It never crossed in our mind to have a little terrapin as our pet. On 4 Nov, we just walked around the Centrepoint and saw a pet shop. I went in thinking to get few guppies so I can use the fish tank water for watering the plants.
But kiddos saw a bale of terrapins in a big tank, swimming here and there and some just lazying basking under the heat lamps.
We ended out walked out from the shop carrying an oxygenated pack of
water with tiny cute terrapin, food pellets andwater stabilizer.
water with tiny cute terrapin, food pellets andwater stabilizer.
Happiness is when you can hold this little terrapin on your hand.
They're so happy and wanna patting her so badly.
They're so happy and wanna patting her so badly.
They just gobbled down the crepes as if they didn't wish to eat because they're so concerned that their little friend run out of oxygen.
Taking MRT to bring her back home.
Kids were so excited and rushed back home so they could released their new friend. They even ran all the way home from MRT.
She has a pair of pretty and curious eyes (video 00:50). Sometimes she's a bit hyperactive and swimming quickly to the wall and even climbing. Occasionally, she flopped awkwardly but she could get back to her feet very fast if she's on the ground. However, she'll be confused and not sure what to do if she's on water, so I've to help her up. Everything she did was extremely cute. She's like my little baby... an adorable one!
Transporting Tuttle for 6 days staycation because we're out of town.
She even sent us videos showing her eating her foods. We missed her during our trip.
Tuttle's new home with a flat rock for her to sleep or bask.
The next day, we bought a blue container as the fish tank was not suitable for her. She seemed curious for the new environment and might be stressed therefore she didn't eat for the first 3 days.
Although the pet shop said no need heat lamp as Singapore is hot enough for terrapin, but we We also bought it after reading that it'll help increasing the appetite. We also received leftover Terrapin food from another kind Carousell seller. Tuttle somehow like it and started to eat... *happy face*
Tuttle Lee, Our Happy Pill!!!
She has a pair of pretty and curious eyes (video 00:50). Sometimes she's a bit hyperactive and swimming quickly to the wall and even climbing. Occasionally, she flopped awkwardly but she could get back to her feet very fast if she's on the ground. However, she'll be confused and not sure what to do if she's on water, so I've to help her up. Everything she did was extremely cute. She's like my little baby... an adorable one!
She might be seeing her reflection or imaginary friend (video 02:30), and will swim towards the wall. We'd a thought to buy another terrapin to accompany her. But, reading and considering pros and cons we decided to just have her alone.
She's eating about 6 to 12 pellets per day. She's picky and still didn't want to eat the pellets we bought. Instead eating big pellets which she has to bite to smaller pieces. But somehow, I tried to give her about 2 or 3 tiny pellets before giving her favorite food.
A messy eater, as she's wasting almost half of the food because she's spilled or sniffed out when chewing it. So, we have to clean the tank or use droplet to suck out the balance food to make sure the water is clean. But soon, she learned how to eat the balance food on the floor (video 09:58)
I also hand-feed her, first she's not sure how to eat it, but somehow she learned how to pick the food from my fingers (video 11:45). She seemed to be so cautious to aim properly. Sometimes she even opened her mouth and looked like she's measuring it then close it again when near the food. Then after that she'll open and bite it, but not too hard... maybe she wanted to make sure she's her food instead of my fingers. It's different how she ate the food from water... grabbed it like holding drumstick and ate it vigorously. Such a clever and sweet girl, right?! We're so happy and proud to see her progress day by day.
Transporting Tuttle for 6 days staycation because we're out of town.
Glad that a kind member from Urban Farmer group helped us to take care our little cutie when we're going to Ipoh.
I'll adopt turtle or terrapin plushie from now on. I don't want to have any pets from now on, I don't want them to die because of me. Will feed Tuttle food to the fish and will I just bought bird's food to feed the small birds in the garden.
We visited and fed her friends and relatives at Sam Poh Tong temple.
Everything was alright until 4 to 5 days before Christmas, she lost interest to eat and open her mouth. She looked tired and no energy and sleeping most of the time. Adding with swimming lopsidedly, strange popping noises, shrugging and stretching out his neck to gasp for air.
My baby was so tiny... only weighted 11.2 gr.
Tuttle 'Lee' (given a surname by Spring Veterinary Care) was prescribed with Vitamin ADE and B Complex to be mixed with the V8 vegetable and fruit juice (video 17:30). We're advised to get a bigger terrapin as small terrapin is prone to disease. The bigger terrapin has higher chance to survive as they had gone through some of the diseases. Without anyone knowing, I was crying whenever I think of she'll going to die.
Left: Angry when not given her food when she's healthy.
Right: Angry being soaked in the juice, vitamins and surrounded with food.
Although the doctor told us that terrapin could absorb the nutrients through her skin, but she didn't seem to get better. It's really sad to see a happy and active terrapin became so lethargic and breathless (video 19:29).
turbulence when transporting her for 2nd visit to the vet (video 22:15).
Her first and last sightseeing around our neighbourhood.
Hope she did enjoy the view and ride on Cheerry's shoulder.
We need to force feeding her because she refused to eat on her own.
It's not an easy task, every morning we'd to force opened her mouth by my gal and I quickly injected her food paste and antibiotic in her mouth. We'd to tried a lot of times, because sometimes she vomitted out or just didn't went in as she closed it very fast.
After 3 days, we saw the bruise on her left jaw (video 25:20) because it's the spot where it's easier to open her mouth. But, we had to find another side because we knew it must be very painful for you. We're really sorry, but we'd no choice... It's so depressing and sad!!!
Celebrate her last day on antibiotics and force feeding.
It's so sad to see long bruises on her lower jaw.
It's so sad to see long bruises on her lower jaw.
