Feeling guilty...

[camerafreak]

As many of you might know I bought my male RT from petco a little over two years ago. At the time he was my only pet and I seemed to find a way to incoperate him into everything I did. I just don't know how to do that anymore. I feel like I am not the best "mom" for him anymore. I don't know how to keep tortoises entertained and I cannot get another one because of the cost and my parents. I feel like I am not providing him the love and nutrition he needs in order to be happy. Even his 50galon (I think) tank doesn't seem like its even close to big enough to make him feel at home. Is there anyone out there willing to give me ideas on how to provide him a happier life living with me? Or does it sound like I'm better off finding him a new home...?

 

[Laura]

they dont need to be played with or entertained.
feed him right, provide for him and enjoy watching.
If YOU dont enjoy him anymore.. then maybe consider rehoming..

 

[zoogrl]

How have things changed in your life since you first got him? What makes you think that you are not providing him enough love & nutrition? I know a lot of people on here have built bigger enclosures by taking a bookcase & turning it into a tort enclosure if you are looking for a bigger space. I think the 5 shelf walmart brand bookcases are around $40. There are a couple threads with instructions if you are interested just do a search for bookcase enclosure. Does he have heat & UV lamps? What do you feed him?

 

[camerafreak]

I have just had a lot more school work and a lot more animals. I think I'm not providing him enough love because all he does anymore is sleep... I will look into the bookcase enclosure. I think my biggest problem is not having enough room for him to roam in. He has heat and uv lamps. I feed him greens like mustard greens and romane letuce. He gets squash and green pepers once in a while too. I will need to find a place in my room to put him if we get him a bigger cage.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ricki:

Are you able to put him outside in good weather? Most tortoises do much better outside.

Please don't put human emotions onto your animal. They don't need your love. All he needs from you is a safe habitat with the correct lighting and food, with a nice place to hide. He doesn't need a friend and he doesn't need to be held. In fact he probably prefers to be alone.

Feed him at the same time every day and don't worry about him. (But try to get a safe pen built outside for good weather)

 

[camerafreak]

I will have to talk to my step father about building an outdoor enclosure. The bad thing is I will be moving out in a year or so so I am not sure if he will allow me to build something outdoors. How does this look for an indoor enclosure? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-5-Shelf-Bookcase-Alder/11061209

 

[Squirtle Time]

If you feel like you are not spending enough time with him and it makes you feel bad, take some time out of your week to devote attention to him. Maybe once a week take him outside and takes pictures of him and let him be curious and run around.

I agree with the bookshelf idea as well. It will give him more room, and also give you a new project to reconnect with him. Be careful though because, from what I read, they can be territorial and changing their living space too often is not good. Of course if you have had him in the same enclosure for the past two years, an upgrade would probably be nice.

Good luck!

 

[dmmj]

I don't see any reason for feeling guilty, tortoises are not like dogs (pack animals), or cats who act like they don't want attention 99 percent of the time. I think that if you were to supply food and water and UV your tortoise would probably be happy for the rest of his life without seeing a person, that does not mean you can't enjoy him, just don't worry about him feeling lonely.

 

[lynnedit]

I will have to talk to my step father about building an outdoor enclosure. The bad thing is I will be moving out in a year or so so I am not sure if he will allow me to build something outdoors. How does this look for an indoor enclosure? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-5-Shelf-Bookcase-Alder/11061209

A bookcase like that should work well. You have to make sure the sides are high enough so your tort won't climb out, and cap the corners with a triangular piece of wood. Not sure how big your tort is. In addition, the backing is often quite thin, so you would probably have to replace this with 1/2" plywood. It can be interior grade. You could then line the enclosure with a heavy duty shower curtain and fold it up the sides and staple gun it down.
As far as an outside enclosure, any sun is good. Since you may be moving, how about Tom's suggestion?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Cheap-Easy-Simple-Sunning-Enclosure#axzz1JbFa23Hf
Good luck!

