Should I give away my tort Walter?

hcasey

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Hello All,

I have an African Spur Thigh Tort named Walter. He is without a doubt the best pet I've ever had. But I am graduating college this semester and Im worried I am no longer giving him the home he needs. It breaks my heart to think he needs more then I can give him but I only want the best for him and for him to live a long healthy life. Walter and I reside in Massachusetts, I have come to terms with giving him to a new home and just want to ensure it is a providing one of course. I attached a picture of Walter, if anyone is interested in a great tort feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me here :)

Thanks,
Heather


DSC_0340.jpg
 
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Yvonne G

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Hi Heather, and welcome to the Forum!

You are the only one who can answer that question. If you think your life will be in turmoil, maybe no home or job, then finding a new home for Walter seems the best option. But I really hate to see you give up an animal you love.

(...and Walter is an African spurred tortoise, or sulcata. When we say "spur thigh" we are referring to a Greek or testudo species)
 

Tom

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I went through something similar as I graduated form college. I regret letting my animals go. If you can maintain your animals throughout the craziness of college, then you can maintain them throughout the craziness you are about to go through.

Instead of giving him away, just give him what he needs and keep your tortoise. In 10 years you will be so glad you kept him. Or if you don't keep him, you will suffer the regret that I now live with.
 

hcasey

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Thank you both for responding! I really took both comments to heart, I do worry I will regret giving Walter away in years as just talking about it brings tears to my eyes. I suppose if I made some changes to his home that would be beneficial and kept up with those changes. He's currently in a large wooden home i constructed for him. should I be using some turtle wax for his shell and giving him tortoise supplements you think?
 

Yvonne G

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No wax. A lot of folks use it, but they really don't need it. Yes supplements. You can give him a pinch of calcium powder over his food a couple times a week, and he'll need a UVB light for the calcium to work. If you feed a good diet, you really don't need vitamins.
 

hcasey

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He has a very warm light he loves. I mostly feed him romaine lettuce and timothy hay.
 

mike taylor

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I think you love him, so keep him . Fifty years from now you will be happy you did . I gave away my first ball python and hated myself for it . Thank god I got him back two years later . Guess what? I still have him! 16 years could've beed 18 years .
 

Levi the Leopard

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Not sure if this is you...but too many people think they should rehome their tort when they "cant give it the time/ attention it deserves". They don't need time and attention like a dog or cat. They just need the time spent in setting up their enclosure and while their environment needs attention, they don't.
I got rid of quite a few turtles and tortoises recently when I moved from sunny SoCal to southern Oregon. The rehoming had nothing to do with me not being able to "give them attention" rather everything to do with not being able to provide enough adequate enclosures. In SoCal it was easy...in a cold climate it'd require more enclosures, more space, more hearing elements, more$.

I say if you can offer the right set up and spend the few minutes it takes to feed, water, toss out poop..etc, keep him! Don't feel bad if you can't pet him for 30 min a day.
If you can't spend the resources to properly house him or you aren't interested in investing the time in maintaining the enclosure, THEN rehome him.
 

hcasey

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Oh yes I definitely understand he doesn't need the attention a cat or dog does, thats one of my favorite things about him. He already weighs 20lbs and I am really just reaching out for some advice, ideas and options for him so he receives the best care :)
 

hcasey

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I think you love him, so keep him . Fifty years from now you will be happy you did . I gave away my first ball python and hated myself for it . Thank god I got him back two years later . Guess what? I still have him! 16 years could've beed 18 years .
Yes I totally agree here Mike! I do dearly love him and pets like him have that unique quality of being a part of your family for decades! I am really getting some good insight and support thank you all so much for supporting me and Walter :) <3
 

mike taylor

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I don't spend hours a day with my tortoises . I feed at 6:30 am then go to work . I get home then check on them . I will clean old food and water bowls and fill humidifiers . Then go in the house . Takes 30 minutes at the most . On the weekend I'll soak all the big guys and girls . My little leopards are in the house so they get soaked daily .
 

Juan V

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Can your parents take care of your tortoise? or any family member? You could just search for someone who could take care of your tortoise for a few years. it's not yet that big and it's not that difficult to take care of a tortoise. maybe you can find a friend or family that could take care of him for the next few years. Or if you are moving to college you could also find a house with a small garden to keep it.
 

