Owner of Internet Famous Crab Shares Sad Update About Her Condition
Laura Porter is just about one of the very best pet moms in the world. She loves her pet so much that she posts videos almost daily showing how she cares for , feeds, plays with, and shows affection to her pet.
The main difference between Porter and other cat moms and dads? Porter is a crab mom, and not just of any crab, but adorable Internet sensation Howie the crab, who may not be with us much longer due to her advanced age.
Porter posted on Facebook yesterday updating Howie's fans on how she is doing during her molt, where she loses her exoskeleton shell. This can be hard and painful due to the fact Howie is a senior.
"Howie's shell has shown no additional signs of thinning. It is a concern at this point. Howie has been continuing to try to eat. She chews it, and it goes down her chin and not in her mouth. I cannot tell if she is getting any benefits from doing this. Perhaps she is getting a few calories from absorbing some of it by having it in her mouth. Her mood is spicy, and she's appears to have energy still. Howie isn't playing anymore but does not appear weak and hasn't shown any additional signs of distress other than frequently begging for food. I can only assume her body is still trying to make this molt happen. She's an old lady, and this is going much much slower than I had anticipated."
Related: Mom Walks Her Pet Crab on Leash Just Like a Dog and People Are Obsessed
Fun Facts About Howie the Crab
Howie first when viral when her mom posted an adorable video in 22 of Howie getting groomed using a toothbrush. Howie is a rainbow crab and according to her FAQ page, Howie is 8¾ years old. She will be 9 June 24th.
Howie uses sign language to tell her mom when she is hungry.
Howie wears many fabulous hats and costumes depending on the seasons:
The average lifespan of rainbow crabs is 3-5 years in captivity, and Porter posts that one of the questions she gets asked is could Howie live longer than 8 years? Anything is possible under the right conditions. There are always outliers when it comes to data. Howie is healthy and well cared for and we are hoping that she will!
Porter also shared why she is worried about Howie molting: "If you're just now following, Howie's last molt was very difficult on her. Since Howie is so old we are all worried. 90% of crabs die during molts or from failure to molt. The larger she becomes the longer it takes to regenerate her mouth parts, esophagus, stomach lining, intestines, and gills. During this time, she doesn't eat and will solely rely on stored calories and she must still have enough energy left to make it through the actual molt. It is a race against time to regenerate her body before she starves. But other problems can occur during the actual molt resulting in molt failure and death. Such things as parts of her body not regenerating properly."
We are all rooting for you Howie! We will keep you updated as Porter posts more information on her social media channels.
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