A MUM has blasted cruel trolls who told her she should boil her pet crab who knows sign language and dines on a lavish diet of caviar and cheese.
Laura Porter, 38, has been dubbed a “real life Disney Princess” by her fans after sharing clips of her crustacean, affectionately named Howie, on social media.
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Laura lives at home with her husband and daughter and can often be seen walking her pet crab on a lead in her neighbourhood, along with her cat Siren – who joins the pair in a wheeled trolley.
Howie, who feasts on caviar, cheese and on occasion, American Candy called gushers, was bought a decade ago at an exotic pet store as a replacement for the family Betta fish after it had died.
She was initially thought to be male, and Laura’s daughter named the rainbow crab “Howie”.
The influencer admits that despite having such a huge fanbase, some people often “cross the street to avoid her” when she is out with her pets.
She told The Sun: “My immediate neighbours know about Howie but we live in a quiet neighbourhood and everyone keeps to themselves.
“When I am out walking her, usually people cross the street and walk on the other side to avoid me.
“Very few people approach me, but when they do, they ask questions. I don’t walk her in areas with heavy foot traffic.
“Walking her is for her exercise and enjoyment and not meant to draw crowds and to stress her out.”
Her incredible bond with the crab has caused awe amongst thousands of fans who tune in to Howie’s antics daily.
The shellfish knows how to give a sign for “food” by lifting a claw to her mouth in an eating motion and will give her mum a “high five” when asked, by lifting one of her legs to tap Laura on the hand.
The life expectancy for Howie’s species is eight years – which she has already exceeded.
Last year, 30,000 people anxiously tuned in to TikTok for “Moult Watch 2023” to watch Howie shed her shell as she grows.
Laura was concerned her pet “wouldn’t make it” through the last moult and cried tears of relief when Howie wriggled free from her old shell after weeks of going through the laborious moulting process.
As she prepares for Howie’s next moult, Laura said: “All I can do is hope that she continues to beat the odds and keep her healthy”.
“Each year the moult becomes more difficult for her,” she explained.
The crab mum said teaching Howie sign language wasn’t a quick process and everything the crab has learned is through “frequent, loving, interaction”.
“For years, I would give her food and tap my mouth to sign food,” she said.
“I noticed she started doing it back when she was hungry or when I would come up to the tank with food, she would tap her mouth when I was getting her food ready.”
People online say they are in “shock” that a crab responds to human words and uses signing to get her needs met.
Others are sceptical, claiming that the movements are just “random coincidences”.
“A lot of the people claiming this are not her fans,” Laura said.
“If you watch enough videos, you will learn that she doesn’t constantly touch her mouth or pick at things.
“I certainly feel like she has a good understanding of how to communicate her needs.
“When Howie reaches out to give me a high five, there’s never a reward.
“She has learned if I stick my hand out to her side and wiggle my fingers, she knows I want a high five. I am not an animal trainer.
“Howie is a pet, a member of my family, and everything she’s learned is through frequent loving interaction and play.”
The lucky land crab loves to watch Spongebob Squarepants on her iPad while her mum cleans out her tank.
Ocean documentaries make her “scared” and she prefers cartoons, according to her doting owner.
Howie curls up on Laura’s to watch TV and has toys and a ball pit to play with for “enrichment”, the claw-some crustacean even looks at books.
The crab is also friends with Laura’s cats and the trio can be seen snuggled together on the sofa for a nap.
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Like any other caring parent, Laura will take Howie to the park to “play in the sand pit” – which is probably close to the natural environment of a Rainbow Patriot Crab, which is native to West Africa.
“The activities I set up for Howie offer mental stimulation and exercise,” Laura added.
“When Howie is bored, she will destroy tank equipment because she doesn’t have anything else to do. I give her balls and other toys with varying colours and textures inside her tank.”
Many have asked if Howie “pinches” – but Laura assures fans she has rarely gone to pinch her and finds her claws being stroked “soothing”.
And Howie is known for her wacky wardrobe – wearing more than 30 different types of handmade hats, which Laura lovingly crafts herself.
Fans go wild over the teeny tailor-made headpieces, which are held onto Howie’s shell with a small loop of tape.
Howie is also known as the internet’s “most spoiled crab” – being fed cheese, fruit and certain types of sweets.
But her ultimate favourite is black caviar – which she gobbles up with gusto.
Fans send her food packages from all over the world including frozen fruit, sweet treats, cheese and different types of caviar.
The crab often shows her disdain for certain foods – and can even tell the difference between regular and “vegan” caviar.
“Howie’s favourite foods are definitely caviar and cheese,” Laura said.
“She does love celery, cashews, apples, and mangoes.
“She does love her sweet treats, but I really do keep those to a tight minimum.
“I let her taste them for a few minutes and not let her treat the item like a meal because she will snub healthy foods if she has too many treats.”
Laura, who is allergic to shellfish, has never eaten crab but admits her relationship with Howie has changed her mind about the sentience of crabs and other sea-dwelling creatures.
She said that her pet has “moods, her favourite colour is yellow and recognises places, faces and objects”.
Laura said: “Howie can remember a hiding spot she found for many months.
“She has sensation all over her body and reacts to cold and heat and experiences extreme temperature differences as painful just like we do. Howie can feel the slightest touch on her shell.
“Many people don’t know that they can feel. I understand that crabs have been a food source for humans for thousands of years and people will continue to eat them.
“With that being said, my only message is to educate people about humane treatment of these sentient creatures.
“If you can’t be kind to them, at least be merciful and humanely spike them before boiling to spare them the pain of being boiled alive.
“Reducing animal suffering is a worthy cause no matter what you choose to eat or not eat.
“The one thing I want people to know is that crabs have sensation all over their shells. A lot of people think that crabs do not feel when they are boiled alive. It is an excruciating way to die.
“I know that I will never be able to convince people not to eat crabs. Crustaceans are the most abused animals on earth.”
Laura knows her content gets blasted by critics and said she could “write a book” about online bullying.
She said: “It’s taken me a lot of years to learn to be able to deal with the negativity gracefully.
“I get thousands of rude comments every week. Some of the things people send me in private messages are even worse.
“People deserve at least one happy place online, but as my accounts have grown, my ability to maintain the comments sections have dwindled.”
As a full-time creator and “army of one” many would assume Laura is rolling in cash, but with the little she makes in ad revenue and her small online shop the influencer is pulling in around £1.50 an hour.
She says what she earns “covers the cost to look after all of her animals” – and despite her massive following she doesn’t do promo work.
Laura said: “I’m not a saleswoman. Without paid promotional work, social media is not lucrative for me.
“Luckily my husband’s job is enough to get us by and I focus only on making content that is wholesome, happy, educational, and advocates for crabs.”
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