Should I rehome my tort? :(

immiexxo

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***REHOME

Hey guys,
I'm really worrying about things at the moment. I love my little tortoise all the world. I'd love to keep him forever however I can't help but think he'd be better elsewhere.

I have plans to go abroad, go places, go on weekends away etc. I have no one that can look after my tort while I'm away and I feel like maybe it'll be easier if I rehome him.
It breaks my heart even writing this, I feel like crying. I was his forever home but now I'm thinking about the future and travelling to and from uni with him and I don't feel it's fair on him to be lugged about or left alone for a few days.

What do you all think? I feel I do provide him with such a good home and I have no solid plans, in fact I don't even have my new passport yet. I don't know if I'm over thinking I just would like some advice I think.

I have a neighbour at home that has lots of tortoises and I was thinking I could see if she'd take him in, as that way I could still see him. It's my final year of uni so he won't be travelling to and from too much.

Any help would be greatly appreciated x
 

Yvonne G

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No one can make that decision for you. It sounds like you've already given it a lot of thought. Go with your gut.
 

immiexxo

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No one can make that decision for you. It sounds like you've already given it a lot of thought. Go with your gut.

I feel so upset just thinking about it. I just feel maybe I should have waited a bit longer before getting a tortoise but now I have him I don't wanna be without him! I'm so confused I don't know what to do!
 

wellington

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Is there someone that would like to take him for you just while your gone, like for a couple years until you are settled, like a family member or friend?
Otherwise if you do rehome him make sure it's someone reliable and don't think of it like rehoming a dog that knows the difference between you and someone else. Torts I do think knows their owner but not for a long time and not like a dog might take it.
 

immiexxo

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Is there someone that would like to take him for you just while your gone, like for a couple years until you are settled, like a family member or friend?
Otherwise if you do rehome him make sure it's someone reliable and don't think of it like rehoming a dog that knows the difference between you and someone else. Torts I do think knows their owner but not for a long time and not like a dog might take it.


Everybody I would ask has a dog so I don't really want to let them look after him because I can't trust them to keep them separated.
I'm thinking about asking my mums neighbour, I know she has a few torts and may be able to help me with him. I haven't personally spoken to her before but my mum says she is retired and so has a lot of time for her torts so I feel I could trust her with him. It's just a case of getting to know her.

Have you ever left your torts alone for more than a day? Is it okay to leave them for a few days provided they have food and water or does it not work this way with torts?
It's nice to know that he won't have an emotional attachment to me! I do to him I just don't think it's fair on him to stay with me! x
 

wellington

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I have left my torts alone for two days. Like leaving early Friday I give fresh water and lots of food. Then they are alone Saturday and Sunday I'm back in the afternoon and I feed and water when home. All lights and heat on timers or thermostat. I did that when I only had my one leopard and my Russian. Since adding more I now have a tort caretaker.
Your moms neighbor sounds like your idea person. One visit, seeing her torts, how they are cared for, do they all have water and plenty of room, no mixed species, if yes, then I would ask her.
 

ILoveTorts&Gerbils

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It's so hard to give up a pet and I really do admire your selflessness.

But don't make any hasty decisions. You love your tort. At the same time, change will stress him. So do what you think best, Immie, but it would be so sad to see you give up a pet you love just because you think you aren't qualified to look after him. Because you are, even just by asking for advice on here and following through with it. You'd better believe me, or Goddammit, I'll fetch the most supportive members at my disposal!
 

immiexxo

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I feel I'm being selfish more than selfless! Because I feel as though I should stay with my tort but there's so much I also want to do and it'd be cruel to take him with me. I'm going to keep a hold of him at least until christmas/January. Like you've said, I don't want to make any hasty decisions.

Who knows, maybe when it comes to the time I want to go away I might know someone that'll look after him for me!
 

ILoveTorts&Gerbils

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That's it, keep positive! And you ARE selfless. If you weren't, you'd bring him around the world with you without a thought.
 

Gillian M

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***REHOME

Hey guys,
I'm really worrying about things at the moment. I love my little tortoise all the world. I'd love to keep him forever however I can't help but think he'd be better elsewhere.

I have plans to go abroad, go places, go on weekends away etc. I have no one that can look after my tort while I'm away and I feel like maybe it'll be easier if I rehome him.
It breaks my heart even writing this, I feel like crying. I was his forever home but now I'm thinking about the future and travelling to and from uni with him and I don't feel it's fair on him to be lugged about or left alone for a few days.