It's even saddes as she's a bit trauma whenever our finger get closer to her. She'll close her eyes thinking that we'll force to open her mouth again :(
breathing after we saw she used papaya as the support.
Before she sick, she found out that we gave her the rock as her bed as we always moved her there. So most of the time, she'll climbed there to sleep on her own.
Then, she began to sleep in weird position again...
like squeezed herself in the feeding pool.
She's just so cute... but we usually gave her the pillow when we saw her sleeping, and move her to more comfortable position if she anyhow sleep.
Anyway, she began to eat after after aboout 3 weeks not eating (video 39:35). Although it's just about half of the portion that she normally ate. The pooping sound become less frequent and after that no more. We're so happy and so proud of her!
It's weird to say that we're so happy to see her first poop after about 17 days not pooping!
She somehow like to roar like dinosaur after recovered from her sickness. She suspected that she might want to evaporate water from her lung or she mimicking us as we always said "Aaaahhh" and opened our mouths when we tried to feed her because it's so hard to open her mouth.
So, we kinda angry and find her naughty because if she did open her mouth widely, we didn't need to force open it and she wouldn't has bruise. We told her to remember that she's a terrapin, not a little dinosaur. But it's look cute too... a mini dinosaur (video 55:50).
Now, I feel so bad as we thought that she's angry on something or asking for food or trying to be funny because one time she opened her mouth widely and showed me the food inside her mouth before closing and chewing it. She might has Respitory infection again because 3 nights she slept without the lamp. We bought the new bulb on 8 Feb but found out it's not the bulb problem but the lamp, so only bought the new replacement 2 days later.
We went to Johor for family reunion dinner and came back on 16 February. I was so tired as I couldn't sleep the whole night because of the noisy firecrackers until 3am and added with the bed and pillow was not comfortable.
My daughter was the one feeding her the moment we came back home. I was sitting on massage chair and asked my girl to give her Angpao because it's CNY. My gal said she doesn't need angpau and gave her the small red pellets (which she doesn't like) on top of normal green pellets. I even told my gal that she's been with us for 3 months as her birthday was on 4 Nov. My gal still said that whether I'm sure it's her birthday. I told her it's the day we brought her home.
After lunch before I took my nap, I just looked at her and she looked at me and strecthed out her neck and opened her mouth, then slowly let it down to the floor. I still asked her why and I jokingly opened my mouth and put my mead on top of her tank. She did again the second time and I did the same and patted her head. I even told my kiddos that she's so cute because she looked like sneakingly did it instead of looking angrily.
She might knew that she won't make it, and it might her last bows and bid farewell to all of us including to my husband. Watching the videos, my tears rolled especially when we still laughing and scolded you (video 56:40) Tuttle... I'm so so so sorry!
I fed her a pellet from my hand when I woke up from my nap. Waited for her to grab but she just looked at the food. I thought that she's still full as she only eat in the morning after she recovered from RI. So, I just left her and went to the balcony to water the plants.
Kids came back from swimming, and my gal walked to the balcony and saw her tank at the table. She moved Tuttle not too close to the wall as she said in case the wall is blocking her to close her mouth. We just smiled thinking she's trying to be funny... :(
Last photo of our lovely Turtle.
Then my massage chair stopped and time to eat dinner. I looked at the tank and saw she's still looked up and opened her mouth... So I snapped a photo. But the next moment I thought my gal walked in her room for about 5 - 7 minutes ago. So, I took her out from her tank.
She's hot as my gal on the heat lamp before she went down to swim. I talked to her and asked her why, I tried to shake her hands but they're stiffed and she didn't move at all. I screamed my gal to come out. I told her that maybe Turtle is having stroke. My gal came out and searched on internet what to do. We tried to gently pulled his tail to see any respond. Gently closed her mouth but it was bounced back again. Then my tears started to roll down as I saw her normal lively eyes were sunken. I knew she's gone as soon her body was cold. It's warm because she's under the heat lamp. She's clever enough to move away if it's too hot for her.
We're not good owners... sorry to bring you home without having any knowledge of how to take care of you, else you might be able to live up to 30 years old. If I knew that day you'll leave us, I would hold you tightly so you're not afraid and pat you to your long peaceful sleep. Thank you our little Tuttle. You brought so much joy to us!
Sorry my dear baby... My heart still very pain when thinking of you although I've been telling myself not to cry anymore, because I know you would like to us happy and that's why you learned so many tricks and cleverly made us smiles. Thank you and till we meet again!!!
You're are our source of happiness...
We love you always and you're always in our heart!
We love you always and you're always in our heart!
Amitofo... may you go to happy realm!
Tuttle, it's hard to let you go! My tears still flowing uncontrollably
when I woke up and you're not there anymore.
I don't have you to play with, shaking your food bottle to tease you, hand-feed and told my self you're so clever when you caught it, patting and stroking your tiny head, showing you my plants when feeding your poops to them, then cleaning your shell, face and mouth and tank and look at your cute actions like rubbing your own face, scratching your head, observing me with your innocent face, shaking your hands and intentionally touch your your hands and legs so you could retracted them and you looked so compactly cute~! TuttleLee Cute!!! TuttleLee Love you!!!
My gal will be missing her accompanion, because Tuttle's the one to sit with her when she's doing homework. And when there's no heat lamp, Tuttle's my gal mini aircon and she'll absorb heat from my gal. Although she's so sad, but she's very strong and not crying.
Kitto Katto "Tuttle Taco" (being wrapped in towel like taco) group chat.
Tuttle is one of the topics in our daily conversation.
Forgive me for picking you as our pet and causing you to suffer :(
Now... may your spirit soar high up where there's joy and peace,
no more pain and fly together with the angels and be one of them.
little birds and swim freely with the fish in lily pond under the sun.
