RhodaE
New Member
After moving from CA to TN, I was very anxious about getting our 29+ year old tortoise through the move and through the winter. Thanks to everyone who shared advice, and stories about their experiences and especially to Tom for guiding through the indoor enclosure set-up and grazing mixes etc.
We put him in a tub, holes in lid, for the move and stopped at parks along the way so he could stroll. He was pretty irritable and not himself the whole time. Taking baths in the motel rooms helped a lot. Upon arrival we built the new enclosure and bought all the required lights and heating panels. He loves them.
I bought some of the desert species grazing mix seeds and clover, and planted a bunch outside, and in some trays inside. He refused to eat from the trays and refused pellets, but I followed some recommendations for healthy mixes of grocery store greens. In the meantime, the outdoor seeds grew wonderfully, and there have been some days each month even in Dec/Jan where he could go outside and graze - and those grasses are his favorite. He totally chows on those.
Now, even though the weather isn't totally warm out, we let him out in afternoons and we also built a second warming hut outside, and he tucks in there afterward. Once it gets super hot again, we'll let him out in AM and bring him inside in afternoon.
During our first winter there were many cold dreary days, and he barely left his hut, and I worried. He ate, and he sat under his UV light, and went into his warm hut, and mostly slept. While I worried. The advice given on this forum about LONG soaks was followed, and it sure helped him keep "regular". Not the easiest thing to explain to a petsitter during Christmas vacation, but it worked.
Last week it was nice and warm out, and he was just like his regular old self, marching around the yard, ramming into me and climbing on my lap, knocking me over while I did yard work, it was great ha. So truly a big thank you to everyone who shares advice. Big impact.
We put him in a tub, holes in lid, for the move and stopped at parks along the way so he could stroll. He was pretty irritable and not himself the whole time. Taking baths in the motel rooms helped a lot. Upon arrival we built the new enclosure and bought all the required lights and heating panels. He loves them.
I bought some of the desert species grazing mix seeds and clover, and planted a bunch outside, and in some trays inside. He refused to eat from the trays and refused pellets, but I followed some recommendations for healthy mixes of grocery store greens. In the meantime, the outdoor seeds grew wonderfully, and there have been some days each month even in Dec/Jan where he could go outside and graze - and those grasses are his favorite. He totally chows on those.
Now, even though the weather isn't totally warm out, we let him out in afternoons and we also built a second warming hut outside, and he tucks in there afterward. Once it gets super hot again, we'll let him out in AM and bring him inside in afternoon.
During our first winter there were many cold dreary days, and he barely left his hut, and I worried. He ate, and he sat under his UV light, and went into his warm hut, and mostly slept. While I worried. The advice given on this forum about LONG soaks was followed, and it sure helped him keep "regular". Not the easiest thing to explain to a petsitter during Christmas vacation, but it worked.
Last week it was nice and warm out, and he was just like his regular old self, marching around the yard, ramming into me and climbing on my lap, knocking me over while I did yard work, it was great ha. So truly a big thank you to everyone who shares advice. Big impact.
