Help! My son asked Santa for a turtle!!

[dixonismydog]

That's funny because I didn't see anywhere in her post that her family isn't in a place to get or care for a turtle. I see that she is asking where to get supplies cheaper..

Some of us are just trying to make sure that she realizes how much work having a turtle is. They are VERY high maintenance pets. I wish someone had of informed me about how much work they are....(and how they stink)!! I too have 2 dogs and 2 cats and find they are waaayyyyy easier to take care of.

No dis to the OP in any way.......any maybe she already knows all of this, but like I said I wish someone had of told me!!

 

[An_Island_Girl]

We tell our daughter that Santa can only give her things his elves can make in his workshop. She knows that animals can't be created in a workshop, so luckily we're off the hook!

Good Luck!

 

[mad_for_mickey]

This may not help you, since your son specifically wants a turtle, but my son has a pet crayfish, and I think they are the greatest pets! His first (Sir Pinches Butts-a-lot) came from a school pet that unexpectedly had babies, but when it died he wanted another (Sir Pinches Butts-a-lot II). They are great because they are not too expensive...my son's lives in a 10 gallon aquarium. They are very interesting to watch as they move gravel and other objects around the aquarium. They eat a lot of different foods, as long as they are mainly getting protein from fish food or cat food. Ours enjoys an occasional frozen pea. My son loves when he molts and then eats his own shell, though I think that might be a 10-year-old boy thing.

Anyway, this might not help OP, but if anyone else is reading looking for a good pet idea, thought I would share.

 

[kacaju]

Please make sure you do your research. Turtle and tortoise are two different types of animals. you said your son wants a tortoise and yet your title says turtle.
As I said go to a reptile show if you can. The people there will be able to help you pick out what is best

 

[abbyndrewmom]

My 11 year old son has two yellow belly scooters, he got them 2 years ago for his 9th birthday. I always say the turtle will probably outlive me. We spent about $ 300.00 on the tutles, tank, lights etc. They were about the size of a quarter when we got them they are know the size of a small saucer. We keep them in a 20 gallon tank in my son's room, they are water tutles so we have a large rock they can climb on to "sun" themselves otherwise they hang out in the water.

The day to day maintance isn't bad but cleaning the tank is a pain!!! WE use our shop vac to suck out all the water then lug the tank into the bathtub and scrub it out. We do a throughal cleaning of the tank once a month we could probably do it more often but it seems to work okay for us. We also change the filter linning at the same time. We have to replace the light bulbs probably every 6-12 months.

My son likes his turtles and takes care of feeding them, turning their lights on and off and helps with cleaning the aquarium. Before we bought them DH and I decided that we were prepared to look after them long term. They are a bit of a pain as we travel alot but we just pay one of our children's friends to come in and feed the cat and turtles. We do leave them on their own over a weekend and they have been fine. At one point I was able to buy a 7 day feeder that released pellets as they dissolved but for some reason I have not been able to find them anywhere lately!

Allison

 

[Mickey527]

My grandson has a turtle in his room that my son and he found at the local park swimming in the pond. We have had the turtle now for 2 summers.
It is now about 3 inches round and has grown very little since he got it. It is a painted turtle.
The good thing about turtles that swim constantly is that the tank takes very little maintanance. He bought a cleaner fish (looks like a shrimp) that eats all the algae. the tank was green until he got it, now the tank is perfectly clear.
It is not a turtle that he can take out of the tank and carry around, he just feeds it and watches it swim.
Rmember that turtle carry salmonella. Will your son be holding the turtle or carrying it around? if so you might want to invest in lots of purell because 9 year olds don't wash their hands. I would nix a turtle for this reason alone.
But craigs list is a great place to find all the stuff you need for much cheaper. However, you might get a sick pet, but you might get a sick one at those pet stores too.
In FL they sell turtles along the roadside as you drive into Disney. Ask around and see if anyone knows of one of those roadside stands near you.

 

[Minnie]

DS (17) has had turtles since he was 5 - aquatic.

They do require a lot of maintenance - the tank is no fun to clean.

DS's aquarium is 50 gallons as the turtles have grown considerably - the aquarium is the most expensive part, then we have an under gravel filter system and a special pump used in turtle aquariums.

Your local pet store can give you ideas on what you need - check Walmart for lower prices on the accessories and food.

 

[cgcw]

Santa brought a box turtle a couple years back. It's been a great pet and I don't think they are a lot of work. Clean water and some fresh fruit & veggies everyday. Cleaning the cage isn't all that diffucult either.

We were lucky as a school teacher friend was getting rid of it. The hardest part was finding a place for him to stay until the big night arrived.

 

[paysensmom]

Thank you for all of the input! I am having a very hard time because he has asked for this red footed tortiose for OVER a year. We have a couple of dogs that he feeds and waters every day before school. He is very responsible, I am not worried about that part of it at all. His Christmas list was not very long and Grandma got almost EVERY single thing on it So, the important thing for us to get was the Santa gift. He kept telling me he was going to ask Santa for a video game. When we went to see Santa yesterday I was shocked to overhear him say, "For Christmas this year Santa, I would really be excited if you brought me a red footed tortoise" and Santa says, "Well, you have been a very good boy and I will do my best". Why oh why, couldn't Santa have said what I have always told my children? That Santa can't bring LIVE animals? When he hears it from Santa's lips, I can't really argue my point any longer. Especially when we have told the kids that some of the Santa's are just elves dressed up like Santa to help him out. After leaving, my children had a discussion in the van that this Santa was the REAL deal and they both went into specific detail about how they could tell!! It was actually very cute!

Sorry to venture off topic a bit. So, I really do want to get him this turtle, we are prepared to take care of it for years and years! I really didn't plan on spending that much MORE on his Christmas. We have already spent a good chunk on him. So, I was hoping I could still get him what he asked for but not spend way more than we are on his sister.

I do have limits to what I will get the children. My daughter asked Santa for a Belle suitcase and a Cellphone!! She even told him that he could get one at AT&T She is SIX! So, obviously will NOT be getting a cell phone. I have researched all about turtles, so that part I have a handle on. I was just hoping I didn't have to spend all that money.....

 

[shortbun]

Santa does not bring live animals. We went through this in our household. Live animals can only come from Mom and Dad. That said, our friends have a box turtle who lives outside during the day in nice weather. He crawls all around their backyard. During the winter they create a really cool environment for him and he's often in the house on the floor. They have some special cleaning solvent they regularly use to protect themselves and the turtle. Ie, snowy days cause salt to come in on the floors and must be cleaned up right away-and other environmental toxins too. They have wood floors and clean them with a very light warm water and vinegar solution.

 

[disneychrista]

Question...how old is your son? Could it be that he is "testing" Santa, seeing if he is "real?"

 

[paysensmom]

My son is 8. I don't think he is testing Santa. He just really wants this turtle. I just don't know what to do. We CAN get it for him. It wouldn't be such a big deal if Santa would have said something different. He has asked if Santa was real and I sort of divert the question. I am not ready for him to be a non believer yet. Part of me thinks that since we have told him "not yet" on the turtle for over a year, that he will keep believing if Santa pulled through???

 

[SoonerSarah]

Just an FYI to anyone looking to get a turtle, they can carry salmonella and are not reccomended by the CDC for those with children that are 5 and under or those with compromised immune systems. For anyone that has one, or would still like to get one, here is a good list of ways to prevent salmonella.
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/TurtlesSalmonella/

 

[CinRell]

I haven't read all replies yet but... my friend's daughter wanted a turtle years ago and I suggested she go to Chinatown... if you have any cultural neighborhoods around you, find a "Chinatown" type place. They have live turtles and frogs in their market. Intended for eating, but they make fine pets

Keep in mind you do need the UV lights for turtles/tortoises. And the UV no longer works in about 6-9 months. They can get very sick without this lighting.

Good luck!

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I'd get him a book about turtles, a stuffed turtle and a ticket to the zoo so he can go visit some turtles. Or maybe you can donate money to a turtle rescue place in his name and he can "adopt" a turtle or something.

 

[Alexander]

This was one of those items on the "6 Things to Not Get Kids for Christmas" It was listed as a pet that will remain after they have left the home. Other things were like Cell Phones, Stock Certificates, and gift cards (because they don't require you to be creative and personal in the gift giving).

 

[dixonismydog]

OP....I really think you should reconsider. What a HUGE commitment. AND this type of tortoise, will need an indoor enclosure of LEAST 5-6 feet in a few years! (He can take over your sons room, when he goes to college!) This is like another child.....one that isn't leaving home until it's 50! EVERY person that I have known with a turtle or tortoise, is NOT the original owner.

And are they not on the endangered animals list, or close to it???? I think you should just leave them in their natural habitat (and country).

 

[calnmace]

That's funny, my daughter did the same thing a few years ago she asked for a turtle. I did my research and settled on a red eared slider which cost me less than $30. Now we are from Ontario Canada but we got our turtle from Big Al's aquarium and I believe it is a chain from the US because their breeding farm is in Florida. They have amazing prices on aquariums, a 10 gallon was I think in the $15 range. They just need a big rock to be able to climb out of the water when they want to come out and rest. I fed him brine shrimp out of a fish food container...peice of cake. I also invested in a small fluval filter that you can just sit in the bottom and it cleans the water very well actually. (you dont want the under gravel filter-trust me) fluval is by far the best for turtles. The other thing is we bought drops for the water (dechlorinator) that takes the chlorine and Chloromine out of the water ($3)and makes it a healthier environment for the turtle.
The turtle was tiny at the time, the size of our loonies (dollar coins). They do grow but it takes many years. Good luck He will be so excited to get his turtle!!

 

[elf]

My girlfriend got one for her son 16 years ago or so. That thing is still kicken. Of coarse she got to take care of it when he moved out, in his twenties. He's now 30 settled with wife and he took it back.
I feel bad for it, in that tiny tank @ 4 ft. That's what I always tell my kids when they asked about turtles, rabbits, and other little fur balls, "wouldn't you rather it be free? It's not natural to be trapped in a tank". They still ask for things sometimes but we settled for fish and cats.

 

[NikiM20]

We have both a turtle (red eared slider) and a tortoise (russian) The tortoise is a lot less work than the turtle. If youre worried about size, I would go with a russian instead of a red foot because russian males only get to be 6-8". My daughter thinks her tortoise is great. He has an awesome personality. Only you can decide what is right for your family. And if you decide to go with a turtle, if properly kept they do not have an odor.