Turtles as pets?

[SnuggleBuggles]

Can anyone give me the low down on a pet turtle? Good? Bad? How much work is involved? We have had a bad run of luck lately with our Betta fish and thought maybe we should try something new. Turtles seemed slightly interesting. ;) 3 out of 4 us really want a cat but dh isn't on board. :(

[mommylamb]

I always thought there was a salmonella concern with handling turtles. Though, they do seem interesting to me.

[twowhat?]

Red-eared sliders are fairly easy. They need a good-sized tank (open on top - not closed - for air circulation, but out of drafts!!) with parts in the water and parts out of the water (so turtle can swim and crawl out of the water to sun himself) with a heat lamp for "sunbathing". You have to keep the water clean (turtle can play in the bathtub while you clean the tank if you don't want to get a filter system). You can just buy turtle food and supplement with fruits and veggies - boy do they love fruits and veggies and they will develop favorite fruits/veggies too - it's kind of funny to watch how excited they will get when they see their favorites.

However, the biggest con is that you need to treat the turtle just like you'd treat raw meat in terms of handling. Wash hands. Sanitize surfaces that turtle has touched. Etc. They can carry salmonella. And, they live forever. Exaggerating, LOL but they live for a very long time. And a small turtle doesn't need a huge tank but as the turtle gets larger and larger (which it will, for...forever), you would need bigger and bigger tanks (or an outdoor pond!) You would also need to have a vet on hand who can treat him (not all vets have the expertise) in case he gets sick.

[mom3boys]

No BTDT with turtles, but FWIW, 4 out of 5 of us wanted a cat (DH not on board-- loves cats but is concerned about his leather sofa--so I was like, so are we NEVER going to get a cat then, because of your sofa?). Kitties (sister and brother) will be arriving tomorrow :).

I have had experience with lizards (iguanas) sort of interesting but after having lizards, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, parakeets, cockatiels, and fish I don't think we will ever get a pet that lives in a cage. They are OK but it is just not the companionship/personality you get from a dog or a cat. The lizard aquarium required pretty frequent cleaning, and you could hold the iguanas a bit while the aquarium was being cleaned, but it wasn't like a pet that greets you at the door--they didn't really enjoy humans. I think the kids may lose interest (as my sister did with her iguana) and then you are left caring for the thing--my sister left for college and my Dad was left taking care of 2 iguanas. Maybe a turtle is a little uh, friendlier?

ETA: The tank size could become an issue--the animals do keep growing and growing.

[sandwish]

Don't get turtles. When I was in my 20s, I bought two turtles. They were those cute little ones about the size of a half dollar. Those cute little turtles grow. I went from a 10 gallon to a 30 gallon and really felt they needed more space. And the tank needs to be cleaned. And it is disgusting. I bought filters and stuff but it still smelled so bad. I had no kids, spent a lot of time cleaning and researching. I will never own turtles again.

I have a friend with a tortoise. Says its a great pet.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Oh dear. Didn't expect them to get so big. I think that'll be a deal breaker. Thanks!!

[Snow mom]

Don't get turtles. When I was in my 20s, I bought two turtles. They were those cute little ones about the size of a half dollar. Those cute little turtles grow. I went from a 10 gallon to a 30 gallon and really felt they needed more space. And the tank needs to be cleaned. And it is disgusting. I bought filters and stuff but it still smelled so bad. I had no kids, spent a lot of time cleaning and researching. I will never own turtles again.

I have a friend with a tortoise. Says its a great pet.

And turtles under 4" are illegal to sell so you couldn't even start out with little and cute. Personally I find turtles pretty boring and can't imagine they'd hold a child's interest long. They aren't low maintenance either. What type of quality are you looking for--I'm sure people would have suggestions.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Mom3boys- lucky duck! Another wrinkle, aside from dh, is that ds1 is allergic. He would probably be ok w 1 cat but can't chance it. He was ok w our old cat but she was unique- no one was allergic to her!

[georgiegirl]

I'd say NO WAY! My sister had a turtle growing up and it was a total PITA. He wasn't fun and it was a bitch to clean his aquarium. Eventually my mom "donated" it to her library (where she was head librarian) and everyone was much happier. Most families I know who get turtles aren't thrilled with their pet choice.

[mom3boys]

Mom3boys- lucky duck! Another wrinkle, aside from dh, is that ds1 is allergic. He would probably be ok w 1 cat but can't chance it. He was ok w our old cat but she was unique- no one was allergic to her!

Oh, yeah allergies can be a problem. I am actually hoping DS3 will be OK--the other boys have lived with a cat before but the cat died before DS3 was born, so DS3 has only been exposed to my parents' cats, although he has seemed OK. Also DH does not want any kind of pet except cat or dog, and I told him a dog was too much work for me right now and the kids were too young to provide help, so cat it is.

You may want to look into tortoise vs. turtle--they need less water (they are land animals, just need a shallow dish, I think) so the habitat should be easier to maintain and less smelly. And I think the risk of salmonella is less because they don't swim in water (aka, swim in their own fecal matter) as a turtle might. I don't know how big they grow though--I mean, those tortoises at the zoo are huge! Also if they live a really long time that might be a deal-breaker. My neighbor has a parrot that he inherited from his (deceased) mother, that she had for years and years. The bird outlived his owner.