WFMW: Turtles, the All Purpose Pet
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
We love our turtle. We bought Mr P and Mr R turtles for Christmas 2002, but one died mysteriously last month. I think he ate a crayon.
Turtles are awesome pets.
- They are cool. Every little boy who comes over always wants to hold them. Tip: hold them between your thumb and fingers like a sandwich, don't just lift them by their shell.
- They are easy. After we moved, our turtles lived in a dishpan on top of the fridge for a month! They can be quite dirty, though, so an aquarium of some sort with a filter is really recommended. We have red-eared sliders - not box turtles, and they must be in water in order to swallow their food. They also need a rock or someplace to get out of the water and warm themselves. Keep the rock away from the sides!
- They are smart - enough. We've got ours trained so he will swim to the surface and open his mouth when they see our hand come near their tank.
- They are cheap. We paid less than $10 a piece for them, and their food is under $5 and lasts forever. No pet deposit required, either! They don't need their teeth cleaned or rounds of shots. You do need an aquarium or pond - check out thrift stores! Large plastic storage tubs (Rubbermaid) work too. It will not be filled to the top with water like a fish tank would, but should be set up with a swimming area and a sunning area.
- They are durable. A requirement for pets of small boys! Once we left them on the floorboard of the car overnight - in Denver in December. The water had ice on the top, but the turtles soldiered on and became active once the water warmed up. Recently, they lived outside for a couple of months in another dishpan. A little dishpan is not the recommended setting, just so you know. We have a large aquarium that we set up for them, but we moved right after husband dear coughed his way to three broken ribs so it took a little while for us to set up the proper home.
- Did I mention they were easy? You'll never need to hire a dogwalker, pet sitter, or find a kennel. Take off for the weekend and they'll be patiently waiting when you return. Turtles do not need to eat everyday, in fact obesity (yes, really) will kill your turtle!
Some things you should know before you get a turtle:
- They are reptiles, and often carry salmonella. We have a bottle of Purell nearby and children should wash their hands after handling them.
- They can be prone to soft-shell, which will kill them. Turtles need natural light (UVB) or a special reptile light. We just let ours hang out in the yard (enclosed, of course, or they'll crawl off and hide.) This delights the Miss C, by the way.
- Feed them turtle food. Water turtles should not be fed lettuce, cabbage, or carrots. Weeds are good for them, though, as long as they haven't been sprayed with herbicides!
- Do not put them in an aquarium with fish. They will eat them, even though pet turtles are mainly herbivores.
Visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more handy tips!
Labels: children, Works For Me Wednesday
posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 2/20/2008 09:49:00 AM | Permalink |
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