Is a tortoise a good pet? Can they live in the house/garden?

[Nikki037297]

Iv been thinking of getting a new pet and Iv seen a few people with a tortoise. Two of my friends have them in their houses and one has two in his garden. Which I thought they needed heated tanks. So do they live in a heated tank then come out to play ? Or can they just live in your house wandering around?

[Gladioli23]

I think they're a lovely animal, but I think you'd need to do your research - some need to be hibernated over winter, things like creeping buttercup (common invasive garden weed) can be very poisonous and key thing you're committing to absolutely decades of care (think 50-100 years) so you're potentially not only committing yourself but also your children to care for it.

Saying that, I still quite want a tortoise!

[JoanOgden]

The UK is not their natural habitat, so looking after them responsibly is quite a bit of work. My friend inherited one who is now in his 60s, and will probably outlive my friend...

[Antarcticant]

Tortoises involve a lot of work and equipment to meet their needs - I recommend this group for basic information on husbandry:

www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk

They are not a low-maintenance pet.

[Thesefeetaremadeforwalking]

Tortoises are cute but they don't actually do a lot. You can't really cuddle them !

You need a good sized garden that is securely fenced (they can burrow) where they can roam around and eat buttercups, clover and dandelions . They need their diet supplementing with soft fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, melon etc

As they are cold-blooded they need to be protected from frost and hibernated over winter in a frost-free place.

Please do not get one of these creatures just to put them in a tank in the house, they need to be able to enjoy the sun in the garden. On a hot day they can really get up some speed.

I had 2 for 15 years but sadly they did not survive hibernation.

As other PPs have said , do some research before you get a tortoise, and then consider whether you could give them the lifestyle they need.

[roseopose]

I have a tortoise and it is very much not like having a small furry pet like a guinea pig. Hibernation is a bit of a minefield, similarly diet. They don't exactly play-mine stomps about a lot when its warm and eats but thats about it. I would say tortoises are more a hobby/interest than a pet in the traditional sense of providing love, companionship etc.

[BeautifulBirds]

Been I while since I kept torts, but I think the research now is to not brumate them.

They will need uv light, heat and diet supplements.

They dig so will need a secure garden. I have seen some people keep kennels, as a hot spot, for them when they are bigger.

[TheGriffle]

You would need a tortoise table (open topped table with high sides) with a heat lamp, please make sure you don’t buy a vivarium, they don’t understand the glass and try to get out.

[Pinkbendyman]

We have got 2 female Horsefields. Tortoises are one of the most interesting animals to care for but you do need to be knowledgeable on the care of Chelonia as it’s not as straightforward as other pets. Please don’t attempt to hibernate a tortoise unless they are old enough - many simply do not survive.
They are very entertaining and a lot of fun 🐢

[ChiefPearlClutcher]

Find The Tortoise Protection Group on facebook and have a read there. They are high maintenance pets and there is a lot of misinformation about. Most are just dying a slow death :(

[jeffersonsam]

Really tortoise is nice animal, but it is not an easy thing to manage in the house, one of my friend take care tortoise in his well. He is doing lots of hardwork to manage it. So it is your choice to take care tortoise in your home as a pet animal.

[CrazyCatLady13]

Very hard work. You'll need to grow a lot of plants to feed them, weeds including mallow, dandelion etc. They dig, climb and will try to escape constantly. But they are funny, have big personalities and are very interesting 😀

[AnnaMagnani]

A friend had a tortoise- great pet but you need a lot of knowledge, they live a very long time (she'd inherited hers) and they move surprisingly fast.

[YourWinter]

Perhaps you can actually do some serious research before you consider taking responsibility for any pet. Mumsnet is not the place to get proper professional advice.

Tortoises are really not beginner pets.

[Itsalwaysthelasttime]

Tortoises absolutely do not eat fruit it is soooo bad for them. They need heat lamp up to 32 degrees 8 hours a day plus a uv lamp.
A outside shed at least 6 '' by 3'' atrached to a very big outside run.
There is no commercially available food to buy you need to forage for them.

[fearfuloffluff]

I went to an aquarium over the summer with rescue tortoises - they made clear they are a major commitment as a pet and it's easy to mess up looking after them and kill them.

The cost of the heated tank alone would put me off.

[RunningFromInsanity]

We have 3 tortoises acquired because owners can’t/won’t look after them properly. One was passed down from my great grandmother, so is likely to be 90+years old.

What do you want out of a pet? Tortoises won’t ‘give’ you anything, they don’t want to be stroked or picked up.

I don’t think they should be allowed as pets full stop to be honest.

Don't get me started on tortoise ‘tables’ and tanks, which are horrific.

[PearlsaSwinger]

We have a tortoise and they involve much more looking after than people expect. We have a Hermanns and his diet is fresh weeds, no fruit or vegetables. He has a large enclosed outside area (they can be very territorial and get stressed having to share a space). We have to make sure he's safely away at night so rats etc can't nibble him and let him out in the morning. He's outside area is heated and has the correct light source. Plus given the right care he will out live us 🤞

[PearlsaSwinger]

Runningfrominsanity is right about tortoise tables etc too. Outside with natural light is by far the best option.

[Antarcticant]

Since my post last year below, I spent a week tortoise-sitting for my sister and it was no easy task - feeding him with the exact quantities of the right food, making sure his lamp was on and off at the right time, cleaning up where he had pooed on his food (they often do this).

It was rewarding to see him rushing out happily when his food arrived but other than him wanting to mate with my husband's shoes, there wasn't a great deal of interaction.

Hers is an inherited tortoise and at least 50 years old.

[TheCurtainQueen]

I think rescuing an unwanted tortoise is one thing, but buying a tortoise doesn’t seem right. These are not domesticated animals and shouldn’t be living in people’s houses/gardens in the cold UK - regardless of how many heat lamps you install.

[Itsalwaysthelasttime]

@TheCurtainQueen absolutely and loads of tortoise people would absolutely agree I personally thibk there should be an outright ban on breeding and selling only rescue tortoises should be available to rehome. They are difficult animals to look after and countless nimbers are living truly awful sad lives.