odd pet questions...

[Marroe]

I need to know about hermit crabs. Someone bought me 2 and I have no clue what to do with them. Yes, I got a care sheet but it doesn't tell me much, and the girl that has all the advice on them at the pet shop won't be in until the weekend. I'm hoping someone here has them as pets also, or has had them at one time. I'm not expecting much of a response, just thought I'd ask cos I just don't know:confused:

I would like to know....what kind of treats can I give em? All veggies safe? How deep should their water bowl be? I don't want them drowning, and the sponges I have aren't that big for them to climb out on. Should I be wetting the sponges more than twice a day? Do they freak out when I bathe them? Is it really good to let them wander around on the house? I have a cat, so I'm thinking not, but I can set aside time for them in a closed off room if it's necessary for them to stay healthy. What kind of heater is safe for them? How often should I hold them? I know they need to learn to trust their keeper, but I have also heard for some pets too much handling is bad. And lastly, how many spare shells do I need around? I have no clue how fast they grow out of them. Of course any other info, no matter how small is welcome.

Sorry about all of the questions, I'm used to furry pets. I hope someone knows SOMETHING. I don't want the lil guys dying on me, I'm starting to like them...but so far they've just been amusment for my cat.

[MichaelMyers]

Crabs can be treated pretty easily with certain over-the-counter body and hair shampoos, such as A-200, RID, and InnoGel. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants, however, can't use these medications. They must use products designed especially for them, such as Eurax.

Whatever treatment is chosen, it may be necessary to repeat the treatment from head-to-toe. Everyone who may have been exposed to crabs should be treated at the same time. It's also important to wash — with very hot water — all bedding, towels, and clothing that may have been exposed, and to vacuum all carpets.

[ItsAlive75]

Never had one, but this should help:

http://www.petco.com/Content/Article.aspx?PC=article&Nav=153&PetTypeID=&TopicID=&id=2479&ArticleID=2479&categoryID=13

[filmmaker2]

I never had one but I've seen a few of them and for crustaceans, they're cute little buggers! Quick find out about them so you can be a good mommy to them.

[she_died]

hermit crabs are a rare std acquired from spending too much time alone playing with yourself

[Marroe]

Thank you IA and Filmmaker...the rest of you grow the fuck up, morons. You're not funny, don't try.

[Haunted]

The like sand. It's close to their natural environment. Beach sand, is what you should use. You might be able to find that at a tropical pets type store.

Yes, monitor their growing rate, and make sure the shells that you have are large enough to accomidate a growing hermit crab. You can get some pretty cool looking shells in the sizes that you need.

So, set up a pretty good size acquarium, lengthwise, put in some sand and wet sponges - how they get their water. I can't remember what to feed them. I hope that you figure that out.

I used to raise them myself. They're fun, but they're really delicate.

Oh, every now and again, barely fill the bottom of your tub and put them in it. (lukewarm...very lukewarm...barely warm) It's sorta like the ocean for them. It's a great way for them to get some play time.

I, for one, would like to hear about their progress. Just be very gentle with them.

They make neat pets.

Also, if Cheeba comes around today, I would almost bet my life that he has something to share.

[Nana_baby]

okay since were on the topic of enviorment...
if you have a dog and he runs away alot what do you use?because last christmas my dog ran away and he got killed(please no mourning)and we use a shock coller and he broke his legs and then we went to the chocker coller and he stayed put a few times....so hwat do you use if your new pup is runnin' away?

[Zombee]

I had one that my cat got after and like 4 months later I found it in my basement clinging to a towel still alive.. If I remember right its shell was craked too. Cool huh.

[Nana_baby]

yea sure

[she_died]

Originally posted by Marroe
Thank you IA and Filmmaker...the rest of you grow the fuck up, morons. You're not funny, don't try.

oh:( this reminds me of being reprimanded by the girls when goofing off at the high school assembly. well, i'm sorry, and i hope your little crabbies lead a full and happy life. Just because I'm annoying and immature, doesn't mean i don't like you crabs:)

[stubbornforgey]

your dogs bored if he keeps running away.
How often do you take him for walks.?
how often do you play with him..?
does he get tied up ...?
Does he have an array of toys..?

also ..as for the puppy..if he is running away too.
In that case ..it would be he can still smell
your old dogs scent ..etc urine/spray..from where your old dog marked his territory..so is probably thinking that he is
going to get an ass kick if he hangs around there too long.

Thoroughly clean away the old smell n change everything that your old dog had..


you'll need to get new em afraid..so
that your pup can make his own space and mark his own territory...
then stick to a serious timetable with him..
the walks/the playtime/the cuddle time/treats etc..oh and the bathing..

i promise...if your puppy feels the attention there ..he will not want to run away again..but its going to take some time ..seeing that he has already started.:o

oh and don't scare your dog into staying with choker collars..damn..those things are brutal if not put on correctly.

soz marroe..I know nothing about crabs.
but good luck ,

[ItsAlive75]

Originally posted by Nana_baby
okay since were on the topic of enviorment...
if you have a dog and he runs away alot what do you use?because last christmas my dog ran away and he got killed(please no mourning)and we use a shock coller and he broke his legs and then we went to the chocker coller and he stayed put a few times....so hwat do you use if your new pup is runnin' away?

