The story of Pops

DesertGirl

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
366
Location (City and/or State)
Fabulous Las Vegas, NV
I've mentioned the Russian tortoise that I took in a few months ago but I just want to tell his whole story because I think he is so amazing!

A few months back a friend forwarded me a craigslist ad for a Russian tortoise. She thought my Russian, Diego might want a friend. I quickly explained that tortoises don't make friends and said no thanks but I read the ad and it broke my heart to see that "Shelly" wasn't being cared for very well and this care would be passed on with her. So I bought her with the intent of rehoming her after some rehabilitation and with better care instructions. Here are the facts about "Shelly"..

The tortoise was bought from a pet store 13 years ago and was a child's pet, was kept in a tiny aquarium and 2 cats decided to take up residence under the heat lamp in the open top aquarium. The poor tortoise was terrified of the playful cats and stayed hidden. When the cats weren't there the tortoise neurotically clawed at the glass. The aquarium was so full of chunky coco coir that walking wasn't an option just swimming through. No water and no soaks were provided for 13 years! Diet was lettuce, green beans and steamed broccoli. The last year the owners switched uvb lights to the coil type and the torts eyes were puffy and not opening fully. Shelly's beak was terribly overgrown and splitting.

So the first thing I notice when I got "her" home is that she is a he. So I started calling him Popeye (Pops). I built a 7x3 enclosure with loft for him and started soaking him daily and switched to a tube uvb light. At first he was terrified of me and of the water. I hated seeing him panicking in the soak but I kept it up. Soon he began relaxing and enjoying soaks. I never handled him besides taking him to his bath, with the exception of trimming his beak. At first he clawed at a corner of his enclosure and never explored. He never pooped! He was a very picky eater of course but I fed him weeds and lettuce chopped up and slowly increased weeds and decreased lettuce. He started spending a lot of time gazing into his water dish, curious but afraid. Then he started self soaking! And drinking water often. He started coming toward me when I approached and he began exploring his enclosure. Then he pooped! I'd had him 3 weeks when he first pooped just a couple hard pellets. Slowly the poops increased in size and frequency. One day I layed my hand palm up in his enclosure and after some sniffing and thinking he climbed in. Now this is our habit... I lay my hand down and sometimes he climbs in and sometimes he doesn't but he gets to decide. I've had him for a few months now and he is so active and seemingly content. He eats anything and everything. He self soaks daily even on the days I soak him. He drinks a lot of water and he poops several times a day. I think he is still emptying his bowels of years of impacted feces due to dehydration. His poops have an unusual smell and consistency lately and I think it is old stuff sloughing off the walls of his colon (sorry to be graphic). It makes me so happy to think about how much better he must feel in his body and mind.

Rescuing this amazing little guy has been SO rewarding!

I'm struggling with something though.. I am supposed to start looking for a new home for him but I've grown to love him so much. I don't have a separate outdoor space for him like I have for my other tort and he really deserves that. Also I keep seeing more of these Russians on Craigslist in similar situations and I'd like to "rescue" and rehome them one by one but that means not keeping them and learning to let them go.

Thanks for reading :)
You are a hero!
 

Dena

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
New York
I've mentioned the Russian tortoise that I took in a few months ago but I just want to tell his whole story because I think he is so amazing!

A few months back a friend forwarded me a craigslist ad for a Russian tortoise. She thought my Russian, Diego might want a friend. I quickly explained that tortoises don't make friends and said no thanks but I read the ad and it broke my heart to see that "Shelly" wasn't being cared for very well and this care would be passed on with her. So I bought her with the intent of rehoming her after some rehabilitation and with better care instructions. Here are the facts about "Shelly"..

The tortoise was bought from a pet store 13 years ago and was a child's pet, was kept in a tiny aquarium and 2 cats decided to take up residence under the heat lamp in the open top aquarium. The poor tortoise was terrified of the playful cats and stayed hidden. When the cats weren't there the tortoise neurotically clawed at the glass. The aquarium was so full of chunky coco coir that walking wasn't an option just swimming through. No water and no soaks were provided for 13 years! Diet was lettuce, green beans and steamed broccoli. The last year the owners switched uvb lights to the coil type and the torts eyes were puffy and not opening fully. Shelly's beak was terribly overgrown and splitting.

So the first thing I notice when I got "her" home is that she is a he. So I started calling him Popeye (Pops). I built a 7x3 enclosure with loft for him and started soaking him daily and switched to a tube uvb light. At first he was terrified of me and of the water. I hated seeing him panicking in the soak but I kept it up. Soon he began relaxing and enjoying soaks. I never handled him besides taking him to his bath, with the exception of trimming his beak. At first he clawed at a corner of his enclosure and never explored. He never pooped! He was a very picky eater of course but I fed him weeds and lettuce chopped up and slowly increased weeds and decreased lettuce. He started spending a lot of time gazing into his water dish, curious but afraid. Then he started self soaking! And drinking water often. He started coming toward me when I approached and he began exploring his enclosure. Then he pooped! I'd had him 3 weeks when he first pooped just a couple hard pellets. Slowly the poops increased in size and frequency. One day I layed my hand palm up in his enclosure and after some sniffing and thinking he climbed in. Now this is our habit... I lay my hand down and sometimes he climbs in and sometimes he doesn't but he gets to decide. I've had him for a few months now and he is so active and seemingly content. He eats anything and everything. He self soaks daily even on the days I soak him. He drinks a lot of water and he poops several times a day. I think he is still emptying his bowels of years of impacted feces due to dehydration. His poops have an unusual smell and consistency lately and I think it is old stuff sloughing off the walls of his colon (sorry to be graphic). It makes me so happy to think about how much better he must feel in his body and mind.

Rescuing this amazing little guy has been SO rewarding!

I'm struggling with something though.. I am supposed to start looking for a new home for him but I've grown to love him so much. I don't have a separate outdoor space for him like I have for my other tort and he really deserves that. Also I keep seeing more of these Russians on Craigslist in similar situations and I'd like to "rescue" and rehome them one by one but that means not keeping them and learning to let them go.

Thanks for reading :)
Aww❤️ That’s awesome! Thank ups for rescuing him! We have a Russian Tortoise too- Sheldon. we got him at 6 months old last Christmas. He sometimes climbs into my hand too!
 

Ray--Opo

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
7,018
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Bay Fl
Great rescue. You must be commended for your kindness!
 
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