallula, we are going on holiday for two weeks in July ! I better get her used to my housemates now so that I dnt have to worry!

 

[tortoisenerd]

We're planning to be away but in the same town for almost a week later this year. I've already planned to come home mid-trip so we don't have to get a tort sitter (feed him Fri, Sun, Tues). I worry I'd need to give waaay too many instructions!

 

[janiedough]

Not to be rude or mean, but it could be that he just associates his food with you.

Percy doesn't associate me with food, so he'll eat whether I am around or not. But I am the only one who can pick him up without him peeing.

 

[richalisoviejo]

Not to be rude or mean, but it could be that he just associates his food with you.

Percy doesn't associate me with food, so he'll eat whether I am around or not. But I am the only one who can pick him up without him peeing.

Didn’t think you were being rude at all; in fact I think you’re right. He will eat right out of my hand but only for me. It’s funny when I look in his enclosure he checks me out then immediately turns and looks at his food dish.

 

[Stazz]

Yup that sounds right !!! Tallula will eat from me and my fiance, but as soon a s he picks her up, most of the time she will pee/poop on him He gets so upset saying "Tallula only loves you now" haha, so funny. But she knows who feeds her

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...Just a word of advice...Y'all are making a BIG mistake by hand feeding!!! He will later on bite fingers that reach to touch him, thinking there is food in them. There have been several people on here complaining that their torts bite and all had been hand fed.
Good luck
Patsy

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hi...Just a word of advice...Y'all are making a BIG mistake by hand feeding!!! He will later on bite fingers that reach to touch him, thinking there is food in them. There have been several people on here complaining that their torts bite and all had been hand fed.
Good luck
Patsy

Had I read this post from Patsy last summer I would have argued that she was wrong...but now I am having that exact problem with Bob. I have always gone out to his shed in the evening with a treat and sat on the floor with him and fed him the treat by hand. I thought that was socializing time, his and my bonding time. But then I started noticing that when I went out there to clean poop or to make sure he has water, or whatever, he would bite at my hands or my pants leg or anything on me that he could reach. So then I end up doing the get away from Bob's mouth dance while I am trying to mop his floor... For those of you that are new and don't know Bob is my 80 pound (or more by now) Sulcata. When Bob bites it hurts bad and he draws blood, and there's no doubt in my mind that is exactly why he is biting. Bob is not mean at all, he is just biting for food. To him I am the food goddess. So now I am trying to do the reverse and train him not to bite. Trying to retrain him and not make him afraid of me is hard. I believe tortoises brains are prehistoric and they really can't reason and are not any kind of deep thinkers. If it was a dog I'd probably just bop him on the nose, but with Bob I think that would just make him afraid of me...
so I am trying hollering NO! loudly and placing a strawberry (his favorite) on the floor away from the door. Every time I go into his shed now the first thing I do is walk over to that spot and place a strawberry there hoping that soon when I open the door to the shed he will automatically go over to that spot on the floor. I am taking a strawberry and doing that every darned time I go out there. And paying $5 for a basket of California strawberrys is irking me...but keep your fingers crossed that this works. Anybody out there have any better training ideas?

 

[Candy]

I watch the Dog Whisperer on Animal Planet maybe just maybe somewhere out there Maggie there's a Tortoise Whisperer that can come over and help you train Bob. When you were talking about the Strawberries all I could think about was those commercials on T.V. I think the commericial for Bob would go something like this......Strawberries $5.00 a basket.....Keeping your fingers... PRICELESS. Candy

 

[Stazz]

LOL Candy !!!! You are too funny !!!

I agree about the hand feeding thing, I've only done it a handful of times, but thanks for the advice....wouldn't want her to become a little snapper I leave her to her own devices most of the time. Thanks Patsy and Maggie !!!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I watch the Dog Whisperer on Animal Planet maybe just maybe somewhere out there Maggie there's a Tortoise Whisperer that can come over and help you train Bob. When you were talking about the Strawberries all I could think about was those commercials on T.V. I think the commericial for Bob would go something like this......Strawberries $5.00 a basket.....Keeping your fingers... PRICELESS. Candy

You have a great sense of humor...in these days and times we all need a good laugh...