I am sad and broken; must sell Steve and George

[NewTortEnthusiast]

Hello all.
I am deeply saddened by recent events in my family. With a financial problem, and now unsupportive parents, I must sell Steve and George, my two 2 year old sulcata tortoises.

I wanted the best for them. Their breeder raised them dry; they are small and pyramided, and I was determined to give them a better life. Now, none of that is possible. My father is looking for a job, and my parents who are too soft and helpful have allowed two members of my extended family live with us. Neither of them have jobs, so my parents must fully support another two individuals, along with my 3 brothers and myself. Money is tight, and my dreams are shattered. I must sell Steve and George in order to help support my unwanted and most hated guests.

I asked my parents about the money I had to be able to build the closed chambers for Steve and Geore, along with other things they would need. They yelled at me and called my outrageous demands unnecessary and a waste of money in this time. I am crying right now. I am forced to sell Steve and George to help two members of my family who I will hate for the rest of my life. I can no longer support or give aid to my Steve and George, tortoises who I wanted to give the best life possible. Now I must give them up. I will never forget them.

 

[LaLaP]

That's really hard. I'm sorry things are going this way for you. I know how much Steve and George mean to you and I remember how you talked about how they made you calm in a time when you are experiencing a lot of anger. Do you have someone in mind to take them? Maybe you could give/sell them to someone who will be happy to have you visit and still be close to them. Maybe even a temporary home so you can have them back someday when finances are looking up. Just ideas. Whatever happens I hope you the best. Keep hanging out here on the forum.. you are still a tort enthusiast and a part of the group

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

That's really hard. I'm sorry things are going this way for you. I know how much Steve and George mean to you and I remember how you talked about how they made you calm in a time when you are experiencing a lot of anger. Do you have someone in mind to take them? Maybe you could give/sell them to someone who will be happy to have you visit and still be close to them. Maybe even a temporary home so you can have them back someday when finances are looking up. Just ideas. Whatever happens I hope you the best. Keep hanging out here on the forum.. you are still a tort enthusiast and a part of the group

I have no idea as of who I will sell them too. All I know is I won't sell them to some nasty little kids. I need to find someone fast. I am hoping one of my teachers can care for them. I am hoping my AP Biology teacher can take them. He loves animals and surely will be able to comprehend the requirements for both Steve and George. Even if I don't get money for them, he would take care of them until I am able to house them again. I just can't afford to keep them right now is the main problem, but getting money for them would be of much help to my guests. I hate them. I will never forgive them, ever.

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

Or better yet, a member near by.

 

[no one]

I am very sorry for you!!
Hope a member can help you out. Stay strong!!

 

[Lyn W]

So sorry for your circumstances, and I hope that a long term member here can help you out.

 

[vladimir]

Sorry to hear about this. I hope you can arrange a temporary caretaker for Steve and George so that you can be reunited with them when your circumstances change. I wish you and the tort's the best of luck. Keep us posted!

 

[ViolaS]

Hello all.
I am deeply saddened by recent events in my family. With a financial problem, and now unsupportive parents, I must sell Steve and George, my two 2 year old sulcata tortoises.

I wanted the best for them. Their breeder raised them dry; they are small and pyramided, and I was determined to give them a better life. Now, none of that is possible. My father is looking for a job, and my parents who are too soft and helpful have allowed two members of my extended family live with us. Neither of them have jobs, so my parents must fully support another two individuals, along with my 3 brothers and myself. Money is tight, and my dreams are shattered. I must sell Steve and George in order to help support my unwanted and most hated guests.

I asked my parents about the money I had to be able to build the closed chambers for Steve and Geore, along with other things they would need. They yelled at me and called my outrageous demands unnecessary and a waste of money in this time. I am crying right now. I am forced to sell Steve and George to help two members of my family who I will hate for the rest of my life. I can no longer support or give aid to my Steve and George, tortoises who I wanted to give the best life possible. Now I must give them up. I will never forget them.

View attachment 248651

 

[ViolaS]

Sorry to hear about your circumstances. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you

 

[KarenSoCal]

Sorry to hear about your circumstances. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you

On his profile it says Bloomington CA.

 

[ViolaS]

Sorry
I looked up where you are and your in southern CA and unfortunately I’m in northern CA I was thinking that I could keep them for you until you could get your own place. Sorry

 

[Smith4mj]

If I lived in the proper climate, I'd help in a heartbeat! We were just having that conversation. If we didn't live in the frigid northeast, we could take in some large tortoises. Best wishes for your little buddies.

 

[vladimir]

Just checking in. I hope you can find a way to keep Steve and George, or at least be reunited with them in the future.

 

[T Smart]

Keep looking! There is bound to be a caretaker out there to take them until your situation changes. Best of luck.

 

[enchilada]

You live in Southern California. They’ll have no problem living outside before November.
Go scavenge some bricks/ wood boards.
If you want closed chambers, look for those “free” furnitures people dump on the curbs .
No need to use heat lamp at night . Garage is hot enough with a parked car.
And you can get most food for free, like hisbiscus or murberry leaves. Or grow sweet potatoe leaves / cactus in flower pots .

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

I tried looking for super old bookshelfs and stuff and they end up being way too nasty. My parents don't want to help me with anything involving my tortoises anymore, so they wouldn't help me get any "free" furniture. I have absolutely no money anymore to take care of them. I have 3 mulberry trees I get leaves from to feed them, but that is the only good luck I have.

They are super pyramided and were raised completely wrong by my dumb neighbor. They should be way bigger by now for 2 years old, and many of you had told me that a closed chamber would help them retain the humidity and moisture and encourage better growth compared to their original dry conditions. That too my family doesn't understand. I always get in fights with my older brother who keeps opening the containers I have them in during the day; him thinking they can't get any air and that it gets too humid and hot. The humidity stays around 80% and the temperature throughout my house right now is 87, in their containers its around 90 so everything is perfect, but my older brother keeps messing it up because he is an idiot and can't remember the simplest of instructions not to open the containers. So they don't really have any high humidity for more than probably a couple hours per day.

My family lied about having the money for me to take care of them. I have two unwanted guests who I hate and want gone. My brother keeps opening the damn containers letting out all the humidity and slowly dry out in the hot air, and I'm heartbroken because all of that is barely any better than how my neighbor raised them dry as a bone. My family also don't understand why I "let them swim in water, I thought they weren't water turtles" and most of the time they put them back in the open containers while I think they are soaking. Everything is awful and its my parents' fault. They lied and messed everything up. Now I have to find someone to take proper care of George and Steve, because at one point I was able to give them proper care and now I can't. They also want them gone because they see that they are "causing me stress." I wonder why

 

[enchilada]

I tried looking for super old bookshelfs and stuff and they end up being way too nasty. My parents don't want to help me with anything involving my tortoises anymore, so they wouldn't help me get any "free" furniture. I have absolutely no money anymore to take care of them. I have 3 mulberry trees I get leaves from to feed them, but that is the only good luck I have.

They are super pyramided and were raised completely wrong by my dumb neighbor. They should be way bigger by now for 2 years old, and many of you had told me that a closed chamber would help them retain the humidity and moisture and encourage better growth compared to their original dry conditions. That too my family doesn't understand. I always get in fights with my older brother who keeps opening the containers I have them in during the day; him thinking they can't get any air and that it gets too humid and hot. The humidity stays around 80% and the temperature throughout my house right now is 87, in their containers its around 90 so everything is perfect, but my older brother keeps messing it up because he is an idiot and can't remember the simplest of instructions not to open the containers. So they don't really have any high humidity for more than probably a couple hours per day.

My family lied about having the money for me to take care of them. I have two unwanted guests who I hate and want gone. My brother keeps opening the damn containers letting out all the humidity and slowly dry out in the hot air, and I'm heartbroken because all of that is barely any better than how my neighbor raised them dry as a bone. My family also don't understand why I "let them swim in water, I thought they weren't water turtles" and most of the time they put them back in the open containers while I think they are soaking. Everything is awful and its my parents' fault. They lied and messed everything up. Now I have to find someone to take proper care of George and Steve, because at one point I was able to give them proper care and now I can't. They also want them gone because they see that they are "causing me stress." I wonder why

1) They already got prymiding . High humidity now won’t cure it .
2) Just keep the substrate wet . That will keep the humidity around at least 60% as long as you doncan scorch them with heat lamp .
3) stop blaming your parents . I’m sure they worked very hard to keep you and other siblings fed . What have you done to contribute to your family?You should thank them even more in this dire financial condition.
4) if you are old enough, maybe try to learn some way to manipulate people’s feelings and relationships, maybe you’ll be able to have your parents kick the guest out .

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

1) They already got prymiding . High humidity now won’t cure it .
2) Just keep the substrate wet . That will keep the humidity around at least 60% as long as you doncan scorch them with heat lamp .
3) stop blaming your parents . I’m sure they worked very hard to keep you and other siblings fed . What have you done to contribute to your family?You should thank them even more in this dire financial condition.
4) if you are old enough, maybe try to learn some way to manipulate people’s feelings and relationships, maybe you’ll be able to have your parents kick the guest out .

