Howie The Crab Still Hasn't Molted But Is 'Lively And Receptive To Attention'

Howie the crab has so many people pulling for her! The little rainbow crab has been struggling to molt for nearly a month now due to her older age, but her mom stays hopeful that things will turn around soon. In her most recent update on Instagram, she explains how day 25 is going.

"Day 25. Howie is looking extremely haggard. She spent some time dancing around her tank last night. I took a quick picture with her lights on to check her appearance," the update began. "What look like cracks in her shell are naturally occurring lines she's had for years although they do look more pronounced due to her shell thinning. Her color is definitely faded. The cracks in her eyes are worse now than they have ever been. Some of her moustache hairs have fallen out along with some of her beard."

Howie's mom concluded her update by saying, "This is the longest molt she has ever been through. I still have hope because she's still lively and receptive to attention ❤️"

Howie's fans on both Instagram and TikTok have been concerned and watching for updates daily. Many take to the comment section to send words of encouragement and good vibes. Others ask questions so they can better understand the molting process and what all these updates ultimately mean.

"This may be a silly question, but are the cracks in the eyes part of the molting process?," one person asked on Instagram. Howie's mom responded, "Yes and no. It's more of an indication of the age of her shell. The clear hard film over her eyes is always the first thing to crack. It usually starts after just a couple months after a fresh molt."

Another person asked, "Aww This is some promising news. 🥰 curious…how do you know when the molting process actually starts??" and Howie's mom answered, "The actual molt will be done all at once and takes 30 minutes to 3 hours to complete."

Yesterday's update, day 24, was posted on TikTok. After some fans told Howie's mom that maybe she's stressing the little crab out by watching her so often, she caved to the pressure and decided to cover the tank. At this point she is willing to try anything, but she quickly found out covering the tank wasn't the answer.

"Day 24 Howie update. I covered her tank with a blanket all day. When I checked on her tonight she was visibly upset. 😭 While most crabs love darkness and solitude (it was a valid idea), Howie is very bonded to me and is used to frequent interaction. She even put aside her crabbiness from the molt to high five me and let me rub her claw," the video's caption began.

The caption continued with appreciation for everyone who is concerned for the sweet crab. She also explained that Howie's environment and diet are all very thought out and well maintained. "I think all Howie needs is time, and if not, I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to spend the rest of her days alone in the dark or with any stressful changes in her environment. Thank you to everyone hanging in there with us. We love our fans," she concluded the caption.

One fan wrote in the comment section of the video, "If something happens she needs to see you. Those people are wrong and terrible I’m so sorry," to which Howie's mom responded, "Their hearts were in the right place. Everyone is looking for solutions and wants to help. It was my fault for allowing myself to be pressured." '

Another person asked, "Genuine question..how can you tell that she's upset?.. this is fascinating 🥰🥰🥰 we love you Howie.. you got this." Howie's mom answered, "She spent the past few days with her back turned while sitting on her log. She was actively looking for me and reaching when I removed the blanket."