SweetGreekTorts
Well-Known Member
I've seen a lot of very unusual behaviors by new tortoise owners that I have to admit has me worried about the future of tortoise husbandry. I'm seeing the following ridiculous things on Facebook:
Mi casa es tortuga casa! This has trouble written all over it. Cold and slippery tile floors, dangerous "snacks" like coins, screws, and dust bunnies, getting stuck in between furniture, or - Heaven forbid - the tortoise being stepped on by its owner. And that happened just a few days ago. An owner admitted stepping on her tortoise and cracking its shell which required a vet visit. But that's not all...other owners were telling her not to feel bad, it's not her fault, and accidents happen. If that tortoise was safely in its enclosure, it would not have been stepped on in the first place.
Dog beds? Seriously? Owners are buying the plush fleece dog beds and putting them in their tort's enclosure to give it a soft bed to sleep on every night. Don't forget the pillow!
Then there are harnesses. Yeah, put a harness and leash on your tortoise before you take it for a walk outside, cause if it sees an opportunity to bolt, it will, and you won't be able to catch it! I wonder if those harnesses have little flashing lights for nighttime [emoji848]
Diapers! Let's not forget to put diapers on our tortoises before we let them free roam the house. Cause it wouldn't be good to step on tortoise poo either.
Owners seem to get frustrated when their tortoise poops or pees on them while they are trying to cuddle with it in front of the TV.
Since pairs of tortoises are not recommended, they found a way around it by giving their tortoise a fur buddy instead. Whether it's a dog loose in the house with a free range "shell puppy," or a cat in the tort's enclosure. All the dog will see is a round rawhide bone to chew, and all cats see is an extra large litterbox. Sadly, both of those have happened to some of those owners.
And anybody who does not go along with the above and discourages it, gets scolded that they don't know what tortoises want or need, and that they don't care about their tortoise being comfortable.
I've been a tortoise keeper for over 10 years. My tortoises have designated indoor enclosures, and outdoor enclosures. They sleep in humid hides or burrow in their substrate. I only handle them for soaking or a vet visit. Otherwise I leave them be, diaper-free.
Forgive me for being "old fashioned," I guess. I've never had the pleasure of cracking my tortoise's shell, having it swallow a screw, letting it be chewed on by my dog, or watching it slide around on a tile floor while wearing a diaper.
Mi casa es tortuga casa! This has trouble written all over it. Cold and slippery tile floors, dangerous "snacks" like coins, screws, and dust bunnies, getting stuck in between furniture, or - Heaven forbid - the tortoise being stepped on by its owner. And that happened just a few days ago. An owner admitted stepping on her tortoise and cracking its shell which required a vet visit. But that's not all...other owners were telling her not to feel bad, it's not her fault, and accidents happen. If that tortoise was safely in its enclosure, it would not have been stepped on in the first place.
Dog beds? Seriously? Owners are buying the plush fleece dog beds and putting them in their tort's enclosure to give it a soft bed to sleep on every night. Don't forget the pillow!
Then there are harnesses. Yeah, put a harness and leash on your tortoise before you take it for a walk outside, cause if it sees an opportunity to bolt, it will, and you won't be able to catch it! I wonder if those harnesses have little flashing lights for nighttime [emoji848]
Diapers! Let's not forget to put diapers on our tortoises before we let them free roam the house. Cause it wouldn't be good to step on tortoise poo either.
Owners seem to get frustrated when their tortoise poops or pees on them while they are trying to cuddle with it in front of the TV.
Since pairs of tortoises are not recommended, they found a way around it by giving their tortoise a fur buddy instead. Whether it's a dog loose in the house with a free range "shell puppy," or a cat in the tort's enclosure. All the dog will see is a round rawhide bone to chew, and all cats see is an extra large litterbox. Sadly, both of those have happened to some of those owners.
And anybody who does not go along with the above and discourages it, gets scolded that they don't know what tortoises want or need, and that they don't care about their tortoise being comfortable.
I've been a tortoise keeper for over 10 years. My tortoises have designated indoor enclosures, and outdoor enclosures. They sleep in humid hides or burrow in their substrate. I only handle them for soaking or a vet visit. Otherwise I leave them be, diaper-free.
Forgive me for being "old fashioned," I guess. I've never had the pleasure of cracking my tortoise's shell, having it swallow a screw, letting it be chewed on by my dog, or watching it slide around on a tile floor while wearing a diaper.