Even though you may have had cats and/or dogs as pets, if you’ve not previously had pet turtles, you might want to reconsider starting now.Turtles require more care than cats or dogs. It may seem like a neat idea to have a more unique pet, but if you’re not prepared to put in the necessary work, your interest may be very short-lived. There are facilities available for turtles that have been previously owned. It is not uncommon for a family or individual to get a turtle and then decide they don’t want it for whatever reason.
The bottom line is that you need to be aware of just what is involved in keeping a turtle as a pet before you buy one. Unlike cats and dogs, turtles are not cute, cuddly pets. Petting a turtle is not the same as petting a dog or cat. It does not give the same enjoyment to either one of you. It may be difficult to find a veterinarian that is familiar with caring for turtles.
Seemingly small things can be fatal to turtles, such as leaving a turtle’s aquarium sitting in a sunny window all the time. Because they can carry Salmonella and other bacteria on their bodies, turtles can make you or your family sick. If you give them access to your entire house, they can spread the bacteria on a regular basis to all of your things. You have to keep them contained and wash your hands thoroughly every time you touch them. If you have young children who do not understand good hygiene yet, there is a very good chance that they will get sick.
As far as food goes, turtles are fairly easy to feed. They eat a variety of foods, especially the omnivores. However, they cannot have dairy and processed foods are also bad for them. They should be rinsed after every meal in warm water to wash off excess food.
Their cages should be cleaned every day. If you do not have a filtration system, the water in their cages needs to be changed every day as well.
The aquarium where they are kept should be proportionate in size to the turtle. As the turtle gets bigger, the size of their aquarium should also increase. This means that you will need to buy multiple aquariums.
Turtles can make good pets with the right care and environment. Don’t buy a turtle if you just want to have a unique pet. Make sure that you know how much work it will be and that you are willing to do the work. Otherwise, it’s a bad idea for you to invest in pet turtles.