The Turtle Mama

My turtle mama turned out to be the best keeper I could have. You could say that I trained her in the Art of Terrapinia. She had no idea what she was in for when decided to 'foster' a prehistoric creature, but I think she respects me as a pet. Some humans feel if it isn't warm and furry, it's not a real pet. But she is different. She leaves me alone during the day so we don’t get on each other’s nerves. She keeps my tank pretty clean and that is no easy task, considering turtle turds cause cloudiness, and I’ve been squeezing out some jumbos lately. She can read my moods pretty well and knows when I get antsy and need to get out of the soup. She calls it ‘the soup’ in the winter because she will pour a kettle of boiled water in to help take the chill off. The warm rush actually feels nice. She provides a variety of food so I don’t get bored – I don't know if she realizes how much I appreciate that. Especially the tasty little shrimps she serves up as a treat, and the big boy food – big nuggets – which are tasty and organic but the crumbs make a cloudy tank. I don’t eat outside of the tank although I have let turtle mama feed me by hand a few times. She seems to get real excited about that. We make a good team. She even brought home a blue plastic pool just for me that I can enjoy on sunny weekend afternoons in the garden. And don't think I haven't noticed the little terrapin-themed trinkets strewn about the house. I think she likes me.