OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A crab. On a leash. In a hat. It's the sort of sight that catches your attention.
"The neighbors are like — 'There she is again!'"
Laura Porter dotes on Howie — an eight-year-old rainbow crab the family purchased at an Omaha pet store in 2016 — including, taking Howie for walks in their neighborhood.
"You know, it felt wrong to keep her in her tank her whole life," Laura shared. "Why not let her have sun on her shell?"
Laura loves animals of all kinds. She feeds and cares for the squirrels, rabbits and birds which inhabit the Porters' yard. She would share videos of those interactions online. Then, she changed gears a few years ago.
"I put a video of me cleaning (Howie) with a toothbrush. That just went viral, but not in a good way," Laura reflected.
"People were like, 'You don't know what you're doing.' 'The crab is in too small of a tank.' Just a lot of criticism. But people really didn't ask any questions."
As Laura showed more of Howie's day-to-day, the followers — and questions — did come. In just a few years, she's connected with millions of people worldwide on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
"Some of the kindest people I've ever met. Other people who, you know, see the joy that I put out online. There's no drama and no negativity."
Howie was named after entertainer Howie Mandel. Initially, the Porters thought she was a boy because of her differently-sized claws. But they learned in time that gender in crabs like Howie is determined by stomach plate. And she is a girl.
A playful girl.
Howie enjoys playing with the family's two cats. She'll roll around in a hamster ball. She'll bounce a ball in her tank. Laura has caught it all on video. She captured Howie eating mozzarella, her favorite food. And also, how Howie communicates when she's hungry.
"She can sign 'food.' We taught her ASL (American Sign Language)," Laura explained.
It's an example, she said, of crab sentience — their ability to understand and feel.
"You don't really see that in grocery store crabs because they haven't been socialized. But if they were, they would be like this."
Early, some people online were scared of Howie. Laura said dressing the crab in hats "makes people love her." Howie has more than 100 hats in her collection.
She's a fashionable senior, living well past what's historically known.
"The average lifespan for her species is three to five years in captivity," Laura noted.
For the Porters, health and happiness are worth celebrating. And Laura will continue to share — not for fame — but because she's experienced how a hat-wearing crab can make the internet a more loving and informed place.
To keep up, search Howie the Crab on your preferred platforms.
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