Hermit Crab Pet Information for your Hyper Allergic Child
Your child has been begging for a pet for a long time. Due to his allergies the traditional puppy, kitten or rabbit as a pet simply isn’t an option, birds are too messy and far too noisy, then someone suggests that a hermit crab pet might be the right pet for your child. However, as a parent you know that should your child grow disinterested in caring for his new pet the job will be left up to you and if you are going to end up caring for a pet you don’t want one that is going to take a lot of time and care and you want it to be at least mildly interesting. So, you need to know at least little about hermit crabs to decide if one is right for both you and your child.
What Make a Hermit Crab A Good Pet
There are many things that make hermit crabs great pets. First, they are absolutely fascinating little creatures and can be very entertaining to watch as they move about, climbing everything in their their way and even moving objects that stand in the way of their getting where they want to go. They can actually provide you and your child with a portion of your days entertainment just watching them move along and have the time of their lives.
They are also very low cost when you consider the price of other more traditional kinds of animals. What with shots and vet care and other things that most traditional animals need on a regular basis you can end up spending a lot of money on a puppy or kitten. Hermit crabs needs on the other hand are reasonably inexpensive to meet.
Hermit crabs that are cared for properly also have a long lifespan. Most hermit crabs that receive proper care can live up to 20 years. This means that your child and his pet can not only grow together but your child can enjoy this pet for many years to come.
They also take up very little space when you consider the size of rabbit cage you would need or even an indoor kennel for a fair sized dog to sleep in. A 10 to 25 gallon aquarium will house three or four crabs quite comfortably allowing your child to have three or four of these sociable pets in less space than it would take to house one of any other animal.
With a hermit crab you also are not going to have to worry about finding any surprise puddles or messes on your carpet or worry about your favorite slippers being chewed up.
Will My Child Be Able to Actually Play With His Hermit Crab?
While your child will not be able to take his new pet for a walk or teach him to play fetch like he could a dog. Nor can he cuddle him like he might a kitten or a bunny, your child will certainly be able to interact with his hermit crab. He will soon learn how to gently lift his new pet out of his cage and place him in the palm of his hand so that he can look at him up close and talk with him. As the hermit crab gets larger he can place him on the floor occasionally and watch him walk around as long as he is closely supervised.
Because these little creatures are so fascinating your child will enjoy handling him and will even bond with his new pets. There won’t be a problem there. Other ways your child will like interacting with his hermit crab pet is by rearranging some of the climbing items in the aquarium so that his crab can enjoy new experiences. Younger children especially enjoy doing this as it is kind of like the road building they do when playing with their toy cars.
What Happens if My Child Gets Bored With This Pet?
Learning to take care of a pet teaches a child responsibility, but there are times when children do grow bored of their pet and when that happens it is the parents who must take over the responsibility of the pets care. One of the nice things about hermit crabs is that taking care of them is really quite simple and easy and they are such fascinating little creatures that children don’t seem to grow bored of them as quickly as they do other pets. Still, it is important that you make sure that your child is taking proper care of any pet, his hermit crab pet included and this may require reminders and even supervision to ensure the crabs well being.
Asking about your child’s pet and being interested when he talks about his hermit crab will help ensure his continued interest in his pet. Children can sense when their parents don’t feel something is important and if you are uninterested in his tales about his pet your child may get the impression that you don’t think it is very important. On the other hand, if you show an active interest in the hermit crab and his fascinating ways your child is much more likely to remain fascinated himself.
If your child shows signs of becoming bored with his new pet then you might suggest that the two of you take care of the crab together. Helping with feeding and changing water will not only be a pleasant way for you and your child to spend time together but it may renew his interest in his pet because he has someone sharing his interest with him.
Hermit crabs may be a little unusual, but for a child who is allergic to the dander of more furry pets, it can be a wonderful pet for your child to own and love. While he may not be able to teach his hermit crab pet tricks he will certainly be able to interact and bond with it in a variety of ways.
