A few questions

[choink]

Hi, i am crossposting from another forum before i found this forum.

I just got two tortoises through my aunt who runs a (mainly cat and dog) animal rescue. They were desperate for someone to look after them as their previous owner was emigrating and i said i would. I've not had tortoises before and i'm not taking looking after them lightly so that's why i'm here.

They came with a couple of books but the books look quite old. I think they are some sort of mediterranean tortoise. They're about 45 years old, one girl and one boy.

So far I have read lots online about on housing, diet and hibernation, but i still have a few questions one places where i have read conflicting information.

1. at the moment they are hibernating and i was told to try to wake them up soon, but i dont have a lamp at all. is it possible to do this using sunlight? or am i just being ridiculous?!

2. some of the stuff on here says just to feed them weeds but the paperwork that came with them says they like to eat apple, bread, carrot, tortoise food, banana - can i feed them this or should i stick to weeds?

3. do they need any supplements, i've seen some threads where they say they need them but i dont know what to buy!

4. with their outside enclosure, i was going to put it on the grass and a bit of the garden where the grass was bare, but do i need to put soil or sand or something like that in there too?

5. if the grass is ok, my lawn has all sorts of weeds in it, are there any that are poisonous?

i think that's all for now, i hope someone can help me, i'd really appreciate it.

thanks

[16 shells]

Hi you will get more advice soon, Hibernation depends on how long they have been down and where. Weeds and flowers is the best diet, but you may have to percivere, they have been fed the wrong diet for so long. Nutrobal is the supplement, soil is the best for enclosure.
With the age of your torts they are liable to eat what they know is the right weeds, dandilions, chickweed, clover, bittercress ect, that is they have free roamed before.
Ask as many questions as you need, they are 45 years old and will have their habits good and bad, tortoise keeping has come on since they were little.
Can you supply pictures they will be identified and sexed.
Paul

[choink]

hi Paul

thanks for the reply, i was waiting up hoping someone would so i can do the best for them when i try and wake them tomorrow.

i'll take some pictures of them tomorrow, i'd really like to know what sort of tortoises they are, thanks

i'll get them some nutrobal and some calcium supplement.

with the soil for their enclousure should i get something like potting compost or just dig up on the garden and use the soil under the grass?

thanks again

[choink]

i also meant to ask about my cats, i've got 7 seven cats (i know that sounds crazy but really it's not!) are there any cat/tortoise related problems? i have guinea pigs and my cats don't bother them at all

[anna m]

I keep my 2 in a rabbit cage because next doors cat is always trying to get in
Someone at my work had her tortoise killed by a cat
Look in the weed/diet section, I've found Dandilions, dead nettle, plantain and sticky bud for mine. I'm growing more weeds and plants for them.
Cucumber is good for fluids

[sandy]

Firstly you have a good chance of getting the tortoises onto a good diet when they come out of hibernation. If its warm and sunny where you are then now is probably a good time to wake them up. You put them into a warmish place, not too hot for about two to three hours to gradually warm them through. If you have a really sheltered place and its really sunny that will work well. If not a desk lamp or the like over them will help warm them up.
Once they start to move (dont panic about food, as they wont eat for a day or two or up to a week) hydration is much more important. So give them a bath every day for a week, then cut it down gradually.
If they have been kept the old fashioned way, then dont try and change things too quickly as it could cause more stress for them.
Diet should be weeds and plants. Go to www.thetortoisehouse.com or www.tortoises.net for great plants and info to read at you lesiure.
You must protect them from frost if you leave them outside. Bringing them in at night would be better until you get things sorted.
Cats are not a problem, I know a lot of keepers that have cats too. Dogs would be more of a problem, as they see tortoises as dog chews, and are best not kept with tortoises.
Thats a lot of info to take in.
Please ask what ever you need to know as and when:0)

[rolleyparnell]

I have 3 cats and 1 dog... I never leave them alone with my torts as i dont trust them with the torts..
My torts are in rabbit cage for their safety.. and the outdoor enclosure have wire top to keep cats and dogs out.

Dogs does see torts as toys for them to play... cat see torts move and get curious.. and might use their claws (like one of my cat tried) to poke them around. so watch them with "evil eyes" all the time.. never leave the cats and dogs alone with the torts.

you will find this forum very useful with all the information. (Welcome! by the way!!)

[helen1]

Welcome/......any 45 yrs+ tortoise will be not worried by a cat...I have 4 cats and they all sleep from time to time in the coldframes with the tortoise.
Sandy's advice is good and I would for sure let them have weeds and maybe a little cucumber for hydration.

I may get shot down forthis...but a few weeks post hibernation....and whenever I get a new tortoise in I do the iceberg test...
If they eat that then they have an appetite and all is well...if they dont then I treat them accordingly.....I had one fed exclusively on jam sandwiches...I ignored her last summer and often saw her grazing on weeds....she maintained and improved on her 3kg weight...

Good luck and let me say you are very very lucky!

[choink]

thanks for all the replies

i woke the tortoises up today, i actually think they were already awake when i opened the box. i gave them both a bath and the bigger one had lots of dirt and grit come off her too. i've not had a chance to build them a proper enclosure so i put something together out of an old guinea pig run so they could go outside. they started to eat the weeds in the lawn and also ate some lettuce.

i think they might be different breeds so i have posted in the ID section, so hopefully someone can tell me.

i have brought them in for the night now. they're in a old indoor guinea cage thing on a mix of top soil and sand. i've put a water bowl in there and sunk it into the soil but i dont know if that's the right thing to do cos the smaller one keeps lying on it? does that mean he wants something bigger to get into? i'm posting a picture below of what they are like at the moment. does anything scream like it's wrong, is there something i should have in there or shouldn't? just worried i might do something wrong for them

[16 shells]

Hi i see you have 2 spur thighed, Greeks. When they first wake bathing, rehidration is more important than food, a good soak up to 20 mins, maybe the tort is trying to lay in the water dish, you can use an old washing up bowl, with enough luke warm water to cover the bottom shell. You can use a cheap spot bulb for heat suspended over the cage, so they can warm up before they go out. It is good they ate the weeds.
Paul