Howie the crab has stolen many hearts and gained many fans on social media. The rainbow crab had a tough molt in December and her mom now fears what will happen during the next molt.
She recently took to TikTok to talk about her concerns, spread some important awareness and talk about how fans can keep up with their account if the possible TikTok ban becomes a reality.
Howie The Crab’s Mom Shared Some Important Messages In A TikTok Video
Howie‘s mom shared a video on TikTok of the sweet little crab with captions over the video to explain some of her concerns.
“We may not have much time left Howie. You’ve already touched so many lives. And we won’t have much time to spread our message to the world,” she wrote on the video. “But we’re going to keep doing our best no matter what. Always choose kindness and love.”
She concluded the video with another important message, “And don’t boil us alive. We feel pain.”
Many of Howie‘s fans dropped into the comment section to express how sad this realization made them.
“NOOO I was learning to knit to make her a hat,” one person said, to which Howie’s mom replied, “I still think we have until fall.”
Another person also asked about the timeline before the next molt. “Wait, I thought she has more time since she was able to molt!!! What’s happening I can’t handle this.” Howie’s mom responded, “I’m only estimating that her next molt will be in the fall, but it could be any time from now until then.”
One follower asked what’s wrong, meaning why this sad video is now getting people ready for another molt. “She’s old and if TikTok gets banned I wanted to push out our message about crab sentience before it’s too late.”
See the video HERE.
A Follow-Up Video Explained More About Howie’s Next Molt
In a follow-up video, Howie‘s mom explained things a bit further.
“Howie’s fine. I just wanted to say a few things about the last video. A lot of you think that she’s actively dying, but she’s not. She’s just really old,” she began the video. “And it kind of hit home recently watching her little eyes and the cracks in her eyes grow.”
Howie the crab is almost 8 years old, which is old age for a rainbow crab, so the concern of the next molt not ending well is a real fear for her mom. “I just feel like I had to say something because I wanted to get my message out about how important it is to me that we spread awareness that crabs should no longer be boiled alive.”
She continued to say that while she’s not telling anyone to not eat crab or to become vegan, she just wanted to spread the message that we shouldn’t be throwing living creatures into boiling water or air fryers.
“So just wanted to say that yeah, I expect her to molt maybe in the fall; it could be sooner,” she continued. “Could be anytime really. But you know I’m trying to prepare for it, and you know if TikTok goes away, you know half a million people, I don’t want it to be like a canceled Netflix show where you’re always wondering what happened.”
Howie’s mom then explained that she can be found on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube in case TikTok gets suddenly banned with no time for closure.
The somber video was to prepare fans for any sudden changes and ensure Howie’s fans know that the next molt could be the last one sadly. But as for right now, Howie‘s doing great.
“She’s still eating and pooping and doing all of her crabby things and running around the house and everything but she’s just, I can tell she’s getting older, and you know, 90% of crabs die during molts, and it freaks me out that another molt is coming up. Especially with the difficulty she had in the last one,” she explained.
“A lot of you guys were there with me, and it was so triumphant and wonderful when she did molt and I’m so thankful for the time that I do have with her and for the extra time to get out the message about crab sentience.”
One follower asked in the comment section what a crab’s typical life expectancy is. “Three to five years in captivity and the maximum lifespan is eight for her species,” Howie’s mom replied.
Another follower suggested that she write a children’s book about Howie, and many others agreed that would be a great way to keep Howie’s spirit alive and well and continue to spread awareness.
One follower pointed out all the good that Howie’s mom has already done on social media. “Your Howie made millions of people view crabbies differently. You did that.”
