Shannon has had a pet turtle since she was only 5 weeks old. She named the turtle Malty and she was now 6 and a half years old. During the first year with Shannon, Malty was almost wild. She refused to approach anyone, especially her foster mother. So it took them a while to get close. Shannon also had a pet dog named Flash Gordon and a pet bird.
Shannon’s mother was Malti’s favorite. From time to time she fed the turtle and the dog watermelons and bananas. Despite Malti’s innocent appearance, she was extremely intelligent. For example, she learned to enter by pushing a metal door on her own.
In addition to being smart, Malti was also very sensitive. She hurts to get inside her shell at the slightest sign of danger. The little tortoise liked to climb up once he realized he could do it to get taller. It also helped her get closer to the snacks her grandmother offered her.
According to Shannon, dogs and turtles are not the best combination to keep as pets. Dogs have always been curious and turtles are quite interesting. This made it difficult for them to get along with each other. However, in the Shannon family, everyone got along well with each other.
Flash Gordon was a year younger than Malty. So for a dog, life without it was unimaginable. But both animals had the same motivation – food. So they waited for their grandmother to treat them to snacks, which they liked very much.
Malty often approached Flash Gordon as if she wanted to know who he really was. She was loved by all family members. She loved to follow Shannon’s mother around the house.
Shannon believed that it does not matter whether a person or animal is warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Malty always taught Shannon to look at life from her point of view, and she was very fond of the turtle.