Show_me_your_torties
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2016
- Messages
- 5
Hi All!
Long time lurker and owner of a single Female Russian tortoise, Millie. Approx. 4 years old. She was given to me by a family member who no longer had the means to care for her.
She has irregular shell growth due to prior malnutrition, but is making vast improvements under my care. She has always been in an indoor enclosure as she was too young upon first purchase and since I live in an apartment she is limited to the indoors and frequent supervised visits outside.
Millie is not my first reptilian pet nor my first Russian tortoise. I know the ins and outs of proper care, but I ran into a problem most indoor RT owners face. SHE'S GETTING SO BIG. She has outgrown two enclosures, and she's slowed in her eating and activity levels in her current housing. She looks bored and cramped.
While I aspire to eventually make her an outdoor enclosure, I have no access to a yard and my Boyfriend and I will be moving in the future and I'm not positive I can score a rental with access to a yard.
So, here's my idea. As building another custom cage would mean making a huge piece of furniture(which I would rather not move up and down flights of stairs), I was thinking of something more portable.
Could I acquire a large wire, open-top pen, like they have for dogs or rabbits? One that can fold up flat. Then place it on the floor and line the inside, bottom and sides with a big ol' tarp? The high sides could allow for deep enough soil for digging and it'd be waterproofed enough to keep my safety deposit as well! The wire build would make it easy to attach lights as well. Then when we move, I remove the tort. and deco. and gather up the corners of the tarp, trapping the soil for easy removal. Then just fold up the pen and put it back in the box.
Please let me know your thoughts on this idea. I think it could work and be cost friendly. Seeing as I dropped hundreds on tortoise real estate already! lol.
Only pic of Millie's current enclosure. This is before I introduced her it. It's two-levels and there's a bar UV light attached to the underside of the top. Humidity and heat levels are fine. Just too small.
https://instagram.com/p/BPOXxTnhJvT3z9T6aFaBQFFPFBASKuIdLb_jYA0/
And this is Millie on a vist to my Dad's property. She's on weed patrol. Surveyors tape as a locator.
Long time lurker and owner of a single Female Russian tortoise, Millie. Approx. 4 years old. She was given to me by a family member who no longer had the means to care for her.
She has irregular shell growth due to prior malnutrition, but is making vast improvements under my care. She has always been in an indoor enclosure as she was too young upon first purchase and since I live in an apartment she is limited to the indoors and frequent supervised visits outside.
Millie is not my first reptilian pet nor my first Russian tortoise. I know the ins and outs of proper care, but I ran into a problem most indoor RT owners face. SHE'S GETTING SO BIG. She has outgrown two enclosures, and she's slowed in her eating and activity levels in her current housing. She looks bored and cramped.
While I aspire to eventually make her an outdoor enclosure, I have no access to a yard and my Boyfriend and I will be moving in the future and I'm not positive I can score a rental with access to a yard.
So, here's my idea. As building another custom cage would mean making a huge piece of furniture(which I would rather not move up and down flights of stairs), I was thinking of something more portable.
Could I acquire a large wire, open-top pen, like they have for dogs or rabbits? One that can fold up flat. Then place it on the floor and line the inside, bottom and sides with a big ol' tarp? The high sides could allow for deep enough soil for digging and it'd be waterproofed enough to keep my safety deposit as well! The wire build would make it easy to attach lights as well. Then when we move, I remove the tort. and deco. and gather up the corners of the tarp, trapping the soil for easy removal. Then just fold up the pen and put it back in the box.
Please let me know your thoughts on this idea. I think it could work and be cost friendly. Seeing as I dropped hundreds on tortoise real estate already! lol.
Only pic of Millie's current enclosure. This is before I introduced her it. It's two-levels and there's a bar UV light attached to the underside of the top. Humidity and heat levels are fine. Just too small.
https://instagram.com/p/BPOXxTnhJvT3z9T6aFaBQFFPFBASKuIdLb_jYA0/
And this is Millie on a vist to my Dad's property. She's on weed patrol. Surveyors tape as a locator.