should parents allow kids and teens to get tortoises?

[tortoisetime565]

My two cents.

When I was 15 I wanted a "big turtle" and bought my first tortoise, oogway, a sulcata.

I had done almost a year of research and my mom told me that if I kept the turtle in mind for a year I should be allowed to have one. So I saved up and bought a jeuv sully.

She had bad pyramiding from the pet store and I knew right away what was wrong, newspaper bedding, pellet food, only a heat bulb... Etc.

I took her home. And she ate and all, from what I can tell, her growth lines from me are all smooth.

I am now eighteen and have 8 torts all together. They are all doing great. I rescued all but five of them.

My advice? I would make sure they know everything they need to. HAVE A SETUP READY!!! have lighting and have time. My hatchlings need a lot of my time for soaking. I typically soak them once a day for 30-45 mins each.

Just my two cents. Also, I have heard story's of kids like 5-6 getting torts and having them for 50+ years.

 

[Aunt Caffy]

I am 13 years old, I may get hate for this but I am...I am very responsible, I have had many reptiles which I take 100% care of. In fact my Dad doesn't even like them. I have had a bearded dragon for 7 years, two leopard geckos for over 3 years, and a sulcata for 2 years...I pay for all the food,cages,care,vet bills. I babysit and mow lawns to Pay for the expenses. I have had my reptiles shipped over the country, I have paid hundreds in vet bills ( including my tortoise being attacked by a dog) I will say I know many who are not responsible enough for any pet but there are many exceptions including myself. I have volunteered at animal hospitals, had experience in reptile shops and have many reptiles with perfect care and health. I spend almost all my money on them and people saying that all teens are not responsible are wrong... Well that is my say in this.

Young adults like you are the very reason I get so upset with people who complain about how "kids these days" are." Some kids will be irresponsible just as some adults will be. Ultimately, I believe the parent should take on responsibility for the pet if the kid doesn't take care of it, but that doesn't mean that every kid out there is irresponsible.

 

[ashleyr21]

I think yes, they should be able to. I, at 14, got my first tortoise. I was/still am (i'm 15) financially able to care for my tortoise. I got a job at 14, where I get about $75/week. I got my first reptile at 7. I believe that teens/kids should be able to get a tortoise. I wanted a tortoise for a very long time. If anyone sees an 'error' in my opinion, I would love to know. Thanks.

 

[dmmj]

Relax bella, no one is coming for your tortoise, yet.
I think a case by case is best, as long as the child, and parent understand it is not a cuddle type pet.

 

[yillt]

Relax bella, no one is coming for your tortoise, yet.
I think a case by case is best, as long as the child, and parent understand it is not a cuddle type pet.

Few. I hope not.

 

[tortadise]

This is something that has been bugging me for the past few years, seeing 12-17 year olds thinking about getting a tortoise or even a parrot (really any pet that can potentially out live them)
Tortoises are not like a dog or cat that lives max. 20 years, these little (or giant) guys can live longer then us! And in my eyes thats not a type of commitment a teen or a kid should be able to make... what happens when said 'kid' moves out on there own and cant take the tortoise or falls into money troubles (like most people do when they 1st go out on their own) and cant afford to buy food or new lighting or vet bills (exotic vets are more expensive then 'normal vets')
It seems really irresponsible in my eyes for a parent to allow someone underage to get a tortoise (unless of course the parent really wants one and is more then willing to take on the responsibility, but even then the parent should get the tortoise not the child)

ive seen too many kids these days on facebook groups, other forums etc. asking how to talk their parents into letting them get a tortoise.... then later coming back and saying they got it....
I waited 5 years before seriously considering getting one... I knew i didnt have the money or time, and with a toddler it just wasn't a smart choice. I figure something that lives so long deserves to have as much thought put into it as you would if you were deciding if your family was ready for a kid... its a life long commitment... and in that aspect its no different.

as a society we dont readily let our kids, or teens, make choices that will effect their whole future... most of these choices are made after high school at the age of 18. so why are these parents allowing their kids to make a life long commitment to something living and breathing so easily?

thoughts?
am i the only one this bugs?

