bizzylizzy Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Hi everyone, Does anyone else have a grumpy tortoise at the moment? George is in a right strop. He sulks when he is in his hutch. When we put him out to play he hides in the corner. Anyone any ideas? bizzylizzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Why is he in a hutch? Can you put him in the garden?..........it's spring and everywhere is green and inviting Sorry I might have misunderstood..........does he hide in the corner of the garden? Then leave him to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzylizzy Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hi sorry, I didnt really explain properly. George lives inside at the minute. He is still only small. He lives in a large indoor rabbit hutch, which we have added some lamps too for him. When the weather is nice we put him outside to free range and then bring him back in at bedtime. He digs himself in under ground and doesnt do anything. Then when we put him back in his indoor home he sulks in the corner. Sometimes he moves about loads and sometimes it seems like he doesnt move for days! Am I just expecting too much from him???!!!! bizzylizzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 They are rather like batteries and have to 'charge' under a heat lap or the sun. The slow down when they have run out of charge. Tortoises in my experience love to roam to forage for food and 'get into things'. Our large older tortoise is extremely grumpy when he is confined and is only really happy when free ranging outside. Can you give George a larger more interesting enclosure. Perhaps you could rig up a way of him mooching outdoors but also enabling him to return to a source of heat at intervals? You could also make his food more interesting to give him something to occupy him. I am assuming that you have ruled out illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 He sounds like our tortoise Jeffrey. He's an indoor tortoise at the moment as he's still only 2. He always goes into the corner of his cage and scratches as if he's trying to dig out. We do get him out every door and he normally has a wander around and then hides under the sofa - same place every day. If given the chance, if the back door is open he actually goes outside by himself. The drop is quite big from the kitchen door so that's a bit worrying. We do let him out if the weather is fine and the he normally takes himself off for a wander but then he'll always end up in a little hole underneath a plant and he just stays there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