So are you saying your dog's legs broke because of a shock collar?

[Nana_baby]

okay here it goes....
when my puppy was 6 weeks we got him a shock collor and he saw two mastives one day and he ran over the shock line and a car hit him and hie brock 3 of his legs and a rib

[stubbornforgey]

nana baby..
where are you from ??

[ItsAlive75]

Originally posted by Nana_baby
okay here it goes....
when my puppy was 6 weeks we got him a shock collor and he saw two mastives one day and he ran over the shock line and a car hit him and hie brock 3 of his legs and a rib

And that's what killed him? I'm confused.

[Nana_baby]

no,
when he was 3 1/2 he ran away again and then he got killed by two cars.

[cheebacheeba]

I don't know that much about 'em...'cept for what you should do in terms of their enclosure.
Apparently you gotta keep 'em warm, but not too warm. You should line their entire cage in sand, which you should be able to buy at a pet shop, as there's not really beaches near you.
They should have fresh water to drink, I'd reccomend cutting a section out of a round plastic container....like about twice as wide as the crab, leave about a centimetre (a third of an inch roughly) of depth, and fill it up to that point. Leave the rest of the container high, it'll be harder to tumble that way.
You should also make them a "lake" of salt water...this is to bathe and "play" in, you can get special hermit crab salt stuff to make the saltwater just right - if you've lined the cage with sand, just dig out a corner, and maybe put another round container down into it, similar to their drinking one...they can "smell" which water is which, and will drink/bathe in what they want.
They like to hide. So make a driftwood or some other kinda shelter, something they can go into if they wanna. They also like to climb from what I've seen, so make sure you put in some things like rocks, sticks, things with different heights and textures. If the cage is lined with sand, a small fall will not hurt them.
As for the shell thing, they can swap like crazy when it's time to "move on", so have about 4-5 other shells lying around, and they'll try each of them, sometimes numerous times, before they settle, but you've ALWAYS gotta have larger shells around, 'cos each one is gonna grow differently.
Also, if they become withdrawn while in their cage, it could be because they are shedding their shells, they do this, and end up eating their shedded skeleton...all the same, they say you should just leave 'em alone while they're doing this.

My personal advice -
You should probably give them some kind of plant material too, and make sure to do this on a constant basis, even if you're ripping up garden flowers, just something that smells nice that they may chew on of they want.
In terms of giving them "excersize", I'd think the enclosure would be enough, especially if you put climbing stuff in...just make sure you change the layout every now and then. There's also the bathtub thing...but you'd have to keep an eye on them, and REALLY make sure the temperature was just ever so slightly warm - hardly at all. I dunno 'bout letting 'em run around the house, they'd probably just end up stuck under something, but yknow, you can make them a "playpen" kinda thing....something they can't climb out of? I dunno.
Personality wise, I know nothing about them, but with any other small animal, constant handling on a regular basis should help...even if they never see you as a friend, at least they will no longer see you as a threat.
Find out if they ever eat anything live in their natural environment, and see if you can get some of whatever that is...if they can hunt their natural prey, they'd probably be a bit happier, that said, I'm not sure if they ever DO hunt...

- B.

[ItsAlive75]

Originally posted by cheebacheeba
I don't know that much about 'em...- B.

That's why you looked all this stuff up, right?

[cheebacheeba]

So?
I have good books and other pet related resources...it's not like knowledge of this kind just "occurs" to people.

[Nana_baby]

oh cheeba we can count on you to have this long drawn out post.

[cheebacheeba]

Yeah, I know...just like we can all count on some people to make pointless, irrelevant posts, eh?

[Nana_baby]

thanx cheeb....
so anyway...
how the hell do you keep a dog down when all he does is run away?i mean you can't keep him in side for ever can you?
and one more thing, can dogs be littler traned if they are small enough?like chawawas(sp??)

[Marroe]

at least HE came into the thread with advice, not a bunch of illegible ramblings.


And thank you Cheeba and Haunted, that helps a lot. Its cool, the girl I was supposed to talk to about them at the pet shop turned out to be my co-workers daughter, so she's gonna take me and help get EVERYTHING I need.

Oh yeah, keep a dog around people with common sense and it'll usually take after.

[ItsAlive75]

Originally posted by cheebacheeba
So?
I have good books and other pet related resources...it's not like knowledge of this kind just "occurs" to people.

I meant nothing by it. Sorry I didn't add a winking emoticon or something to make my joke obvious.

[Haunted]

Nana, you should call, Invisible Fence. Don't use the store bought variety, as they don't work. Another thing is that you shouldn't leave a puppy outside alone long enough to run away even if the dog is going to stay outside when it's grown.

My Sadie lives outside, but she grew up inside. She was destructive, yes, but that's a small price to pay for keeping your puppies safe. They're a lot like little children. They don't have good distance judgement, depth perception, or notions of boundaries.