1. New
   its a financial crisis because two grown men who are lazy and dont get jobs are now living quite happily in my home, this is what caused the financial crisis. We were doing amazing even with my dad looking for a job for 1 year.
   
   I never said the high humidity would "reverse" their pyramiding, many people here have told me that higher humidity will help them grow better in a sense, and not stay horribly small.
   
   The substrated dries up because its so hot. if my family never opens the containers a dozen times in one day then the water would evaporate and stay in the containers; humidity. but since they open it constantly and leave it open when i am doing other normal human things, the substrate dries up.
   
   It is my parents fault because they allowed these people to live with us and now we are struggling and these people are lazy and wont get jobs.
   
   I can't get a job because I don't have a car, and there are no buses here where I live and if I wanted an ok job i'd have to drive miles and miles, because all the other teenagers here are working at all the places possible. so yes, I have never contributed anything to my family because we have never had enough money to buy me a nasty car that can still drive for the possibility of me ever getting a job.
   
   And I have told my "guests" that I hate them and I don't want them in my house. I have to keep all my food in a mini fridge in my closet because they have been eating all the food my mom made for me that was meant for me to eat as soon as I get home from school.
   
   Everything was perfectly fine before these lazy 30 year old men moved in.
   
   So if any of this makes sense, I really can't keep Steve and George. Too much craziness and stress and I can't even have them in their baby closed chambers because they keep opening it and take them out when they are soaking. And the money I was gonna use to help them is now in the possession of my hated guests.
   

 

[Minority2]

1. New
   its a financial crisis because two grown men who are lazy and dont get jobs are now living quite happily in my home, this is what caused the financial crisis. We were doing amazing even with my dad looking for a job for 1 year.
   
   I never said the high humidity would "reverse" their pyramiding, many people here have told me that higher humidity will help them grow better in a sense, and not stay horribly small.
   
   The substrated dries up because its so hot. if my family never opens the containers a dozen times in one day then the water would evaporate and stay in the containers; humidity. but since they open it constantly and leave it open when i am doing other normal human things, the substrate dries up.
   
   It is my parents fault because they allowed these people to live with us and now we are struggling and these people are lazy and wont get jobs.
   
   I can't get a job because I don't have a car, and there are no buses here where I live and if I wanted an ok job i'd have to drive miles and miles, because all the other teenagers here are working at all the places possible. so yes, I have never contributed anything to my family because we have never had enough money to buy me a nasty car that can still drive for the possibility of me ever getting a job.
   
   And I have told my "guests" that I hate them and I don't want them in my house. I have to keep all my food in a mini fridge in my closet because they have been eating all the food my mom made for me that was meant for me to eat as soon as I get home from school.
   
   Everything was perfectly fine before these lazy 30 year old men moved in.
   
   So if any of this makes sense, I really can't keep Steve and George. Too much craziness and stress and I can't even have them in their baby closed chambers because they keep opening it and take them out when they are soaking. And the money I was gonna use to help them is now in the possession of my hated guests.

Good substrate goes a good job of holding humidity. Keeping an enclosure opened will not completely dry up the substrate in a single day. Please check the sulcata care sheet for recommendations.

You should be thankful to even have pets and parents that were willing to spend money for your benefit. It is ultimately your parent's decision whether to welcome their home to friends, relatives and or acquaintances. It's their money. Their house. Stop acting so entitled and be thankful for having a warm bed to sleep at night. You even got a mini-fridge in your room. people would call that a luxury. Please stop portraying yourself as a victim. Consider what you're parents are going through. Support them. Stop blaming them.

You can walk, bike, roller skate, or even skateboard to work. Many teenagers used and still do just that, do whatever it took to earn a living and saved enough money to buy their own first vehicles. A couple hundred bucks to a grand is all you need to get a reliable used car and cheap insurance.

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

I bought steve and george and all the stuff I have with my own money i got from my grandma for my birthday. My parents gave me no money at all. They promised more money for my tortoises because they saw how passionate I was for them. That money is gone now. The mini fridge is not mine, it is my brother's who is now in prison, I now "own" the mini fridge and keep it hidden in my room in order to prevent food that was specifically cooked for me once i get home from school from being eaten. I also sleep on the floor and one of the guests took the bed. Dont have a bike or skateboard nor can I walk a few miles every day to work and walk back and still go to school. My life situation is very complex before the guests arrived, and it is more complex now that they are here.