The big question from friends and family

[DrewsLife727]

Every time people ask me what pets I own, they are shocked about me owning tortoises. They always ask the big question:

"WHY? WHAT DO THEY DO?"

I want to know what kind of answers you give when you are asked this question (and i know a lot of you have been asked this question)

Cheers!

 

[littleginsu]

Q. "What do they do?"
A. Make me happy.

Personally, I don't owe anyone, friends, family or complete strangers any explanation or justification of my personal/life choices, but that's just me.

 

[DrewsLife727]

Q. "What do they do?"
A. Make me happy.

Personally, I don't owe anyone, friends, family or complete strangers any explanation or justification of my personal/life choices, but that's just me.

Great answer littleginsu!!! I just think it's funny when people ask that. People don't say that to someone with fishes, a hamsters, etc.

 

[yillt]

I just say. They do everything that other pets do and more. They're amazing.

 

[dmmj]

I tell them what they don't do. Bark at the maimaan, scratch my walls, live for only 2 years,.

 

[wellington]

I get it all the time too. I usually tell them they are quite, can't run away and are very peaceful to watch. What's funny, my new neighborhood thinks they are fabulous and have never asked that question. Family and friends that have known me forever, do, hmmm. You'd think they would learn me after all these years.
I have one cousin that if she asks me again, I'm going to tell her they do more for me then her animals do for her, because I actually take care of mine myself. I also have a friend that keeps telling me I have enough. One day I'm going to hand her some of my bills and let her know, when she pays for them is when she can tell me I have enough.

 

[dmmj]

My grandma always asks me when am I gonna grow out of them/stage,. I tell her maybe when I am dead... maybe.

 

[naturalman91]

i get this question a lot to my answers alway's the same they make me happy and i swear it's sort of a stress reliever after a hard day nothing makes me feel better then just watching him for a bit

 

[Shakudo]

What I would like to say:

" They perform an excellent tortoise version of the musical Cats, and they just love an audience so..."
(But I wouldn't)

" They glow in the dark and fly around the room singing the tunes of Glee"
(But I wouldn't)


" They discuss with me certain political events and reflect on this on a Saturday night live show"
(But I wouldn't)


What I really say:

I adore them and they fascinate me, try and ask a musician why the Love of music?


What I think:
No Love can be explained just experienced


Joey

 

[bouaboua]

Some of the points already covered above plus:

An 50 or 500 dollar tortoise will live 50+ years. An 50 or 500 dollar other pets will live 5, 10 15 years.
For better ROI (Return Of Investment).

You can grow your own Tortoise food. Try to grow other pats food....You can try...
More accomplishment.

One week without food for tortoise are no big deal for Tortoise (of cause sub-adult to adults). Try one week without food for other pets.
Low and easy maintenance.

.........

 

[Cornflowerblues]

I have been asked occasionally... my mother says she will never understand how I can love a pet that isn't fluffy, I can not cuddle with and that won't purr...
But at least with this pet I can probably share my entire life. It's a companion. It's an amazing creature. And it makes me happy whenever I look at it.
Like bouaboua said, I can grow its food by myself and it's not technically true that they are not affectionate.
We've had so much fun together and it always comes walking up to me when I get home, so what's not to like?

 

[Star-of-India]

We all get those questions about keeping torts. As others have said, they are fascinating. I enjoy interacting with them, such as that is. They are so ancient and very cool and beautiful.

Spacing out the cult movie's title, but to paraphrase, "The Tort abides."

While their care is, or can be demanding, I agree with Bouaboua, once you have fulfilled their basic needs you can have a rest. I'd love to have a dog, but I've got a crazy schedule and it'd drive a dog crazy. I tried to keep a very nice parrot, she fell so deeply in love with me that I couldn't enter the house without letting her out to be with me. If I didn't quite give her enough head scratches she'd nip my ears. I could never rest. I finally found a very nice family with other parrots to rehome her to.

My torts give me a lot of pleasure
with little demand than basic good
care.

 

[TortyTom]

Because it's like having my own prehistoric dinosaur!

 

[Cornflowerblues]

And obviously, yes, it really is a frickin' dinosaur after all.

 

[Kim444]

You know, I have geckos, parrots, a dog and now a tortoise. People think parrots live in a cage and are pretty to look at, people think the same about my geckos, but what they don't realize is these are highly sociable animals. My animals(and yes I have 3 kids and a husband on top of my 6 pets) get one on one time every day. They love to be out and socialize, even my new Greek tortoise will crawl all over me while I lay on the couch or walk to my kids on the floor, when I walk by his enclosure, he comes to the window and wants to be picked up and let out to roam. I get great joy from my pets, it's a different kind of joy that nobody else can replace

 

[naturalman91]

oh another question i seem to be getting a lot lately because my enclosure has a huge glass front is "that's a snake in there isn't it" i let them look and look and look before answering lol i gotta admit tho i already have a little collection of ball python's so i can't blame them for thinking that but my ball python's have there own room in case they were to ever get out there's no chance they could get to my tort or surprise me i love my snakes but i hate surprises lol

 

[Cornflowerblues]

has your tort learned that the glass is a wall? with the people I know who had glass-walls on their enclosures, the torts never understood why they couldn't get past the invisible barrier and got confused and frustrated

 

[naturalman91]

has your tort learned that the glass is a wall? with the people I know who had glass-walls on their enclosures, the torts never understood why they couldn't get past the invisible barrier and got confused and frustrated

i've never had any problems with it but i also cover the bottom so they can't see out but i can still see in

these are old photo's but same enclosure i've redone it and added a bunch of plants and more hides and such if i remember correctly this is right after i first set it up the tort wasn't even in there yet, everything used is 100% recycled even the glass it came from a sliding glass door that one side broke on 6 feet long 3 1/2 feet wide and about 40 inchs tall i plan on keeping it 6 feet long but going wider and wider as time goes on

 

[Cornflowerblues]

well great then