Sissy is going to have a lovely life with you and Spike - you are taking so much trouble to get everything perfect for her - she can't thank you herself, but I'm sure you will be able to sense then she is happy.
I agree with @wellington on this one, as it is something major I left out on accident. Yes. The tub won't melt, it only will if the heat is sitting right on top, but I was unaware of you plans. Best of luck!!
new update....spike has been putting his brain to work and hes sloved another problem. after i explined to him my idea he checked out the table and decided it s a little top heavy now so we will be getting a sturder table to put her house on...that will fit with our plans and then we are going to rearrange the livingroom a bit to make room....just a matter of turning the computer table around and our chairs down some and her house will be between my chair and the wall...it will take a bit before we can do this as we have to find a table we can afford and is close enough for us to go get.... if i knew WHEN he was going to do all this id call my daughter and have her and her husband come out and help....he wont ask for help...he can still do it himself but boy does he ace for a few days afterwards...
Congratulations to both of you for working out such a good solution to your problem - I'm sure there will be other tortoise people who will find this very helpful too !
Well we do try to work together to slove our problems....inbetween a few mumbling and grumbling here and there lol sissy will have to wait for her bigger home until we can find a sturder table but shes lasted this long and hopefuly she will be much happer when we finally get everything worked out and if it helps others figure things out even better. it would be so much easer for everyone and our torts if we could find the proper information when we first decide to get a tort and the information we find when we do searches to learn about them was correct. we dont usuly think to look for a tort forum until after we get them and things arent going like they should
When we got Zola, this forum didn't exist, and there were very few places we could find things out. We got to know a lady in a town some distance from us, who had a tortoise sanctuary with about 400 assorted tortoises. We used to go there quite a lot, and she was very helpful,but not an expert - Also the guy we bought Zola from had several tortoises himself - they were all old ones, though, which people had given him when they couldn't cope.It was great to find this forum, though it took years before I actually dared join in at all.We always mention the forum when we meet people who are interested, and try to spread the word.
I had the same problem with my Tortoise and my house rabbit. I got my Tortoise in 2007 and was alone until 2018. I happened to find TFO one night by accident and I've never left. I had been having nightmares about my tortoise almost every night because of not having experienced people to discuss things with. A person has to be able to know what they're doing right and wrong to be able to make the right decisions for their animals. TFO has a lot of great people from all kinds of different climates, backgrounds, etc and how they're dealing with the problems in their climate and such for Tortoise keeping. And then there's the social part of this site also and I've really grown to love it very much.
The hat is all done , i just have to add the button so I can put it on her and take a picture. And spike made a new bigger table and he told me he is going to build her a brand new bigger house! We re not going to be using the plastic tub after all....it will take a couple of days but im sure sissy can handle the wait. Im sure she will be much happyer when we get the new house done
Don't little torts have a way of worming their way into your heart 😁😜 looks like spike is getting as attached as you 🐢😊 and in the meantime sissy has the time for just being a little Russian 🤗
lol we have a mini zoo here according to spike. I had to promise him this would be my last addition to our family if he let me get a tort. lol he was quite upset and annoyed that all the information we worked so hard to get was wrong....and that the house he so carefuly built was too small...but as much as he complains about the animals he spoils them more then i do. lol Every morning the dogs and cat get a spical midmorning treat of lunch meat or hotdogs or something simular and then he gets the cat small bits of wet catfood for her midmorning treat. lol He got an extra large cage for the bird since we are to old to chase a bird around the house trying to catch him and put him back in his cage. So he has an extra big cage, he still cant fly but its better then nothing....and now the whole new box for sissy. He said hes not going to start it right away...hes done a lot of building since dec....the salt box and toy box for my daughter...sissys first box and then last week a new closit. hes almost 75 and hes RETIRED darn it!! and tired. I told him thats fine no rush...i will not however be surprised if he starts building it tomarrow...and if not and it takes a couple of days no harm done. I just wish he would let me call the kids to come down and help when we have to rearrange the livingroom some. Ill be 64 on the 20th but i am of no real use or help to him anymore. I do try to help him move the furnture but i just dont have the upper body strength to be of any real help....and he hates it when i start weezing....i dont know if he'll ever get used to the fact that this is how i breath now and i'll be ok hes such a sweetheart.
Spike is obviously a real treasure, and must care about you a great deal. It is great that he has the skills to make all these things for you and the animals, and I think he feels rather helpless about your health conditions, and this is his way of doing what he can.You are fortunate.
It would be lovely to see some of the things you are making, or have made. Please send some photos.
I agree.
i'll see what i can find lol I know i have a jump drive with finished projects on it someplace. and i still have to get a button for sissys shell cover.... spikes done a great job on sissys new home so far....the box is put together he just has to cut out the holes and put the screen in then make the top lids. might be another day or two before we can move her in but im sure she will be much happer when its all finished and all set up....and if everything works out well in the rearranging her house will be right next to my chair.... I know spock my red eared slider loved it when he was next to me..... I hated giving him up but the aquarem was just getting to hard to empty and clean.....Sissys house should be easer to clean.... I can put gloves on and scoop out the bedding into a bag or something sit on my bar stool at the laundary room sink to wash it then set it aside to dry. it might take a couple of months before she has enough substructure to competely dig under and cover her self with but everything in time. I can get a couple of bags of substructer each month until i have enough for her house and extra to put in while the old is drying after being washed. im sure she'll be much liverly after she has a bigger house. were not making a dark side on this as she has her cave to go into and that will give her even more room to roam.
You really don't have to do all that with a little Russian. Isn't that what Sissy is. Just pick up the poo and food, that kinda stuff. I don't change the substrate often or even wash it. They aren't all that hard to take care of once you have them happily set up.🤗
It will be lovely to have Sissy near you in her new home - little Zola always likes to be close to us, whatever is going on - his favourite thing at the moment is sitting by the fire with me - I put him by my shoulder and he puts his head on my face,and I just sit and stroke him. Sometimes while I watch the fire, he goes to sleep like that , and other times he gets bored after a while, and wants to get back to his food !
See these type of chamber enclosures are indeed cool and effective, the only worry I would have is what if the lights inside overheated something or it caught on fire somehow from the lights being inside and so close to things. You never know if the light falls or becomes ineffective
