Bored?
 

Just wondering whether my Maggie could be bored? She walks laps of her house and occasionally climbs over a rock but any suggestions as to what I could put in that might give her something to do? Or is this a stupid question and they dont get bored? X

Well there is the outdoor run which would be the best option. Nothing like a few tunnels, you can get those stick arches quite good.

We're just in the process of renovating the garden so no outdoor run just yet unfortunately but once its not a building site she will have a great run. We've got one of those stick bridges which she likes to face plant off. Didnt want to put any tissue boxes etc in in case she tries to eat them?

Abbie I have always used tissue boxes cut arches in them and my torts will run in and out, never seen one eat it and I even put them in the garden also unless raining. I do think tortoises get bored. There is a view they shouldn't be able to see a foot in front of them so maybe lots of little heavy pots - artificial plants in them - I put shells in them. Cuttle fish is brilliant. most of mine eat it til the cows come home. They will chase it around also. Roll up newspaper - they like to burrow underneath. pile up the soil. different surfaces, pebbles, shingle, stones. one of my water dishes they have to climb up a slope to get to the shallow water. I find sectioning off areas also so they have to walk round to get into another area. let us know how you get on ! CB

Perhaps when Maggie is on the go you could take her outside for 10 minutes and stay with her until you have your outdoor pen built. This was how I first started when mine were little and the sun was shining.

Hi Abbie, I often wonder about this. Whats best a 5000sq ft grass field or a 1000sq ft area full of foliage,hides,water,hills,burrows,shade,open areas.
Keep your tort stimulated, they get bored. At the same time they like familiarity, so make it more attractive and keep it that way, don't keep changing their environment.

that's good idea Jan, a cheap vegetable trough £5.99 just placed on an outside environment is great - like Craig says don't move too much around, so although mine are mobile environments I always place the
old bread board (sun deck),
cardboard box, (house),
pebbles (climbing area),
old foot stool (pergola),
slate (food table),
old broken flower pot (pot holing) and upside down shells from beach (water holders, along with cuttle fish - free from beach,
old plastic (sun trap) in the same place.

All free except the plastic which I buy in. And amazing what you can get from charity shops !!! CB

That's funny. Do you really put everything back in the same place ever time.
Some species are terrible with change. My homeana hingebacks are shocking. They will do a 2 of 3 wk hunger strike when things change. I just recently moved all my torts around, redfoots took about a wk before they ate, and hingebacks nearly 3 wks. Everyone is settled in now thankfully.

Exactly ! I find it can stress them a bit if I don't . One of my elderly dogs' is a border collie cross and he will know if I add something to the garden. So yes I do for the Torts. for the first few times I don't as I like to see where any weak spots are and where the favourite areas are, but they all have such different characters don't they so after I watch and learn I then place each item back even though I will move the pen round the garden - for the smaller ones. And if south facing! its stays south facing ! One of my Marginated will sit in a bowl and watch. He stays there hours even though one of the bowls is an old ceramic bonsai dish and it gets massively hots, then goes for a dip - same sequence each day so they are a creature of habit. CB

I underestimated how much they like the familiar when I first moved them out this year to a new indoor and outdoor area. Weeks later they have a new routine and favourite spots depending on temperatures. Because they have lots of room they have stopped trying to find an escape route outside.