Marroe, did I tell you he'd come through or did I tell you he'd come through?:D

[NECRO666]

:D Put it in my Tank my fish would like it :D

[Marroe]

I've been trying for days to get decent pictures of these lil guys, but it doesn't work too well...they don't seem to like the camera. I'll try some more of them out of their home when they seem more comfortable with me. This is crab man (the big one) I don't think he like's me much.

[Marroe]

and his shell....it's Tom, see??

[pinkfloyd45769]

Originally posted by Marroe
I've been trying for days to get decent pictures of these lil guys, but it doesn't work too well...they don't seem to like the camera. I'll try some more of them out of their home when they seem more comfortable with me. This is crab man (the big one) I don't think he like's me much. I have never seen colored ones, very pretty!! Be a good crab mommy!! :p

[Marroe]

here's the baby...I call him shy guy. He seems to like me I think...he doesn't freak out when I hold him. But he's kinda wild...likes to rearrange the cage, and always knocks the tree over. It's kinda funny to see that tiny thing pull a sponge clear across his room.

[filmmaker2]

He looks happy in there! And a pretty shell too.

[Haunted]

You did a great job with the shells. They're so pretty.

I personally think that hermit craps are really cute, some of the cuter exotic pets.

[stubbornforgey]

Originally posted by Haunted
Nana, you should call, Invisible Fence. Don't use the store bought variety, as they don't work. Another thing is that you shouldn't leave a puppy outside alone long enough to run away even if the dog is going to stay outside when it's grown.

My Sadie lives outside, but she grew up inside. She was destructive, yes, but that's a small price to pay for keeping your puppies safe. They're a lot like little children. They don't have good distance judgement, depth perception, or notions of boundaries.



Marroe, did I tell you he'd come through or did I tell you he'd come through?:D


au contraire my dear freind..!!

the only reason a dog is destructive in a house or apartment is because they want to get out..its thier instinct to be able to run..however..they are like children..when your dogs outside ..go outside with them and play..or take for a run/walk..once they start panting and saliva drops from thier tongues..its a sign that they are tired and have had enough and are thirsty..
however ..if thier tongues are hanging out with no salvia...they are happy and content.
And yes..dogs can be trained to go to the toilet but you need to be able to read thier signals/body language..
its quite simple.
There is also one very important piece of information that most ppl over look when walking their dogs..
Never let the animal walk ahead of you..never let him lead you..other wise he will think that he is the master..make him walk beside or a little to the back of you..
Dogs are very clever animals...thats why they are easily trained because they are able to pick any command after a few practise rounds.

[wood_elf_pansy]

Marroe, I used to have three hermit crabs. I had this little climing thing that looked kinda like chicken wire that I got with mine. A friend gave them and all the stuff to me. They really seemed to like to climb up it.

Talk at ya later.

[Marroe]

Originally posted by wood_elf_pansy
Marroe, I used to have three hermit crabs. I had this little climing thing that looked kinda like chicken wire that I got with mine. A friend gave them and all the stuff to me. They really seemed to like to climb up it.

Talk at ya later. yeah, I saw the aquariums with those in them at Petsmart yesterday. I'll be getting a new one soon, but I couldn't afford one with a stand yet.

If I don't think I'm doing good with these things pretty soon, they can come live with you:D

[wood_elf_pansy]

Originally posted by Marroe
yeah, I saw the aquariums with those in them at Petsmart yesterday. I'll be getting a new one soon, but I couldn't afford one with a stand yet.

If I don't think I'm doing good with these things pretty soon, they can come live with you:D

that would be cool. you know i'd take care of em. but, you will be fine with em.

you didn't have them last time i was over did u?

[Marroe]

Originally posted by wood_elf_pansy
that would be cool. you know i'd take care of em. but, you will be fine with em.

you didn't have them last time i was over did u? No, they were givin to me right before christmas eve.


SOOO...I got em some new shells, and they're being all weird with them. The little one picked the biggest shell to go into (his old shell and all), and the big one is trying to get his fat head in a small shell. They destroyed their cage last night...looks like they hadda lil party.

[wood_elf_pansy]

Originally posted by Marroe
...looks like they hadda lil party.

MaybE they were hangin out with me.... We were having a crab party.

yeah i know, I'm jinky(lol). You know. FUCKIN WHAT!?!?!!!

[nine9]

My black cat Woe has recently taken up drinking booze....she will scoop booze of any kind up with her paw until she can handle no more...now granted...she is fucked in the head...and definitely demonic...but...how will I ever be able to explain this to the police when they inquire about where all the neighbours went...now wtf do you think? Is this a good question...I can write to Oprah if not....

[Marroe]

So my baby crab (the one I actually like) seems to be stuck in here (see below)..shell and all. I'm not sure if he is actually stuck, but he hasn't been out all day and I assumed he had just disappeared earlier. I can't even reach him with my finger!! I just heard him movin around in there some...I don't know what to do!

:( damn crabs

[MichaelMyers]

I understand fingering is a hard way to get crabs.

[Haunted]

Don't be disgusting, for fuck's sake!:mad: