HCA: Hermit Crab Association

And as soon as I saw their setup, I went straight to the management. A month ago. They had no substrate! Nothing! They had some sort of linoleum-type living grounds. When I first found that I said something, and I do realize that they're moving the store all around so it's no serious pressure, right? Last time I went in there and mentioned that the crabs aren't being treated right, the kid working there laughed at me. LAUGHED at me! I was going to give them my contact info and such so that if they had any crabs that were sick or something then I could take care of them, try and nurse them back to health because I'm sure there's other things on their mind than nursing a crab. ARGH!What should I do? The crabs need to be treated humanely - I'm not sure how the humidity was in there but they did have food and water (no salt water)...sigh.

I was actually very excited to read this, for as some of the other people on here know I have been in battle with Meijers for over a year about these crabs. A YEAR. They refuse to treat them better, and every time I go in there (every saturday) there are new crabs because the other's have died. They used to have cat litter as a substrate, and had no water. Now they've got this huge tupperware thing with more then an inch of water in it, and these are micro crabs, there's no way they can get in it. They're food isn't properly put out, if they would read the directions on the food bottle they would know how to do it. (I've had the food before, you have to put it in water for awhile then put it out or something, my crabs have never liked it so I stopped using it.) They have the setup between hamster cages, so you know the heat isn't right, and there's no humidity. What else...seems thats about all. I told them to change the conditions, and they told me that "corporate" makes all the decisions on it. So apparently corporate decides on whether or not to kill an animal. What state do you live in? I know Meijers is only in states around here, like Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, etc.

I'm in Michigan. They have a what seems like it would be an 8g, a "cubicle" of sorts with other critters. It's not too bad, they just really need substrate. It looks painful in there. I talked to a manager one night and they "reassured me" that they'll be implanting sand+gravel sometime. I asked why gravel, he said because. ...Also there's another tank in there with them on large smooth gravel pieces. HELLO! The gravel's almost as big as the crabs!! *Sigh*

Yeah they used to have wood chips in there until I told them that sme wood was harmful to them. After a month or so they took it out and replaced it with gravel. Now I'm not sure whats in it, looks like litter though. The thing they're in isn't big at all, its not a tank either, its just a box like thing connected to the other box like things holding the hamsters and birds. Either way, I think they should be seperated, since I'm pretty sure birds and hamsters have different needs then hermits.

You know, it makes me wonder if pet stores use substrate that WONT allow molting on purpose. I dont think they want to bother with molting crabs... therefore, they put them on gravel or whatever and the crabs wont molt until someone takes them home and puts them on sand.I know there are members here that use gravel and have not had problems, so I dont think its necessarily a bad idea for the pet store to use gravel. You know they arent going to ISO molting hermies, so its better really if the crabs DONT molt while at the petstore. They'll just get eaten or dug up. However, what really bothers me is the screen tops and no humidity at all... that means the hermies are suffocating... thats not right!

I don't have a Meijers around me, but I wonder if a few dozen angry (and yet polite) letters wouldn't help turn things around. I'd certainly be willing to send one in. What do you all think? If everyone who could sent in a letter and/or a caresheet of their choosing, you think it might work?

I've sent them letters in the past, I can get the website comment page in just a moment:http://www.meijer.com/custserv/contactus.jsp The Meijer's by me is (if you look at the drop down menu) MI Lansing 6200 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Store #24. Again, they told me that only corporate could call the shots on taking care of the animals (sounds like a bunch of you know what to me), but maybe if we do get a lot of people to complain they'll change the conditions. By the way, you don't have to fill everything out, I always just put my email, name, and my complaint. They emailed me back to, but with the same excuse I put above.