Joey and Zoey
No, Joey and Zoey aren't twins, in fact they aren't even siblings. They are hermit crabs that have joined our menagerie, which currently consists of one dog, four cats, a frog, a beta fish and a bunny. There were also two parakeets, but they went home with my mother. Just another reason I suppose I need to have my head examined; more to take care of...but these are Nicole's pets.
Hermit crabs seemed fairly innocuous and easy to care for. As long as you keep them moist, feed them, don't let mites set in and provide bigger shells for them to moult into. Like I said, there must be something wrong with my head.
So Zoey came home today from Knoebels (a local amusement park); it was actually less expensive than the one we got the other day at Petco. We learned that if their large claw is purple it is a female, red a male. So when we got home Nicole discovered that Joey was actually a Josephina, so she has been renamed JoJo. I think Nicole was hoping for baby Hermies, but it doesn't look like that will be happening. That's all I need; to become a hermit crab breeder in addition to all those other roles I manage to assume!
We did actually have to make an exchange. Nicole initially picked out one of the larger size crabs and when I took it out and put it on my outstretched palm it PINCHED me. And I mean hard. That claw was firmly implanted in my palm pad under my middle finger. I tried pulling prying and then pulling and finally got my finger nail under neath after trying to shake it off. There was my hand wildly flailing with the hermit crab firmly attached. What a grip! I was amazed that the darn thing didn't draw blood, it sure felt like it.
And then Nicole, bless her heart decided she couldn't possibly bring a hermit crab home that had accosted her mother like that, so back it went for a hermit crab exchange. I am happy to report that Zoey hasn't pinched anyone yet and is making fast friends with JoJo.
Now Nicole is just trying to figure out how to get the crab on Pet Star. I wonder if the amazing pinching crab would have counted?
Hermit crabs seemed fairly innocuous and easy to care for. As long as you keep them moist, feed them, don't let mites set in and provide bigger shells for them to moult into. Like I said, there must be something wrong with my head.
So Zoey came home today from Knoebels (a local amusement park); it was actually less expensive than the one we got the other day at Petco. We learned that if their large claw is purple it is a female, red a male. So when we got home Nicole discovered that Joey was actually a Josephina, so she has been renamed JoJo. I think Nicole was hoping for baby Hermies, but it doesn't look like that will be happening. That's all I need; to become a hermit crab breeder in addition to all those other roles I manage to assume!
We did actually have to make an exchange. Nicole initially picked out one of the larger size crabs and when I took it out and put it on my outstretched palm it PINCHED me. And I mean hard. That claw was firmly implanted in my palm pad under my middle finger. I tried pulling prying and then pulling and finally got my finger nail under neath after trying to shake it off. There was my hand wildly flailing with the hermit crab firmly attached. What a grip! I was amazed that the darn thing didn't draw blood, it sure felt like it.
And then Nicole, bless her heart decided she couldn't possibly bring a hermit crab home that had accosted her mother like that, so back it went for a hermit crab exchange. I am happy to report that Zoey hasn't pinched anyone yet and is making fast friends with JoJo.
Now Nicole is just trying to figure out how to get the crab on Pet Star. I wonder if the amazing pinching crab would have counted?
Labels: Hermit Crabs, Knoebels
posted by www.kathypride.com at
10:29 PM
1 Comments:
Ah, the wonderful world of pets. Simone's beta fish just died a few days ago. We had the properly somber toilet funeral (not quite as elaborate as the one on The Cosby Show -- remember that episode?). This was the beta that jumped the divided tank and ate the other beta some months ago. Gregory and his girlfriend had given the whole set up with the two fish to Simone for her 11th birthday, back in March. Well, six months is pretty good, huh?
We still have our parakeet, Andy. If Simone would ever show the slightest interest in caring for the poor bird, I would get her another one for company (her, as in the bird).
Our 15-year old cat Junipurr (named after St. Francis of Assissi's first disciple, Juniper) is actually a great pet. He is very patient with all of Simone's kissing and very affectionate. He is an especially good "sick cat," in otherwords, he seems to know when one of us is sick and comes to offer comfort. He and I lived in my bed for months following my cancer surgeries last fall.
BTW, Wednesday is the one-year anniversary of discovering my cancer. I am celebrating it by going to the onocologist and the next day, to get my annual mammo. Now I only have to make one "breast sandwich."
Oh yeah, and back to pets, the star of the show is Billy, our 65-pound bundle of energy. He walks with me every day and never tires, even though he's now 8 years old. Poor dog is allergic to something in the grass at this time of year (ragweed?) and I have to take him into the vet because he's chewing himself raw. This is an annual problem that doesn't go away until the first frost, usually sometime in November.
But, as Jeff knows, love me, love my dog. And never make me choose.
Love ya bunches!
Katy
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