Yes there is financial responsibilities attached to a tortoise or parrot. However it's the parents or gaurdians responsibility to not limit a child's imagination of interests. My father left my 2 brothers. Mother and myself when I was 12. Had he stuck around I would never had been doing what I cherish and love to do with animals that I am doing now. I would of been forced to go to law school ores school and ended up like wvery other black or white tile on the floor. Now I am the red tile in a black and white pattern and love it. It's in my opinion an influence from society. When a young person wishes to experience caring for something that may change their life it needs to be allowed.

 

[RachaelnRoxy]

I have a tortoise and a parrot. Oh, and a boxer dog, and a pygmy hedgehog. The parrot is by far the most expensive to feed, but my boxer Roxy has had tens of thousands of dollars worth of surgery. She had several mast cell tumors and breast cancer... a quadruple mastectomy and 8 rounds of chemo later, I was just about broke, but she is alive and happy 3 years later at the young age of 12 (ssshhh! She doesn't know she is not a puppy). Animals and kids are expensive. All of them. I'm on the fence here. I wish I could have gotten my sulcata at 15. But I've always had a thing for turtles and tortoises. However, I agree most would get bored and their attention and time would turn elsewhere. On the other hand, my sulcata was given to me by a 40 something year old woman who decided a year or two later, that it was just too much responsibility. 40 something. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have Jet. I've wanted one my whole life, but I'm a sucker for an abandoned little critters... just ask Bruce Quillis... my hedgehog. If people are the type to adopt then abandon an animal, their age doesn't really matter. It should be the parents job to research the pet, and weigh the responsibility against the child on a case by case basis.

 

[Turtlepete]

What I see with this thread, is that the opinion of "should parents allow kids and teens to get tortoises?" is being based solely off of the facts that:
(1) The child/teen may mis-care for the animal or (2) lose interest in the animal.

If your basing your opinion off of this, then adults have no right to keep animals either. Broaden this opinion to all animals, basic cats and dogs. Adults are more often then not, much worse, with just a blatant disregard for the animal's life. I'm only 16 and I've seen my fair share of this already, working with rescue animals. Honestly, I've seen more kids and other teens taking better care of their animals then adults! The fact is, adults are just as capable if ignorance, mis-caring for an animal, and losing interest, as kids and teens. Often more-so.

Another part of my opinion is what's already been mentioned...You just may spark a lifelong interest. I was around tortoises for as long as I can remember, when my family had several sulcata's. Then my sister got me my first young red foot when I was 6. That was ten years ago now, and I consider tortoises and turtles my passion. If I had not been around them when I was young, I would have never had this passion for animals that I do now.

Now, of course, the parents are financially responsible. That is another story. I'm just trying to shed light on the neglect-and-losing-interest part.

 

[Gaby]

I, too, believe that parents should allow children to have tortoises. Albeit, at the end of the day, the parent should always realize and accept that at some point the burden may fall onto their shoulders to care for or appropriately rehome the animal should their child lose interest, move away from home and be unable to take the tortoise, go to college, etc. Unless it is an older child/teenager, the parents also should be willing (and able) to take on the financial aspects of pet ownership. This does not only apply to tortoises, but any animal that comes into their home.

 

[Charliethetortoise]

I have solely looked after my tortoise since I was 14. It took my mum a lot of time to say yes because she was worried that I didn't know what I was getting into and she was worried that she would end up looking after it. However, that was not the case. Once she saw how devoted I was, backing this up with all the research I had done before hand she agreed.
I don't think there is going to be a right answer to this question as I believe it depends solely on the child. Whether or not they really want a tort. I had to wait months until my mum said yes so she could see that it wasn't just a passing craze.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I think the real question here should be, “Should kids allow parents to get tortoises?"
I've a bit of a heard (creep) of tortoises here at the ranch, and at my age it is inevitable the bulk of these critters will out live me, with their care and all falling on the shoulders of my grandchildren. Heckfire, doing things proper like with the group, the ultimate responsibility will fall on the shoulders of my yet to be conceived great grandkids. Shoot, I'm not even sure my grandson sees girls as anything more than humans to chase with bugs at his age.

