Hello all, although I am new to this forum, I would like to put my 2 cents in this topic. My 15 year old daughter asked for a tortoise for Christmas because she saw a bunch of baby sulcatas at our local aquarium. My husband and I decided she could get one but it was her job too research. I also felt it was my responsibility to also research and verify if she was able to care for this tortoise. I raised the questions to her...
1. Who is going to care for it?
2. Where is he going to live when he starts weighing 50 lbs + as he won't fit in an enclosure?
3. Who is going to carry that monster when he gets to 100lbs and it is raining outside?
From that point on, a sulcata was out of the question, with no questions asked. Ergo, we came up with either a Russians or a Hermann.
Now, I know my daughter is 15, going to high school, no job, no money... But as a parent who approves of her getting any type of animal only means that I am financially responsible for keeping her pet healthy until she can get a job. If I don't want the financial responsibiltity, then i would have told her 'No' to begin with. We currently have a boxer dog and 2 cockatiels, and 2 aquariums and we do our best to take the best care of them. They are our family. If my kids are sick, I take them to the doctor... If my animals are sick, I take them to the vet... Simple as that... We often see a few teenagers on here and I know they do their best to take carenof their pets but it is also a parents responsibility to help their child take care of them too. I could be wrong to some people here but I do feel strongly about this with my kids. Thanks for reading.
1. Who is going to care for it?
2. Where is he going to live when he starts weighing 50 lbs + as he won't fit in an enclosure?
3. Who is going to carry that monster when he gets to 100lbs and it is raining outside?
From that point on, a sulcata was out of the question, with no questions asked. Ergo, we came up with either a Russians or a Hermann.
Now, I know my daughter is 15, going to high school, no job, no money... But as a parent who approves of her getting any type of animal only means that I am financially responsible for keeping her pet healthy until she can get a job. If I don't want the financial responsibiltity, then i would have told her 'No' to begin with. We currently have a boxer dog and 2 cockatiels, and 2 aquariums and we do our best to take the best care of them. They are our family. If my kids are sick, I take them to the doctor... If my animals are sick, I take them to the vet... Simple as that... We often see a few teenagers on here and I know they do their best to take carenof their pets but it is also a parents responsibility to help their child take care of them too. I could be wrong to some people here but I do feel strongly about this with my kids. Thanks for reading.