Thursday, September 10, 2020

Dad Re-Homes Son's Fifth Pet Hermit Crab


This dad asked the people of Reddit's AITA community whether or not he was in the wrong for taking the initiative and re-homing his son's fifth pet hermit crab. The whole idea of enabling a kid to have "practice pets" that are still very much so alive beings, is kind of twisted. On top of that, the decision to give the kid hermit crabs for his practice pet was misinformed and an ongoing lapse in judgement as well. Hermit crabs are very high maintenance, picky creatures that can also live upwards of 30 years! 

1.

Text - AITA for rehoming my son's (8yo) fifth pet hermit crab? My (37M) wife (35F) is really insistent on teaching our son (8M) responsibility. For the most part i have absolutely no problem with this. At 8 our son knows how to wash and fold his own laundry, (with our assistance and supervision) make simple meals like grilled cheeses eggs ect, and he keeps his room clean. He also has a pet hermit crap. My wife bought it from a pet store Thinking it was an easy pet to teach our son responsibiliti

2.

Text - So far i have been proven right 4 times. Sadly, we have had to bury 4 hermit crabs because our son sometimes forgets to feed him. I work 60hrs a week as an essential worker, so i only find out about the deaths after the fact when i come home and find my son sobbing in his mothers lap with her promising to get a new one. I told her and my son the last hermit crab he had would be the final one. He clearly isn't old enough to handle everything that's on his plate. My wife on the other hand s

3.

Text - Last week however i returned home from work one day to find a fifth hermit crab in my sons room. My wife had went out and bought one behind my back. I layed it straight out to my son and my wife that i will be placing a cheap camera at the tank and checking it every day to make sure it gets fed, and that if it doesn't get fed for even one day, im giving it away. My son cried and pleaded and promised to take better care of this one. And I can't really take away his "gift" for no reason.

4.

Text - But just as i suspected, after the first few days were fine, but after the third or fourth day i saw that nobody even went to the cage the entire day. Not my son, or my wife. So i told them that in the morning i WILL be finding a new owner and for every animal that my wife tries to buy from now on. And i did just that despite their protests and begging. My brother has a friend thats really into animals like turtles snails and hermit crabs so i knew he would be a good choice and met up wit

5.

Text - whomst_jpeg • 5h • Partassipant [1] if she wants him to learn responsibility then taking the crab away was exactly the right choice. when it comes to an animal, if you can't take care of it properly then you shouldn't have it as a pet - this is an important lesson and maybe you could explain it to your wife like that. it's also pretty bad to teach a child that pets are replaceable if you fuck up the first couple and this could lead to a dangerous attitude towards animals in the future. re

6.

Text - xflorentinaa • 5h • Asshole Aficionado [15] NTA Honestly I would be furious if my SO saw animals as "practice pets" and kept buying new ones but not taking care of them. Reply 478 ...

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Text - DormantDormaus • 5h • Partassipant [2] NTA. Your son's just a kid but your wife is the asshole. There is not such thing as a living practice pet, and shame on her. Reply 6.8k ...

8.

Text - OffMyLawnJackass • 5h • Partassipant [3] NTA. T like the idea of teaching responsibility, but animals shouldn't bear the brunt of the consequences for failure. Unfortunately, asshat pet stores treat hermit crabs and similar animals as disposable, and make a lot of money doing it. Stand your ground. Your son will learn responsibility in his own time; don't do it on the backs of animals. Reply 1.3k ...

9.

Text - Honest-Improvement22 • 5h • Partassipant [2] NTA. Your wife is the AH and undermining you. Stay firm on this issue and do not let any more pets into your house. Your wife and child will try to test your patience, but do not give in like your wife has. She's allowing these animals to basically starve to death - it's so cruel and inhumane. An 8 year old is far too young to have such a big responsibility as looking after a pet. Your kid needs to be taught that you can't always get what you w

10.

Text - mekta_satak_oz • 5h • Colo-rectal Surgeon [39] 8 Awards NTA Practice pets?! Tell her she's a practice wife, see how that goes down. Reply 19.0k ...

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Text - Sybellie • 4h Nta. Also its prob not just feeding that's the reason for their death. Hermit crabs are actually very difficult to care for. They need to have a friend so at least 2, a 20 Gallon tank, 6 inches of substrate, regular water and salt water at all times. Plus all hermit crabs are wild caught, sometimes they glue the shell on to them. Don't get hermit crabs, get a goldfish. Edit to add: fake goldfish :D Reply 140 ...

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Text - panic_bread • 5h • Supreme Court Just-ass [120] NTA. Your wife's attitude toward these poor animals is disgusting, and she's teaching your son to be the same way. Good for you for standing up for the poor creatures. Reply 135 ...

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Text - Crazy-Diabetic•4h• Partassipant [3] HERMIT CRAB CARE! I have 3 crabs of my own, and a common mistake many first time owners make is assuming the crabs are dead when, in fact, they are doing something called molting! They shed their exoskeleton to grow, and if they cannot do this underground, they will do it on the surface and will appear lifeless. The biggest way to tell a dead hermit crab is by a rotten fish smell. Hermit crabs are also social animals, and will be stressed if they are al

14.

Text - Connelly90 • 5h NTA Pets aren't toys or teaching tools, they're living things. In my country your family could be barred from keeping animals of any kind for a while for this kind of thing. The concept of "practice pets" is cruel and shows intent to allow harm to come to the animal. Reply 87 ...

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Text - Frellert • 5h NTA - it is waay to much responsibility to lay on an 8 year old child. Kids shouldn't have pets like that it should be a family decision and therefore a family responsibility. And 8 year olds brain isnt developed enough to take that kind of responsibility (of course they can still have some, like taking out trash and folding laundry etc. where you're there to guide). Reply 221

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