Hello

Ceirdwyn · 29-03-2016, 05:43 PM

Hi. I'm Ceirdwyn, I'm married, have 2 children (16 and 14) and I'm severely disabled with congenital skeletal deformities.
We've kept snakes for 8 years, and have been wanting a tortoise for several years, but circumstances made it not really feasible to get a pet that needed daily care, the snakes are happy to be left alone for a couple of days if necessary, but I wouldn't do that to any other pet.
Things are now at a point where sudden nights in hospital or trips away to hospitals farther away aren't as frequent, and the children aren't really children anymore and are more than capable of looking after pets, so we're finally looking at getting a tortoise. Ideally I'd like to get a young Horsfield, I just haven't found a breeder anywhere near me yet.
I have one more trip away at the end of May, so we're thinking it would be an ideal time to get a tortoise at the beginning of June. It's half-term, so the kids can be involved in getting everything settled. The tortoise will nominally be the eldest's, although it will be a family pet, and live in her room in a tortoise table. We will also be building an outside space for it, at the moment there is just a paved front yard, but the plan is to build a raised bed type thing that will be tortoise friendly, (and it won't be able to dig it's way out).
I want to make a start getting things together now, so it's not a mad rush later, and so we have a bit of a clue what we're doing when we get to bring a tortoise home. I was thinking of getting the table and lights fairly soon, so we have time to get plants established and make sure the temps are right, and I've ordered some seeds from SW's ebay store, and as soon as they arrive I can get them growing.
So yeah, that's who I am and how things stand. Any and all advice welcome, I'm already learning loads just reading bits and pieces on here.
Thanks!

Gordon · 31-03-2016, 02:05 PM

Hello and welcome to you Ceirdwyn sounds like you are doing all the right things you can never read enough but don't take it all as the done thing there is a lot of not so good info out there.
Just remember make your pen as big as possible as it rarely stops with one tortoise.

Ceirdwyn · 31-03-2016, 02:44 PM

Thanks Gordon, I've already seen some differences of opinion on various issues, and some older advice that has been rethought and updated, but the old stuff is still out there on the 'net. I think the best thing to do is read as much as I can and see what the latest, peer accepted, advice and techniques are, and go with that.
The weed seeds arrived this morning, so youngest (A) is outside right now planting them in some topsoil (ALDI £1.99 25l) in seed trays. A really likes gardening and plants, so has become the official tortoise gardener

emma_mcraf · 31-03-2016, 03:01 PM

Hi Ceirdwyn.

It's always nice to welcome new members onto the forum who are busy doing research before committing to a tortoise. They are lovely pets (very addictive too as Gordon says!) so I'm sure you'll do well with one as a family pet and your kids are a great age to get involved. My daughter (13) is my protégé and knows all there is about identifying safe-to-eat weeds and flowers, and helps me look after our happy family of torts, so I'm sure your two will love getting involved.

Ceirdwyn · 31-03-2016, 03:10 PM

Thanks Emma, yeah, it's just a matter of getting everything together, and then counting down the days until June. It's not actually that far away, I'm sure it will go by quickly oncce the kids are back at school.

Suze65 · 31-03-2016, 03:58 PM

Hi and welcome Ceirdwyn, as the others said, sounds like your doing all the right things, and same as Emma, my kids are pretty clued up on tortoise care now as they have grown up with them. Please ask away. The summers a good time to get a tortoise.

CherryBrandy · 31-03-2016, 08:36 PM

hi ceirdwyn, welcome and loving your snakes too. If anything like tortoises you can spend hours just watching them ! I sit near to the UV lights as much as possible too I am sure they are equivalent of sunshine to humans too ! Horsfields dig so if in a bedroom make sure lights out early otherwise s/he will dig and scrape and they can be noisey little devils CB

Jan W · 31-03-2016, 08:53 PM

Welcome.

It sounds as though you have good plans. I have to admit my 2 arrived very unexpectedly and I had to learn fast. Not the best way, but I think because I took it seriously and felt responsible I searched and read. I spent a lot of money too enduring I had the right equipment.Unfortunately I didn't discover this site for years until I googled 'hibernation'. So much experience and sound advice.

Good luck in your search for your tortoise. Hopefully someone can advise in your area.

