Hi Everyone!!

I'm REALLY hoping someone can help me!! I've just placed a 'wanted' ad on my local Freecycle group for a larger Tortoise table for my Med Spurthighed, Tia...only to be told I'm being cruel and she should be outside!!

Tia is 13 months old now and is growing rapidly and healthily (I get her vet checked every 6-8 weeks as this is when she has her claws trimmed). My Vet has said her habitat and care is great and I am doing nothing wrong at all!

I have her in a Tortoise table with a 50/50 sand/soil substrate base. She has soft bark chipping around her large water pool area (she LOVES her baths), deeper substrate under her 'fake' hollow rock bed (to dig, bury and snuggle in) and slate under her heat lamp. She has a small shallow feeding dish which have Tortoise pellets in daily, a seperate piece of 'fake' log that her salad/leaves go on and a 'fake' rock waterfall water feeder.
The water feeder I bought from an online Tortoise shop - it consists of a small tall fake rock which covers over a small bottle. As she drinks the water from the opening at the front, the water fills back up in the dish, from the bottle.
I feed her:
Weeds (Tortoise weed growing kit, online Tortoise shop)
Rose Petals (From an indoor Rose bush, advised by my Vet)
Salad (From a preped bag of 'Crispy Salad' from Tescos - NO Iceberg)
Cucumber Komodo Tortoise pellets (online Tortoise shop)

On nice warm sunny days I sit in the garden with her and she has a good roam around.
I don't like leaving her outside as:
1) I live in an area where she is likely to get stolen
2) I have a Cat and Dog that get 'boundfully' playful when she's out!
3) The area is inundated with Cats...and at night times, Foxes!

Am I really being cruel, if so I'll have to consider finding her a new loving home. I don't want to do this as I love her dearly, but I'd hate the thought of being cruel to an animal, no matter how big or small and despite praised compliments from my vet! :(

Waiting patiently for a reply...

Dawn & Tia :) x

Hi Dawn,

Is there not anywhere in the garden you can build an outdoor enclosure with a safe wire mesh top and bring her in at night? She would certainly benefit from some time outdoors.

Wit regards to the tortoise pellets - I wouldn't give these to your tortoise as they are far too high in protein - though many dealers and pet shops will gladly sell them at a profit for any tortoise:-(
Wherever possible, it's best to try and stick to a natural diet.

Here are some links that will hopefully help:-

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Diet.htm#plantlist

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp

HTH
Darren

Cheers for your advice Darren!!

I've decided I'm going to make an outdoor enclosure round my Mums garden.

I know I need it to be escape proof and predator proof, with a safe and warm 'bed' with adequate heating for winter months...

Any other advice would be welcome. It won't be a sudden move, as I'm hoping to build this on my Mums patio (to prevent Tia from digging out) but grow certain things in there.

I'm thinking of 'concreting' a base within the enclosure with differnt spaces ready for planting things to grow ie grass and plants she can eat?

I agree with Darren, stay clear of the pellets. They are are big no no as they are high in protein which isn't good for torts. Other then that, as you said make him a outdoor enclosure and you will have one happy tort. Vicky & Sidneyxxx