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  1. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Small world! What an amazing picture of a strong beautiful woman. We love this area too. My husband and I came through here on a road trip 16 years ago and I told him I was not going back to California until I knew we're going to move here. We put a bid in on a house that week, sold our house in...
  2. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    You are very perceptive and I couldn't have asked for any better advice than what you have given me. I love Stella and want the very best for him. The thought that another home might be better for him brings tears to my eyes but I was willing to check out that option for his benefit. It doesn't...
  3. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    I have a couple of the round plastic snow sleds which I sink into the ground and use in nice weather for water dishes for Stella. It never occurred to me to use them for mobility. I have ordered a gorilla cart but these other ideas are nice to have as well. I appreciate everyone who has...
  4. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    I have boxes and a big tarp already, so if I need to use this method I'm all set. Thanks.
  5. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    There's an idea I hadn't thought of. I can see how that would work. Thanks for the tip!
  6. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    I see that the pictures from my cell phone are awful. Here are some pictures of Stella and his nightbox and outdoor area from last summer. Any suggestions on improvements are very welcome.
  7. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Maggie! Thank you so much for your message and pictures. I have followed your posts about the adventures of Mary Knobbins (and previously with Bob) since I joined the former shortly after I got Stella. I saw Stella in a small plastic bin in a pet store and was told she was 5 years old and had...
  8. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Paper plate? Worth a try. Thanks. I am going to get one of the gorilla carts that Yvonne suggested. They look much lower to the ground than my wheel barrow and will make it safer to move him. I am so worried when I carry him that I might trip. I just need to measure Stella today to make sure...
  9. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thank you so much for posting. I think that's a great idea. I will work on this while the weather is colder and see if I can get him to go back into his area to warm up on his own. If he gets in the habit of doing this now maybe he'll continue and do it throughout the summer. I'm so envious of...
  10. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I am picturing you moving along slowly in front of the tortoise and enticing with your treats. Patience is truly a virtue when you own a tortoise!
  11. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thanks again. Stella does have the ability to go outside on nice days from his current indoor enclosure. He just doesn't go back in at the end of the days. I wish I knew how I could find a better environment for him where he could be out year round. I'll just have to keep asking around.
  12. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thanks for the reply. I guess I wasn't clear in my original post. Shelter is not my issue. I have a quarter of a two car garage that I have built an indoor enclosure that's insulated, with temperature and humidity regulated in a enclosed 6 foot by 10 foot area- so basically what you all refer to...
  13. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thanks Tom. I do have a cart like this already. I wasn't sure how long Stella would fit in it but it sounds like it will work for a while. A move for us is not in the picture. We have five acres in a beautiful part of Southern Colorado and the move here from California was our last. Stella is...
  14. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Thanks for your input. I know he needs a bigger indoor area and will have one as soon as the weather warms up enough for me to do it. I feel terrible that he has to be inside so much during the winter months. Although there are several trees in his outdoor space I think he still needs burrow...
  15. Anna Westphal

    Planning Ahead For A Big Sulcata

    Not a big surprise to me, but the needs of a 40 pound tortoise are much different than they were when I got him 2 1/2 years ago at 12 pounds. I have plans to rebuild Stella da Fella's winter enclosure over the summer. The thing I worry most about is Colorado not being the best environment for...
  16. Anna Westphal

    Tonka’s Tortoise Taj Mahal completed!

    Lovely enclosure. If I were you I'd add a small, study bench to sit on so you can sometimes just sit inside and watch Tonka enjoy life. I find it very relaxing to do this with Stella. Great job.
  17. Anna Westphal

    Compassion for tortoises compared to mammals

    I also have strong attachments to my dogs, but I feel like my tortoise has an equal spot in my heart. It's definitely a different relationship and feels very one sided ( no tail wags or so happy to see you indicators from the tort ), but I would be just as devastated if something happened to...
  18. Anna Westphal

    Is my female tortoise actually a male?

    I went through the same big surprise with Stella da Fella, which brought on the name change. It's quite a shocking thing to see when your "girl" does this.
  19. Anna Westphal

    Treating a scrape/cut on a super shy rescued sulcata?

    I just went out and checked my 10 pound bale, and it is Orchard Grass. I got Timothy hay by mistake before, but got the right one more recently. Thanks again for your input.
  20. Anna Westphal

    Treating a scrape/cut on a super shy rescued sulcata?

    Thanks for the clarification. In the winter here I do need to rely on some other sources for food, so it's nice to know of a couple other add-in options.
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