 

[Draekonic]

I myself am a young teen, and at the age of nine i received my first herp, a hatchling corn snake. I have been in love with reptiles ever since. I think that as long as young people understand the responsibility and effort involved, there is no problem with them receiving a long-lived pet.


-Draekonic

 

[justino4444]

I think the real question here should be, “Should kids allow parents to get tortoises?"
I've a bit of a heard (creep) of tortoises here at the ranch, and at my age it is inevitable the bulk of these critters will out live me, with their care and all falling on the shoulders of my grandchildren. Heckfire, doing things proper like with the group, the ultimate responsibility will fall on the shoulders of my yet to be conceived great grandkids. Shoot, I'm not even sure my grandson sees girls as anything more than humans to chase with bugs at his age.

I think this is a great point because if an interest is not sparked early on ( like as a child ) they might never get to enjoy the amazing life experience of getting a reptile. Also what age is "acceptable" for someone to get a tortoise because the life expectancy of this country is in the mid seventies so if you get a tortoise at say 30 It will easily out live you anyway so why not get it earlier in life so you grow old with the pet?

 

[IntenseCookie]

This is something that has been bugging me for the past few years, seeing 12-17 year olds thinking about getting a tortoise or even a parrot (really any pet that can potentially out live them)
Tortoises are not like a dog or cat that lives max. 20 years, these little (or giant) guys can live longer then us! And in my eyes thats not a type of commitment a teen or a kid should be able to make... what happens when said 'kid' moves out on there own and cant take the tortoise or falls into money troubles (like most people do when they 1st go out on their own) and cant afford to buy food or new lighting or vet bills (exotic vets are more expensive then 'normal vets')
It seems really irresponsible in my eyes for a parent to allow someone underage to get a tortoise (unless of course the parent really wants one and is more then willing to take on the responsibility, but even then the parent should get the tortoise not the child)

ive seen too many kids these days on facebook groups, other forums etc. asking how to talk their parents into letting them get a tortoise.... then later coming back and saying they got it....
I waited 5 years before seriously considering getting one... I knew i didnt have the money or time, and with a toddler it just wasn't a smart choice. I figure something that lives so long deserves to have as much thought put into it as you would if you were deciding if your family was ready for a kid... its a life long commitment... and in that aspect its no different.

as a society we dont readily let our kids, or teens, make choices that will effect their whole future... most of these choices are made after high school at the age of 18. so why are these parents allowing their kids to make a life long commitment to something living and breathing so easily?

thoughts?
am i the only one this bugs?

Good question. Before I got my tortoise I watched some YouTube videos on the type of care they require. I checked out a video a little girl made, she was about ten, and my heart was being stabbed when she explained how she took care of her tortoise. For one thing; she fed her tortoise dog food. The tortoise's shell was pyramiding dramatically. The worst part was that it was obvious her parents weren't doing anything to teach her how to raise a tortoise.
But back to your question... my dad got my brother a red eared slider for Christmas a few years ago. I'm the one who takes care of the slider, because he won't. I left him in charge of her for a month or two.. guess who has shell rot. He didn't clean her water, and didn't give her a decent sunbasking area.
My brother was bored of his turtle in days.
The worst part is that he wants to take her with him when he moves out of the house in four years.
Not all kids are like that though. I take the best care of my tortoise possible, and even though I don't own the turtle, I take care of her too. But then again, I'm an animal lover. I think that makes a difference.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Summary: kids are different, parents should know more about tortoises simple as that!

 

[tinkerbell1189]

I think it's ok to get a kid one if they show a real interest, but the parent must be completely commited to making sure the child provides the right care, and to educate the child. The parent should be prepared that in the event if something happening and the child has no interest or taking care of the tortoise, then the parent needs to realise that they need to step up to the responsibility. The parent is responsible for their child, so essentially should also be responsible for any pets the child cares for. If they are not prepared for this, then no, they shouldn't get one in the first place.