What do you all think? I feel I do provide him with such a good home and I have no solid plans, in fact I don't even have my new passport yet. I don't know if I'm over thinking I just would like some advice I think.

I have a neighbour at home that has lots of tortoises and I was thinking I could see if she'd take him in, as that way I could still see him. It's my final year of uni so he won't be travelling to and from too much.

Any help would be greatly appreciated x
Most members would like you to keep your tort, that I'm sure of. However, if you cannot take care of him, then I would advise you to re-home him.
I do know this would to be heartbreaking, especially if you are an emotional person. Here, I do NOT mean to hurt you, but you've got to make your mind up: the more you think, the more time you waste, the more attached you get to your tort, and last but not least that 'thinking process' may only confuse you and prevent you from taking a decision. Whatever you decide, good luck, and and apologies for anything that may have hurt you.
 

immiexxo

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Most members would like you to keep your tort, that I'm sure of. However, if you cannot take care of him, then I would advise you to re-home him.
I do know this would to be heartbreaking, especially if you are an emotional person. Here, I do NOT mean to hurt you, but you've got to make your mind up: the more you think, the more time you waste, the more attached you get to your tort, and last but not least that 'thinking process' may only confuse you and prevent you from taking a decision. Whatever you decide, good luck, and and apologies for anything that may have hurt you.


No need to apologise!
I can take care of him, it's just my anxiety I think. I keep thinking too far ahead into the future and worrying about what I'll do with him when I go abroad at any point (although thinking about it, my grandmother (different to the last one) would almost definitely look after him for me).
I have bad anxiety that has just come on recently as I'm due back to university soon and I think it's triggered me to over think everything. I KNOW I don't want to rehome him and that I can provide care, it's just me worrying about things that may not even happen.
I'm a nightmare!
 

Keith D.

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Hiya Immie :)
My opinion is this. You love your tort incredibly much as I do my own, if I were you I would talk to your Mums neighbor, get to know her, become friends, which since you and her already have something in common shouldn't be to hard, make sure hertorts a taken care of properly and when you are good friends you can ask her if she could tortoise sit for you while you are pursuing your dreams.
 

ILoveTorts&Gerbils

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No need to apologise!
I can take care of him, it's just my anxiety I think. I keep thinking too far ahead into the future and worrying about what I'll do with him when I go abroad at any point (although thinking about it, my grandmother (different to the last one) would almost definitely look after him for me).
I have bad anxiety that has just come on recently as I'm due back to university soon and I think it's triggered me to over think everything. I KNOW I don't want to rehome him and that I can provide care, it's just me worrying about things that may not even happen.
I'm a nightmare!


I have really bad anxiety too, do you receive help for it?
 

dmmj

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before you contemplate giving him up looking into seeing if anyone can foster him for a while
 

Levi the Leopard

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Just my opinion...

I don't think our pet tortoises attach to us like we do to them (although I don't know Bob or Maggie, but her posts make it seem like they are an exception..?)
So, generally speaking your tort would prefer his time to be living in a great tort space all day, everyday. Whether you care for him or someone else does wouldn't really concern him.
For comparison, a pet dog on the other hand would much prefer to be crammed or moved around(small apartment, car road trip, tent camping..etc) with YOU, his person than to have a "nice house" and be left all alone.

Make sense?
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Personally, i agree with you, Immie, you're overthinking this due to the worry of your imminent return for your final year's study.
If you leave the tortoise for a couple of days with food and water and someone just to pop in and see he's okay, he'll be fine.
Worry about long periods abroad if and when it happens.
If you really want to keep your tortoise, then you can, there's always a solution.
 

ascott

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I feel I'm being selfish more than selfless! Because I feel as though I should stay with my tort but there's so much I also want to do and it'd be cruel to take him with me. I'm going to keep a hold of him at least until christmas/January. Like you've said, I don't want to make any hasty decisions.

Who knows, maybe when it comes to the time I want to go away I might know someone that'll look after him for me!

I think you are correct in that you are foreseeing doom and gloom that is not in place as of yet....take a breath, remember you have very little say over many things in life and hang on and enjoy the journey my dear...and as long as that tort has his comfy space, he will not much care beyond that....you will be surprised at how much life changes from one moment even to the next....so unless there is an actual issue in play....chill.
 

dmmj

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doom doom doom madness doom doom it's easy I think of all that can go wrong let's try to think of what can go right
 

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