willow keeps destroying enclosures :(

[tortoise_luvergirl]

for being only one yr old ( this month) WIllow sure is strong minded and willed. I am now on her THIRD enclosure ( the last two she bashed holes in the sides) and now she has started shredding the wood in this one as well. When I am downstairs I can hear her stomping around and making quite a racket, once I go upstairs she will stop and just look at me like.. GOOD! I GOT YOUR ATTENTION, NOW PLAY WITH/FEED ME. IS this something sulcata torts do? bash the walls of their enclosures to escape/get attention? I can't let her run inside becuase she bites wires and has bitten ethernet cords in half, nips at the cats or follows people everywhere. I can't have her outside right now becuase in MN it's getting colder. NO I don't want to part with my tort, that would break my heart. Just wondering why she keeps busting holes in her enclosures? I don't use the cheap ones either but am now thinking I may have to use a very hard wood? and very thick? at least till she is much bigger and can have my large office to run in ( I will move everything to my bedroom then).

 

[wellington]

Sulcatas can be destroyers from what I have seen and read on here. Post a pic of the enclosure, maybe we can help on tweaking it to better suit her. What size is it? My first guess would be its too small. Also, when she/he is bigger, roaming a room is not a good idea. They can be housed outside when larger in cold areas, just need a large enclosed heated area. As you have learned with the Ethernet cable, tortoise should not freely roam a house or a room.

 

[tortdad]

Sulcatas are the bull dozers of tortoises. If s/he is breaking through your wood then you are using too thin of material. Use 1/2" or 3/4 plywood and it should last quite a long time. The more space you can give it the happier it will be.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

Sulcatas can be destroyers from what I have seen and read on here. Post a pic of the enclosure, maybe we can help on tweaking it to better suit her. What size is it? My first guess would be its too small. Also, when she/he is bigger, roaming a room is not a good idea. They can be housed outside when larger in cold areas, just need a large enclosed heated area. As you have learned with the Ethernet cable, tortoise should not freely roam a house or a room.

I don't currently have a camera ( my old one bit the dust) but I can give you an idea. it's one of those zoo med tortoise houses, two linked together. And even this is untill she grows larger. the panels were thin so I added some plywood( standard thickness) to them as I wasn't expecting a 1 yr old sulcata to be able to bash thru that. I can't really leave her outside unattended becuase of rotten neighbors here who would torment or kill her . next yr I plan on building an outdoor enclosure with cement and chain link fencing and growing things like clover inside that so she can be outside without worry of rotten neighborhood kids ( and adults). We bought this house and can't afford to move so we do what we can. When she is alot larger I may build a winter enclosure as well but it'd have to be able to withstand MN winters for a tortoise and be secure and safe. Willow is my baby and helps me get through depression without meds as well as entertains my family she's a member here.

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

Sulcatas are the bull dozers of tortoises. If s/he is breaking through your wood then you are using too thin of material. Use 1/2" or 3/4 plywood and it should last quite a long time. The more space you can give it the happier it will be.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

I will try that and see if the thicker works, at least till spring when I can build somewthing better for her. it's just too cold out for her right now and my neighbor's are not nice with animals ( mostly kids). we don't even leave our dogs outside without padlocking the kennel. when warm here I do have her outside in an enclosure if I am home to watch her.

 

[Tom]

Those ZooMed tortoise houses are much too small and not properly designed to give your tortoise the conditions it needs.

I make my own enclosures and I have never had the problems you describe with 100s of sulcatas over two decades.

I suggest something like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

And here is a thread with some ideas for secure outdoor housing for fair weather:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/