 

[Laura]

where are you moving too in a year?
Are you planning to take him with you?

 

[camerafreak]

I will most likely be moving into an apartment within a year and he would be going with me. Would the size of the baby pool be large enough for Munchie so he wont climb out? I will measure him tonight to see how big he really is. How high should the sides be on to book case to ensure that he will not climb out? I think I'm just used to snuggling guinea pigs so I don't really know what to expect to make Munchie happy go lucky. He used to come up to the tank and watch me while I talked to him but he wont even do that now of days. Should I go with the larger bookshelf posted above or this smaller one? http://www.walmart.com/ip/4-Shelf-Bookcase-Black/12456482 Either way it's the same price. I do have a space problem though. My room is pretty small and I could easily raise my guinea pigs cage and have Munchie underneath it but the bottom of the pigs' cage is plastic, so would it melt it? Would I just be better off putting Munchie on top of them? Of course I would have a support system to keep him raised up sturdily. Sorry for all of the questions I just feel he'd be a lot better off in a larger cage. Right now his cage is 18 inches wide and 36 inches long... I feel bad for the little guy.

 

[Laura]

flea markets, yard sales. Craigslist.. all good places to look for used shelving units..
The bigger the better.. whatever you can fit..
the sides need to be taller then he is long when he stretches out. So if he can climd onto something, or your substrate is thick, you need to make sure the sides are tall enough.

 

[lynnedit]

Laura's right. Check out Goodwill, Craigslist and even Freecycle if you have it in your area. You can also convert a dresser, I saw one at our Goodwill that was sturdy(might have to remove the cross pieces).
I don't think the Guinea pig smell will bother the tort too much, so stacking them with good support is fine.
I think the first bookshelf you showed is better at 11.5" high, if your tort is small or you can add a small overhang all around.
If you can afford a bit more, that same web site has
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Storage-Cabinet-Alder/11061206?findingMethod=rr#Specifications, which is deeper. The backing may be stronger, and you would not have to worry about him climbing out.
Height wise, you just have to account for the addition of substrate and hides.
Hard to say about the kiddy pool. I got my 2 adult males off of Craigslist and that is what they were in for the previous 3 years, at 6.5 and 7.5' long(shells). No reports of them escaping...

 

[firework]

The main problem I see with the sub-$50 bookshelf is: the back panel, which will become the floor of the enclosure, is not made of the same material as the frame and shelves, rather it is made of a paper board with wood-like paint. The significance is: the floor will not be water-proof, you can't spray water on it or that paper board will rot on your carpet. Besides, it will not hold the weight of substrate when you lift it up. You will have to drag it around if you want to move it.

I recommend you find a used bookshelf on Craigslist, the all-wooden ones or similar. But then, you will need to ask you step-father pick it up for you.

I will have to talk to my step father about building an outdoor enclosure. The bad thing is I will be moving out in a year or so so I am not sure if he will allow me to build something outdoors. How does this look for an indoor enclosure? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-5-Shelf-Bookcase-Alder/11061209

 

[Jacqui]

Hi! I live a few miles away from you and would recommend asking in Freecycle, if anybody had an old bookcase. Might find one with a better back then the newer ones, but even if not the money you saved on the buying of a new one, could go toward buying a new and better back. Also those large pools should be coming in stock soon in our area and they do make great enclosures.

 

[camerafreak]

Well I was thinking of getting some wood to nail behind the bookcase instead of having that crappy cardboard thing. I will be selling his tank on Craigslist if I get him a larger enclosure so that could help me out with the backing. Thank you guys for all of your advice!

 

[dolfanjack]

A small kiddie pool with some soil, water, and hides can make a great outdoor pen that can be moved easily.

 

[Laura]

just get a cheap sheet of plywood. it makes a good backing.
kiddie pools can work, but once youput your substrate in, they get kinda heavy. i used dirt and some gravel on the bottom tho..