Getting a hermit crab for your child may not be a good idea in the first place. These creatures require a huge amount of responsibilities for a child and that requires ensuring hermit crabs are eating the right food, drinking the right water, and meeting specific levels of humidity to keep their gills moist.
In this article, we will help you decide as a parent if giving hermit crabs as a pet to your child is a good decision or not.
Things to consider for getting hermit crabs for your child:
- What your child really wants on a pet
- What you want as a parent
- Reasons why hermit crabs can be good pets for your child
Your child may want a pet that he/she can play with
Hermit crabs are not that type of pet that your child can hold and play with compared. Hermit crabs are nocturnal creatures which means they are inactive most of the day. And by that period they bury themselves in the sand or inside their shell. They will move very little during the day and for that reason your child may get impatient and try to get the hermit crabs out of their home and try playing with them.
If your child wants a pet that he/she can interact with, then probably skip on hermit crabs and settle with a cat or dog instead.
Hermit crabs are not the ‘carry around’ type of pet
Children can be quite careless if not guided properly in handling hermit crabs your child might drop and injure it. And this is something that you should avoid, especially if the hermit crab is on it’s molting phase which usually takes weeks. Do note that your child shouldn’t try to carry or disturb the hermit crabs when it’s in the molting phase since they are quite sensitive during this period.
That said, if you’re getting your child a hermit crab, be sure you as a parent are educated as well on the basics of handling a hermit crab. Teach your child not to force hermit crabs out of their shells as this may hurt the hermit crab.
Hermit crabs if not handled properly might pinch due to the fact that they act out of self defense.
Deciding that Hermit Crabs are really the “one”
If you have decided that hermit crabs are really the pet you want to give to your child, then you should do your research first. Yes, they are small and don’t require too much space compared to the usual household pets.
Are they low maintenance? It depends on how many hermit crabs you’re going to buy for your child. But it’s recommended that you buy a pair to avoid any loneliness that the hermit crab will feel. Hermit crabs are sociable creatures and live with other hermit crabs and creatures as well in the wild.
Taking care of hermit crabs means regular cleaning of their tanks, changing their water if it’s dirty, removing leftover foods, and maintaining specific levels of humidity on their tanks. So that’s a lot that you have to teach your child if you decide to have hermit crabs as pets.
Taking care of a hermit crab, teaches your child on how to be a responsible pet owner.
Why hermit crabs can be a good pet for your child
If you’ve done your research and finally decided to take home one or two hermit crabs, then here are the reasons why they can be good pets for your child:
- If properly handled, they can be friendly
- No need to worry about vet visits as long as you’re taking care of them properly.
- Hypo-allergenic, due to the fact they don’t have any fur that may cause allergic reactions to you and your children
- Easily accessible food, you can feed them pet food from pet stores or you can even prepare it yourself and it’s not going to take a village to do it!
- They require small space in your home – though this one depends on how many you are willing to take care of.
