The Pros and Cons of Having turtles as pets (Explained)

Having a pet can be the wisest choice as it helps in a lot of situations 

However choosing what to have is a dilemma, and it might take a lot of factors to choose the pet. 

If you are considering having a turtle, you need to consider all the pros and cons beforehand.

And to make it simple, here is what can help. 

Pros Of Having a Turtle As a Pet 

They Are Quiet Animal 

Turtles are quite an animal, and it’s one of the biggest advantages if you are living in a place or apartment where animals are not allowed. 

While cats and dogs can make noises more often, turtles are quiet. 

Even though it sounds boring, it’s helpful too. For example, if you are working from home, having the turtle will not cause any disturbance. 

Dogs might bark and cats can make noises, which causes disturbance but the turtles are safe. 

They Are Slow 

Turtles are slow, and it can be great as they can’t run to hide or escape. 

You can let your pet walk in the garden and at home, so you don’t have to put all your attention on them. 

They will not go anywhere and even if they walk since the speed is low, you can let them do the walk. 

They Don’t Need Much Space 

Because turtles are slow in moving and they are also good when they are at home, so you don’t need a lot of space. 

If you have a garden, you can let them wander and also do the exercise. 

Even if you don’t have much space, it will still be good for your pet. 

For those people who don’t have a garden, you can rearrange the furniture to create a space for them to wander. And they will not go that far either. 

They Are The Low Maintenance Pet 

Turtle is ideal if you don’t want to have a pet with high maintenance. You just have to create the space for their living and once it’s done, you don’t have to do anything. 

They need healthy male fruits along with leaves per day. Turtles chow down for half an hour. 

The diet of turtles is pretty cheap and simple, and you don’t need to have a lot of budget for this. 

Keep them hydrated and give them access to water. 

They Don’t Shed 

A turtle is also ideal if you don’t want a pet that sheds. There are around 10% of people who have allergies to animals, and if you belong to this, you might not have a dog or cat. 

Cat allergies are twice as compared as dog allergies.  Pet sheds can be on furniture, beds, or different places. And if you have allergies, it will make you swell up and keep sneezing. 

However, if you don’t want such situations, you can consider having a tortoise. Not just that, turtles don’t spread any kind of allergies which keeps you healthy and away from allergies. 

Turtles Are Cleaner 

One of the problems of having a cat and a dog is that this can be messy. 

If you are going to bathe them, they will spread the water everywhere, and to clean this, it will be a massive chore. 

So if you don’t want to deal with the mess,  you can pick the turtle. 

They are different and clean as compared to other animals. Turtles also don’t need that amount of cleaning. 

You can do the daily bath as turtles need to stay hydrated. 

They don’t smell, odorless and the grooming doesn’t need it. 

You don’t have to trim your nails, brush far, clean teeth, etc. 

Turtles Are Pretty Easy To Handle 

There is no doubt that having pets is challenging, and there is no expectation for turtles too. 

However as compared to other pets, here you have to face lesser headaches. 

Turtles are not high-maintenance animals, they are good as pets because they are small, quiet, and easy to care for with a corrected diet as well as habitat. 

They Are Not Picky Eaters

Mealtime can be a hassle if you have a pet who is too picky. However, you don’t face such problems with turtles. 

Most of the turtles are omnivorous, and they eat fresh green, worms, and feeder fish. 

Not just that, they are pelleted diets.  As for tortoises, they are herbivores as they eat greens, hay, grass, and vegetables or fruits.

They Are Friendly And Loving 

Some people don’t consider reptiles because they believe such pets are emotionless creatures. 

That’s why cats and dogs are top options because the love and Companionship you get there, is not something everyone offers. 

However, tortoises also show their personality and emotions. Even though they are not that expressive, they do show their likes, dislikes, and affections. 

They can hiss if they are displeased, or be cute and stubborn. 

Turtles Are a Unique Choice 

Whenever everyone has a dog and cat, owning a turtle can be an interesting choice. 

They are interesting but not so popular which makes others curious about them. 

Turtles are special in their way and finding or learning more about them can exciting journey.

They won’t Disturb Or Hold Your Attention Long 

Dogs need attention all the time, they are required to go for walks and have their playtime and they can disturb you if you are busy doing something. 

The same goes for cats as they might not be as clingy as a dog but still, they need their care from time to time. Also, they can make a mess if you don’t pay attention. 

This causes the constant problem of living your day-to-day life especially if you are someone who doesn’t want that level of commitment. 

Having a turtle is the ideal option, you don’t have to take them for walks.  They can stay inside the house without any problem. 

Cons Of Having a Turtle As a Pet 

They Can Bite You 

While they can be slow and have a not-so-dangerous vibe, they can still bite if they are displeased. 

Also, not all turtles and tortoises are friendly.  Especially if you are not careful, the bite can cause a serious problem since tortoises have strong jaws. 

It can hurt, and keeping kids around them might not be safe. 

Small Ones  Can Go Missing Easily 

Depending on the size of turtle you have,  they can easily get missed. 

Since the size is small, and they don’t make noise or fast movements, they can be hiding under the bed or could be anywhere. 

If you don’t look after them for a long period, they can go somewhere and finding them will be difficult. 

They Might Not Be That Interesting And Cute 

A lot of people want to have a pet because they are interesting and cute. 

However, depending on what you like, a turtle might not be that interesting or cute. 

They don’t get the same level of administration and appreciation from people either. 

They Are Not The Cuddle Buddy 

If you are looking for a cuddle buddy, turtles are not one of those pets that offer such a thing. 

Even though you can try, they can bite in return. Also, they don’t like to get cuddle In the first place 

Chances are that the turtles won’t form such connections with the owners as other pets do. 

Lack Of Knowledge And Understanding 

Having a turtle as a pet means you have to know about them. It’s time-consuming and you need to be really good at taking care of them. 

If you are planning to go on vacation and want someone to look after them, it can be a hassle. 

There is a lack of knowledge and understanding among people regarding turtles, because of this they don’t want to keep them. 

Also, there are high chances of turtles getting sick and something going wrong because of such situations. 

You Might Lose Interest 

Turtles have a long life span, some can even live more than 100 years. 

Having that long commitment can be issued. On top of that, they are not interesting and even if you have an interest, it will be for the short term only. 

There are chances that you lose interest and taking care of a turtle for a long turn can be a hassle. 

They Might Need A Pond 

If you have a tortoise, they might not need the water environment but if you have a turtle, then you need to have a pond 

Turtles spend a lot of time in the water to stay hydrated. Also, you need to keep the water clean and it can be another hassle. 

You can’t be Housetrained And Teach Tricks 

The tortoises are not someone who can get house-trained like other pets. However, some might do but it will take a lot of time and there are changes they don’t. 

Also, it’s disappointing that you can’t teach them tricks. 

Even if you spend a lot of time, still they won’t follow the commands but do what they like. 

You Might Need Space 

One of the downsides is that turtles need to have some space. Especially if you have the big ones, you need space for them to move. 

They need a garden with water elements, also plenty of space to exercise and have a healthy lifestyle. 

You can keep other pets in small apartments, but tortoises need the living conditions to survive, 

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