Tortoise As Pets: Do They Make Good Pets?
Tortoises are calm, quiet, and harmless animals. People are now showing interest in making uncommon pets and tortoise is one of them.
But a question arises while keeping tortoise as pets: do they make good pets? Yes. Tortoises can be good pets if you are the right person for them. Keeping a tortoise as a pet has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, they are expensive and need a large enclosure.
But while feeding them, you have to pay less as they only eat plant-based food. If you are good to go with both sides, go for it. However, it has many other benefits and disadvantages to keeping a tortoise. Stay with this article to know the facts in detail.
Tortoise As Pets: Do They Make Good Pets?
Contents
Tortoises are not commonly seen as pets. But for their shyness and personality, people now keep it as a pet. But it will be worth it to buy a pet if you are the right person for them. If you are careless about giving it proper care, there will be trouble both for you and your pet.
Keeping a tortoise as a pet has both beneficial and detrimental sides.
- The good side is that you do not pay more attention to them.
- It is easy to take care of and clean a tortoise.
- Also, they do not demand expensive or luxurious foods.
- The disadvantages are that it is quite expensive than other animals and the residence decorating cost is expensive.
- They are also prone to diseases. It will be risky to keep other pet animals with it.
Why Are They Good Pets?
The advantages a pet tortoise will provide you are different from other pet animals.
Easy To Take Care Of
Tortoises are easy to take care of. They do not require many things to live. Only ensure them timely food, sufficient ultraviolet rays, and proper temperature. But you have to focus a little more on their housing.
Likewise, tortoises do not need to go outside daily like other pets. You can take them outside once or twice a week. Mainly you have to ensure them a place similar to their actual habitats. Otherwise, they demand nothing from their owner.
Need Less Attention
Tortoises do not like cuddling, playing, or other special care like cats and dogs. They never want more time from you. Mostly they love to stay alone and roam around in their residence.
Peaceful Nature
Tortoises are peaceful animals. They are quiet, shy, and have a personality. They rarely get angry. Also, they are never seen to bite. Whenever they get threatened or scared, they fully retract their body and hide in their shell. Until they recognize their owner, they do not feel free.
So, with this pet, you can remain secure. There are many cases of animal bites found. But tortoises never do this kind of thing. If they do for any reason, that will not hurt you as they have no teeth.
Tortoises are also quiet animals. They do not make noise that can disturb you.
Demands Plant-Based Diet
Tortoises are herbivorous animals. They love to eat different types of green veggies, grass, and hay. You need not arrange additional food for them. The foods they eat, you have already in your kitchen.
They love to eat cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, a small piece of carrots, radishes, and bell peppers. They also love to eat flowers and grasses. But before adding other plants or leaves, make sure that is not toxic for them.
You can treat them with pieces of fruit occasionally. Tortoises are also seen to eat rock, bones, and soil to gain calcium and phosphorus.
So, in the case of a pet tortoise, you need to ensure that they are a source of calcium and phosphorus, as it is important for their bones and shell. Give them foods that bear these elements.
Easy To Clean
Tortoises do not contain fur in their body. So, you need to struggle to clean fur. To clean your tortoise, let them wet for a few minutes. Then brush their shell. Do not use any soap. If you do not clean the shell, it can result in shell rot. That will be difficult for you to take therapeutic management of shell rot.
You should remove the leftover foods and their excreta. This should be practiced daily. Change their drinking water. Wash the bowls containing food and water. Also, clean their residence once a week.
Why Are They Not Good Pets?
They carry all the characteristics of a good pet. But before keeping it as a pet, have a look at all the disadvantages.
Expensive
The price of tortoises is higher than other pet animals. You can easily buy a pair of bird or cat or a dog at a lower price than that of a tortoise. You have to pay around $50 to $300 only for a red-footed tortoise. Though red-footed tortoises are not rare, they are expensive.
Likewise, the price can increase a little bit if it is not available that much in your country. To buy a tortoise from rare and uncommon species, you might have to pay thousands of dollars.
Demands A Decorated Housing
You have to pay a lot of money to decorate their residence. Their house should be spacious. Here you should provide a tank for them. But that should not be so deep that they drown. A sufficient amount of rocks and stones should be present here. Their residence should be secure from predators.
Quickly Increase In Size
Most of the species of tortoise increase in size with age. Only a few species do not increase in size. If you are buying a size-increasing tortoise, you have to give them more space for living. Also, when it turns into a big one, you have to enlarge their tank as well.
Carry Diseases
If you do not clean their residence, leftover food, and tanks regularly, they might get attacked with parasites and bacteria. Also, a dirty living place can easily affect their lungs. If you are not giving them the proper amount of calcium, phosphorus, and UV rays, they will face metabolic bone disease.
Live A Long Life
Tortoises can live more than 100 years. If you are living a long time with your pet tortoise, it will get emotionally attached to you. So, it will be tough for them to move to another owner while you are getting old.
Easily Threatened By Other Pets
Tortoises are easily threatened by other pets like dogs and cats. If you have one of them, try to keep your tortoise in a separate place. Always pay attention to your pets, whether anyone attacks them or not.
If you are okay with the disadvantages, you can buy it.
FAQs
These are some frequently asked questions by people about pet tortoises.
Though tortoises do not have feelings like humans, they are friendly to humans. They only roam around their owners. Also, they are often seen eating food from their owner’s hand.
Tortoises like to be pets if they get the proper care. They also interact with their owners like other pets. Tortoises raise their throats when they see people they like.
Tortoises can recognize their owners. But they take time to recognize and feel free with their owner.
Conclusion
To buy a tortoise, you have to pay a good amount. Then you have to secure them a large residence with a water source and stones. You should clean them and their house and use your bowels regularly. Giving them plant-based food timely is also important.
Accordingly, as they live long, ensure a safe place for them after your death. They do not disturb their owners and other pets. Similarly, you have to ensure that the tortoise is also not get disturbed by others. You need not give them more attention but should give proper effort.
