I have 2 box turtles. When I was a kid, my mom also would only let me get small pets. So i decided to get a box turtle. I named him igor. i never thought then, that i'd have him 14 years later. They may seem boring, but I grew to love him. He has a great set up now with sand, dirt and rocks. And best of all he has a new girl friend to, just in time for spring. I enjoy caring for the little guys and they are relatively easy to care for. As long as you don't use chicken wire for the cage sides, they can't escape. they eat all kinds of fruit, roastbeef, worms, insects. as long as you read about the animal first before buying it, you'll be ok.