29-03-2016, 05:43 PM	#1
Ceirdwyn Junior Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: East Lancashire Posts: 32	Hello Hi. I'm Ceirdwyn, I'm married, have 2 children (16 and 14) and I'm severely disabled with congenital skeletal deformities. We've kept snakes for 8 years, and have been wanting a tortoise for several years, but circumstances made it not really feasible to get a pet that needed daily care, the snakes are happy to be left alone for a couple of days if necessary, but I wouldn't do that to any other pet. Things are now at a point where sudden nights in hospital or trips away to hospitals farther away aren't as frequent, and the children aren't really children anymore and are more than capable of looking after pets, so we're finally looking at getting a tortoise. Ideally I'd like to get a young Horsfield, I just haven't found a breeder anywhere near me yet. I have one more trip away at the end of May, so we're thinking it would be an ideal time to get a tortoise at the beginning of June. It's half-term, so the kids can be involved in getting everything settled. The tortoise will nominally be the eldest's, although it will be a family pet, and live in her room in a tortoise table. We will also be building an outside space for it, at the moment there is just a paved front yard, but the plan is to build a raised bed type thing that will be tortoise friendly, (and it won't be able to dig it's way out). I want to make a start getting things together now, so it's not a mad rush later, and so we have a bit of a clue what we're doing when we get to bring a tortoise home. I was thinking of getting the table and lights fairly soon, so we have time to get plants established and make sure the temps are right, and I've ordered some seeds from SW's ebay store, and as soon as they arrive I can get them growing. So yeah, that's who I am and how things stand. Any and all advice welcome, I'm already learning loads just reading bits and pieces on here. Thanks!

31-03-2016, 03:01 PM	#4
emma_mcraf Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 11,365	Hi Ceirdwyn. It's always nice to welcome new members onto the forum who are busy doing research before committing to a tortoise. They are lovely pets (very addictive too as Gordon says!) so I'm sure you'll do well with one as a family pet and your kids are a great age to get involved. My daughter (13) is my protégé and knows all there is about identifying safe-to-eat weeds and flowers, and helps me look after our happy family of torts, so I'm sure your two will love getting involved. __________________ Emma Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

31-03-2016, 03:58 PM	#6
Suze65 Senior Member Adult Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 6,769	Hi and welcome Ceirdwyn, as the others said, sounds like your doing all the right things, and same as Emma, my kids are pretty clued up on tortoise care now as they have grown up with them. Please ask away. The summers a good time to get a tortoise. __________________ Suze. 3 THB, Sammy, Jemima, & Phoebe 7 Marginated, Tabitha, Ptolome, Tatiana, Noah,Lottey, Lulu & Poppy 1 TGG (Emma) RIP Feb 2012

31-03-2016, 08:36 PM	#7
CherryBrandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SE England Posts: 4,262	hi ceirdwyn, welcome and loving your snakes too. If anything like tortoises you can spend hours just watching them ! I sit near to the UV lights as much as possible too I am sure they are equivalent of sunshine to humans too ! Horsfields dig so if in a bedroom make sure lights out early otherwise s/he will dig and scrape and they can be noisey little devils CB __________________ Horsfields, Spur Thighed, & Marginata

31-03-2016, 08:53 PM	#8
Jan W Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Hampshire Posts: 1,400	Welcome. It sounds as though you have good plans. I have to admit my 2 arrived very unexpectedly and I had to learn fast. Not the best way, but I think because I took it seriously and felt responsible I searched and read. I spent a lot of money too enduring I had the right equipment.Unfortunately I didn't discover this site for years until I googled 'hibernation'. So much experience and sound advice. Good luck in your search for your tortoise. Hopefully someone can advise in your area. __________________ Jan Horsfields - Bertie & Beatrice

31-03-2016, 02:05 PM	#2
Gordon Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 5,675	Hello and welcome to you Ceirdwyn sounds like you are doing all the right things you can never read enough but don't take it all as the done thing there is a lot of not so good info out there. Just remember make your pen as big as possible as it rarely stops with one tortoise.

31-03-2016, 02:44 PM	#3
Ceirdwyn Junior Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: East Lancashire Posts: 32	Thanks Gordon, I've already seen some differences of opinion on various issues, and some older advice that has been rethought and updated, but the old stuff is still out there on the 'net. I think the best thing to do is read as much as I can and see what the latest, peer accepted, advice and techniques are, and go with that. The weed seeds arrived this morning, so youngest (A) is outside right now planting them in some topsoil (ALDI £1.99 25l) in seed trays. A really likes gardening and plants, so has become the official tortoise gardener

31-03-2016, 03:10 PM	#5
Ceirdwyn Junior Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: East Lancashire Posts: 32	Thanks Emma, yeah, it's just a matter of getting everything together, and then counting down the days until June. It's not actually that far away, I'm sure it will go by quickly oncce the kids are back at school.

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