New to the forum — Looking into getting a tortoise!

[Katie 7130]

Hi! I’m Katie (she/her) I live in West Lafayette, IN. I just moved to the area and work at a small animal clinic, but they only see cats and dogs (bummer!!)

I love animals so much, but I‘m not ready for the high-energy needs of a dog and I’m allergic to cats. I’m actually allergic to a lot of fluffy creatures—that’s why I’m here!

I adopted two geriatric guinea pigs when I was in high school and fell so in love with those little creatures! I loved caring for them at the end of their lives and went ahead and got two babies when I moved out. My allergies got much worse over a few years and was I told by my doctor that my options were asthma or rehoming. I found them a good home down the street and I was able to visit them until I had to move.

I’ve been searching for animals that could fill the pet-shaped hole in my heart and found that russian tortoises require the same amount of space as guinea pigs, and have very similar diets! I’m learning more and more about tortoises each day, and I really hope to find a geriatric/older russian tortoise I can care for, because I really have a passion for end-of-life pet care, and I’m sure there are some old geezer tortoises out there just waiting for a home.

I’m sure I’ll be asking for advice in the future after I do some more financial planning and get officially started in my tortoise journey, so I look forward to talking with all of you!

 

[sj.marrs]

Hi! I’m Katie (she/her) I live in West Lafayette, IN. I just moved to the area and work at a small animal clinic, but they only see cats and dogs (bummer!!)

I love animals so much, but I‘m not ready for the high-energy needs of a dog and I’m allergic to cats. I’m actually allergic to a lot of fluffy creatures—that’s why I’m here!

I adopted two geriatric guinea pigs when I was in high school and fell so in love with those little creatures! I loved caring for them at the end of their lives and went ahead and got two babies when I moved out. My allergies got much worse over a few years and was I told by my doctor that my options were asthma or rehoming. I found them a good home down the street and I was able to visit them until I had to move.

I’ve been searching for animals that could fill the pet-shaped hole in my heart and found that russian tortoises require the same amount of space as guinea pigs, and have very similar diets! I’m learning more and more about tortoises each day, and I really hope to find a geriatric/older russian tortoise I can care for, because I really have a passion for end-of-life pet care, and I’m sure there are some old geezer tortoises out there just waiting for a home.

I’m sure I’ll be asking for advice in the future after I do some more financial planning and get officially started in my tortoise journey, so I look forward to talking with all of you!

Hi Katie,

I actually just found your post because I was going to make a post of my own about needing to rehome a Russian in the next 4-6 weeks. We are in Indianapolis. He is not geriatric however, he is around 4-5. Let me know if you’d like any more information.

Thanks

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hi! I’m Katie (she/her) I live in West Lafayette, IN. I just moved to the area and work at a small animal clinic, but they only see cats and dogs (bummer!!)

I love animals so much, but I‘m not ready for the high-energy needs of a dog and I’m allergic to cats. I’m actually allergic to a lot of fluffy creatures—that’s why I’m here!

I adopted two geriatric guinea pigs when I was in high school and fell so in love with those little creatures! I loved caring for them at the end of their lives and went ahead and got two babies when I moved out. My allergies got much worse over a few years and was I told by my doctor that my options were asthma or rehoming. I found them a good home down the street and I was able to visit them until I had to move.

I’ve been searching for animals that could fill the pet-shaped hole in my heart and found that russian tortoises require the same amount of space as guinea pigs, and have very similar diets! I’m learning more and more about tortoises each day, and I really hope to find a geriatric/older russian tortoise I can care for, because I really have a passion for end-of-life pet care, and I’m sure there are some old geezer tortoises out there just waiting for a home.

I’m sure I’ll be asking for advice in the future after I do some more financial planning and get officially started in my tortoise journey, so I look forward to talking with all of you!

Hello and welcome!
Please, take a look at this post (https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/) while you are in search of your new shelled friend. This will help you to better understand tortoise needs and care. While there is something in common between guinea pigs and tortoises husbandry, reptile care is different. And tortoises need lots of dedicated space to thrive.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

This is a great care guide to kick off our research into russian tortoises: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Katie!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Ah welcome! Love for you to keep us updated when you decide on your new companion😊my friend has a Russian, they are such cute sassy little personalities, you’ll love one❤️

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hello and welcome to the forum from South Florida

 

[SinLA]

Hi welcome to the forum. How wonderful if it works out and you can adopt @sj.marrs tortoise!

Alex provided you the best link to start with: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/#post-2036954

and its a LOT of info so if you have questions please don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Katie 7130]

Hello and welcome!
Please, take a look at this post (https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/) while you are in search of your new shelled friend. This will help you to better understand tortoise needs and care. While there is something in common between guinea pigs and tortoises husbandry, reptile care is different. And tortoises need lots of dedicated space to M

Hi Katie,

I actually just found your post because I was going to make a post of my own about needing to rehome a Russian in the next 4-6 weeks. We are in Indianapolis. He is not geriatric however, he is around 4-5. Let me know if you’d like any more information.

Thanks

Hi!

I’m not ready at the moment. I might be ready in a few months, but I want to get super secure in my finances before making the commitment. I know you’ll find your tortoise a good home!

 

[Katie 7130]

Hello and welcome!
Please, take a look at this post (https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/) while you are in search of your new shelled friend. This will help you to better understand tortoise needs and care. While there is something in common between guinea pigs and tortoises husbandry, reptile care is different. And tortoises need lots of dedicated space to thrive.

I understand that reptile care is different. I’ve cared for reptiles before, but they weren’t personal so I didn’t share it in my intro.

Guinea pigs also need a lot of dedicated space—more than most people think. My guinea pigs had an enclosure over 15sq ft. and free roamed my entire living space. I got good at not tripping over potato-sized creatures on the floor haha

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I understand that reptile care is different. I’ve cared for reptiles before, but they weren’t personal so I didn’t share it in my intro.

Guinea pigs also need a lot of dedicated space—more than most people think. My guinea pigs had an enclosure over 15sq ft. and free roamed my entire living space. I got good at not tripping over potato-sized creatures on the floor haha

That's great that you have experience with small creatures and reptiles.

Adult Russian tortoise needs about 30 sq.ft and free roaming isn't safe. I don't know if guinea pigs eat wrong stuff from the floor but some tortoises do and that kills them. And maybe guinea pigs don't get stuck behind the fridge or heat radiators to bake themselves to death. Also, floors too are cold for tortoises usually and slippery tiles a bad for their joints. So a safe environment (inside or outside) with controlled temperatures and right substrate is the way to go.

I see that you want to be a responsible tortoise keeper. That's good to know! We will help you to set the things up without double-spending on wrong equipment. Please, ask questions!