Tom

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smarch

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I literally have no idea how I stumbled across this, but funny story: We go to the same school and I believe once way back when freshman year we had a class together (was your freshman seminar that health and wellness one??... or possibly the trip to Heifer??), since your name is very familiar!

I hope you can figure it out and keep him, because its a probability that you'll regret giving him up after.

I'm not entirely sure of what your reasons for giving him up are, if its space give him room outside during the summers (if he doesn't already) if food...well ok I have a little Russian tort and he doesn't eat much and I live on a farm with fields.

All this being said, if you still feel you have to give him up, if only temporary, I live on a 3 acre yard in Charlton and if planned out could probably give him a good temporary summer home, though winter would be harder since I have little space for my Russian tortoise inside I could find a way to make it work if it was needed.
 

yillt

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I don't want to make this to long but DONT give him up.i really can't stop you but I have done that before and I really regretted it. We were moving house and I thought thatI wouldn't be able to give him the love and attention he needed. I really thought that there wasn't another option and I was in that one frame of mind.I sold him to a kind lady. After about a month or so (I can't really remember :D) I missed him so much. I hadn't realised how much I had loved him. We would have grown up together, ( as he's 9 years younger than me, Im 12.) Every night I lay in bed and I did actually get VERY upset. My mum realised and asked me whether I would ever get him back if I could. I explained how I would do anything to get him back. We were worried that the women was angry and she wouldn't give him back. Finally, I called the women myself. I also sent her a long email explaining how I wanted Billy to live with me forever and for us to grow old together. She didn't reply for almost a week and I got extremely worried. Finally, she did. She explained how in life I couldn't give things away and ask for them back again but I could have Billy back. I was so over the moon. We collected him that weekend and I have managed to adjust to his needs. He lives in my room. It is abit squashy with his cage in there and the bedding smells WIERD but I don't care. I have Billy back and I would NEVER EVER give him Way again. You may not think it, but tortoises ARE actually pretty hardy creatures and they need care and the right environment but they can be extremely easy to look after if you arrange a good routine. Please listen to this. If you really feel you HAVE TO get rid of your tortoise, I can't stop you. But trust me, it will she how much you love him when you give him away.
 

smarch

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I don't want to make this to long but DONT give him up.i really can't stop you but I have done that before and I really regretted it. We were moving house and I thought thatI wouldn't be able to give him the love and attention he needed. I really thought that there wasn't another option and I was in that one frame of mind.I sold him to a kind lady. After about a month or so (I can't really remember :D) I missed him so much. I hadn't realised how much I had loved him. We would have grown up together, ( as he's 9 years younger than me, Im 12.) Every night I lay in bed and I did actually get VERY upset. My mum realised and asked me whether I would ever get him back if I could. I explained how I would do anything to get him back. We were worried that the women was angry and she wouldn't give him back. Finally, I called the women myself. I also sent her a long email explaining how I wanted Billy to live with me forever and for us to grow old together. She didn't reply for almost a week and I got extremely worried. Finally, she did. She explained how in life I couldn't give things away and ask for them back again but I could have Billy back. I was so over the moon. We collected him that weekend and I have managed to adjust to his needs. He lives in my room. It is abit squashy with his cage in there and the bedding smells WIERD but I don't care. I have Billy back and I would NEVER EVER give him Way again. You may not think it, but tortoises ARE actually pretty hardy creatures and they need care and the right environment but they can be extremely easy to look after if you arrange a good routine. Please listen to this. If you really feel you HAVE TO get rid of your tortoise, I can't stop you. But trust me, it will she how much you love him when you give him away.
^ it was this exact story that makes me tell people not to just give torts away if they think they're not giving what they need, especially when they love them.

Which is why especially knowing i'm literally right around I'm here offering anything I can. I mean heck i'd even try working out getting hay and stuff as food, we don't treat for bugs or weeds because of the cows and now Nank, so I have 3 acres of tortoise eatables 1 of which is all long field, and hay bales in the winter and stuff.

I'd just hate to see him given up forever when the situations that made him given up are only temporary. especially in an animal that lives so long.
 
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