THE TORTOISE WHO RULES THE ROOST
Freda the tortoise is nearly 60 and lives in Warrington with Jane Grimshaw, 56, a writer, and her husband, richard, 62. Jane says:
FREDA is a grand old tortoise that has been passed down the generations. I was four when we got her from a pet shop. Our dog had recently died and my mum had said we could get a new small pet.
I spotted a large wooden cage full of tortoises. Most were babies fast asleep but there was a larger one crawling on top of them all.
‘We’ll take that one,’ said my mum. ‘Better to have an active one.’
People think tortoises don’t do much, but she is a real character. And fast when she wants to be.
You’re meant to feed them various leaves, but Freda has an unusually sweet tooth.
People are surprised when she tries to clamber up their legs to reach the plate on their lap.
Over the years she’s been quite spoiled: Mum used to feed her lettuce piece by piece, by hand. Sadly Mum developed dementia ten years ago. Freda now expects the same service from me.
Whenever I give her a plate of leaves, she turns her nose up.
The only way I can get her to eat her proper food is to hand-feed her like Mum did.
She is incredibly good at climbing and has a nose for a banana. If you so much as begin to peel one, she’s there at your side like a shot.
Tortoises like Freda can live for 100 years so I’m sure she has more tricks up her sleeve yet. In the meantime I will continue to be her faithful servant!
EMMA’S VERDICT: Animals, like children, are masters of getting what they want! It always amazes me how many of them manage to train their owners to be at their beck and call. That said, most will also learn that if your resolve is strong and consistent they can’t always get what they want. It sounds like Freda and Jane are both happy with the situation, and Freda is lucky to have a family willing to commit to the incredible lifespan of a tortoise.