Mom of a future redfoot tortoise owner

[meridiangarden]

Ok- So being a good pet owner I know that as the mom it will be my job to ensure that any pet my daughter gets is really my resposibility. That being said I am considering a Redfoot tortoise for my daughters 5th birthday. She already handles the daily care of our dog and wants a pet of her own. She is a dinosaur enthusist and is excited to have a cute, slower, dino cousin of her own. I would love any advice and will post a pic of the new tortoise table when we get it done. The tortoise will not come home until Nov.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi meridiangarden:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

 

[Sky2Mina]

Welcome to the forum! Good you inform yourself about your new pet. Be sure to teach your daughter all the important things. I hope she doesn't think that tortoise are boring.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum..

 

[Momof4]

Welcome! Enjoy spending time here, it's addicting and I don't even have my red foot yet!

 

[meridiangarden]

Hi meridiangarden:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

Oh yeah! My name is Katie and we are in Boise, ID
That means the new tort will be indoors all winter!

 

[wrmitchell22]

Welcome to TFO! You will get lots of help here, I don't own a red foot, so sorry I can't help out much You are a great Mom doing research and finding a dinosaur for your daughter

 

[Flesh.Chobit]

Aw that is so cute. >//<~ I love dinosaurs too, I wish my mother would have gotten me a tortoise when I was litttlleee.

 

[Madkins007]

Hi!

Red-foots are great, and I think you will enjoy it. Five is awfully young for this sort of pet, though...
- You really cannot hold or cuddle it
- It hides and sleeps most of the time
- Even when it is active, it does not do as much as a puppy, etc. would
- Although it is slim, there is a chance for Salmonella, which is not a big deal for older folk, but can be a problem for young kids
- Five year-olds tend to treat turtles in general like toys- not a great thing for the turtle. I can't blame them, though- they do look like toys!

I would assume that this would be more of a family (your) pet that the child will help with a lot, and that is much better all around. You can find a lot of good help on-line, like the site in my sig, which not only has articles but also has a lot of good links.

We have several good breeders here as well you can check into to get your tortoise from when you are ready.

 

[Jacqui]

I am going to simply say,

Welcome!

 

[Turtle Guru]

welcome to the forum

 

[dbsneed69]

Welcome!! Ya'll come on in and sit a spell. You can learn so much on this forum. I am new and still learning everyday.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Hi & welcome!! Tortoises have been a wonderful addition to our family. My children do not handle the daily care but they do actively participate in the discussions of maintaining humidity & temps. Planning of outdoor/indoor enclosures, diet, and they love showing their friends the tortoises and telling all about them.

 

[81SHOVELHEAD]

Welcome to TFO Katie
You have come to the right place .
Thanks for doing the reserch B4 purchasing your tort .
Lot of useful information & very knowledgable people here.
I think your daughter will really enjoy the RF.
Excellant choice for first time tort owners .
Mike D.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.