 

[Kim444]

I, too, believe that parents should allow children to have tortoises. Albeit, at the end of the day, the parent should always realize and accept that at some point the burden may fall onto their shoulders to care for or appropriately rehome the animal should their child lose interest, move away from home and be unable to take the tortoise, go to college, etc. Unless it is an older child/teenager, the parents also should be willing (and able) to take on the financial aspects of pet ownership. This does not only apply to tortoises, but any animal that comes into their home.

I agree with this but have to add that in the best interest of not having to rehome animals, I think parents should not let their children get pets unless they are 100% willing to take over responsibility and the care of the animal in the case that the child does not care for it. There are so many pets that wind up in foster care or at kill shelters because they bought it for their children but their children don't care for them. It's easy to say "well if it doesn't work out we'll just rehome them" but they could wind up at a shelter, or to a new owner that has bad intentions like over-breeding or not caring for the animal properly.

I got all my rescued pets as family pets and we all care for them. Mr. T is mostly my middle son's cause he seems to have the most interest in him and has offered to care for him. My littlest one wanted a gecko and since he was only 4 at the time, again we all care for them. I care for the parrots solely only because they can cause serious damage when they bite, but the kids help out in what they can. Our dog was something my kids always wanted but I knew they could not solely care for him so we all share that responsibility.

I taught them to rescue not buy from a pet store(although buying from reputable breeders is fine). I do not agree with the captive breeding of parrots for pets since we cannot even come close to giving them their natural habitat, so for that species I do not believe in captive breeding.

 

[EchoTheLeoTort]

I think kids should definitely be allowed, but I'd make them research care on whatever pet they decide, be it dog, cat, mouse, or reptile. People may think dogs are easy pets but as puppies they do take up a lot of time. Potty training, and command training, the play time, the whining at night when its in the kennel, it can be overwhelming. just like any animal every single one deserves good care. I got into reptiles about age 16/17 and am now going on 20. I love my pet reptiles, and honestly I think it helps me stand out, as well as make new friends. I always research care as much as i can before diving into something new. I take care of all my pets, financially and physically. Despite the mostly true bad raps our generation is getting, there are still decent kids out there and some of us still know the definition of responsibility Let me tell you a story that will open up an adult version of this. Last year we had an ice storm and a tree fell on our house on the garage. We finally got a contractor over to do the appropriate repairs. They brought over a dump truck and I found a nest on the battery of the truck, with 3 little Robins in it. These guys were from out of town, so i really have no clue how this nest stayed on the truck, but i knew it'd be a week before they removed it, leaving these birds with no mother. I took the nest inside and i read and read about taking care of them and how tricky they are. I bought food for them and I made sure they ate every 20 minutes and stayed warm. They were thriving, and I slowly watched their eyes open, i was so happy to have saved them. I also knew it was illegal to keep wild birds, so when i knew they were healthy and not dying, i called up my state game fish and parks, they refused to take them. So i called an outdoor sanctuary place we have, they said no as well, but told me to call the zoo. Again, the zoo declined. One last call to the humane society, and another no. It was either keep these birds and do my best, or leave them outside to die. My dad was mad there were birds in the house, he figured they had disease or parasites. I explained to him that i tried calling everyone i could think of, and i couldn't find anyone to take them. He said tough luck kid. When i woke up the next morning my birds were gone. I think before judging kids and whether they give improper care or not, it really comes down to the type of person you're dealing with. There are people of any age, with big hearts and a love of animals. As we see on this forum, there are older adults who care for tortoises and love what they do, and with my dad, there are people like him, who have no interest in animals or caring for them, just as there are kids who find nests and throw the eggs thinking its all fun and no harm done. I think kids can take just as good of care of animals as an adult could, it all comes down to what you care about. And I agree with Tom, sometimes interests change, and you're better off selling the animal to a caring home than to leave it sit in your house and neglect it because you no longer want to do the chores of caring for it.

 

[hdeaver1]

I say get the pet under the restriction that it is a family pet. This way if they child does not take good care of the animal the parents can take over its care.

 

[bouaboua]

Still on going??