Our New Family Addition!!!

I just can't contain the excitement anymore! This is a secret I've been holding onto for 2 whole days and it's time that I finally blurt out the most amazing news in our lives right now! 

We got a tortoise and named him Yoda! But not just any tortoise, a red footed tortoise. 

During a daily outing we decided to take a spontaneous trip down to Spring Valley and check out a local pet store that had high ratings on Yelp. We were browsing for red footed tortoise specifically, but we knew that it was highly unlikely they'd have that particular breed of tortoise. 

Upon walking in, we notice a very clean array of different animal specifies, neatly displayed on the outer rims of the wall. 

In the center you'll find an aisle organized with food, tanks, decorations, and pet supplies galore. Of course with a smaller space than the "mainstream" pet stores, you won't find as much quantity, but you will find quality. 

We asked the kind gentleman at the counter if he had any tortoises, to which he responded "one red footed tortoise". 

You can imagine my excitement when I learned that there was a possible chance that I could have my precious love coming home with me. 

After a few questions, I learned that this precious little 3 year old turtle was left to the owners after a trade went sour (they ditched this little guy pretty much). It broke my heart and seeing as how I'm a sap for a sad story - and the fact that he's the exact breed I've been wanting - we scooped up the little red footed tortoise and whisked him home. But not before asking a few more questions. 

I probably asked about 2573584 to learn the requirements, specifications, and dietary needs for our new family member. Luckily the guy who worked there was more than knowledgeable about the animals there, including the red footed tortoise. The best part was that he didn't try to up sell us about unnecessary items. Tank? He gave us a free pool and free wood to build our own (stay tuned for that post!!!). Food? Sold me the one that wasn't insanely expensive and gave me a discount. Accessories? Gave us the ones that were in his cage, because he was the turtle in the display case. 


Now I'm not saying go to this store (located in San Diego) to try and get a bunch of free stuff - doesn't work that way - but I am saying to in and check out their animals for a ton of information and a great deal!


With everything packed in the car, the last thing to grab was our beautiful friend. 

I gotta telly you guys, he's been such an awesome addition to our family and he fits in perfectly. 

We set him up in the kiddie pool (cracks me up that he's in there) just for the time being, until we get his permanent tank built to perfection. He ate and drank pretty well his first night and slept throughout the night with ease, then the next day walked around the house to explore. 

He's kind, gentle, easy going, exploitative, and isn't a usual tortoise. We've learned that he LOVES tomatoes as well. 

Mini story time: After we found out that Yoda likes tomatoes, my padawan decided to "play" with Yoda by putting a big (bigger than a fist) red ball in front of him, to see if he'd push it. 

Oh he pushed it alright. I looked over and he was trying to bit it, because he [probably] thought it was a tomato. Poor Yoda, we changed the ball color (just chose a yellow one) and he played with it instead. 

While we can't get a dog in our apartment complex, we can have a turtle. Which is ultimately the next best thing (for us). 

We plan on walking him, taking him on trips (not too much to stress him out), and treat him like a human family member (within reason). I'm absolutely ecstatic and I gotta say that a big part of it is because of the information give by the shop we went to. 

Mike's Pets was truly friendly and unbeatable in more than just their price. 

More often than not, I go to a pet store and am given a pamphlet - or a book recommendation - to read on how to care for my new pet. Not with this store. I walked out with such confidence in how I'd care for Yoda and I can honestly say I WILL be back for any supplies or future pets (of the ones they sell). 

Personally if I'm willing to go out of my way to purchase from a store, it's a great (and rare) moment. So if you're in San Diego and looking for [mostly aquatic or reptile] pets/supplies, check out Mike's Pets!