Pinching woes....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:58 am

Dumb question, but here goes....

I have a fairly new PP... He is a medium I guess...
Well he does have pinching issues....
That's how I got him.... going through the tank at Pet Smart.. He grabbed onto my finger nail and wouldn't let loose.. So as I wrote the check with him attached to my thumbnail, people thought I was nuts, but I took it as a sign he wanted to go home with me...

He hadn't pinched since that day... and actually let loose once we got into the car and he knew he was going home...

Well... last night he got a hold of my daughter and hung on with his small pincher...and wouldn't let loose. We tried a salt water spray, fresh water, nothing... the more we tried the harder he pinched.. I offered food to him in hopes he would let loose for the food nothing... He hung on for nearly 20 minutes pinching harder and harder...

Should this happen again... anything I should try... Next time he does it.. it will be me... my daughter wants NOTHING to do with him anymore... once was enough.... I guess because all my others even my Jumbos have never attempted to pinch.. this scared her...

Suggestions please?

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:54 am

some crabs are just nippy. i have not been pinched much, but i know it hurts like heck. if a crab does grab hold of you, run warm water over his claws and he should let go.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:58 am

You might want to wear a glove or a thin sock on your hand while handling him until you feel comfortable with him.

wickedannabella · Post by **wickedannabella** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:47 am

One thing I've had success with is lay your hand on the counter or flat surface and try to offer something else (like a net) to grab onto.

One time I got pinched so bad it created this blood blister...it hurt so much! But I did that and eventually he let loose. I've found just relax and wait..the more you try to get them to let loose, the harder they'll pinch.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:10 pm

Yep.. He got my 13 y/o daughter....and your right the more things we tried the harder he pinched...
I finally got my daughter to place her hand in the tat and let him walk off....but she was hurting so bad, she kept shaking....

I know it's not funny, and I know it hurt... But all I could do is laugh...
I know Bad Mom!!!!!

This morning her hand is still a bit swollen, and she has a big bruise...
Yep he got her in between the thumb and finger in the soft meat...OUCH!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:48 pm

Ayoye! Of all the rotten places to be pinched!

I'd suggest getting her to try gloves for a bit until she regains her confidence holding them. I've only had very small Es pinch me, but I've always found that by placing my hand in the tat near all the fake plants is what gets them off the fastest. (And by near I mean my hand is already under a few of the leaves.) That way they just let go and scurry as fast as they can for cover.

crabbymommie · Post by **crabbymommie** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:55 am

Baloo has gotten me twice. Out of my 5 crabs she is the only one with attitude. The last time she pinched me she drew blood. It took me twice to learn my lesson but now we leave her alone. I am not sure what I am going to do when I get my 55 gallon - do I pick her up or leave her in the 29 gallon? We will have to see.

wickedannabella · Post by **wickedannabella** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:07 pm

crabbymommie wrote:Baloo has gotten me twice. Out of my 5 crabs she is the only one with attitude. The last time she pinched me she drew blood. It took me twice to learn my lesson but now we leave her alone. I am not sure what I am going to do when I get my 55 gallon - do I pick her up or leave her in the 29 gallon? We will have to see.

That's what soup ladles are for.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:32 pm

I had a female PP from Petsmart pinch me in the palm at the store. I had to get her. She became known as "Miss Fiesty"
Everytime I tried to get her out of the nasty Petsmart box, she would raise her BP up at me with it open as if she were shaking her fist.
I finally picked her up with salad tongs (by the shell), placed her in the bath, which she did not like, and put her in the tat.
She's very active and out all the time, but don't try to pick her up! She's gotten me quite a few times since I bought her.

The sock thing does work, if you can pick the crab up in the first place.
Just set him gently on your socked hand and hold it very still. If he goes for you, he'll get the sock. I think they react to your reactions and if you freak out, they know it and pinch harder. With the sock, there's no pain, therefore, no freaking.

Good luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:11 pm

Napoleon, my smallest, earned his name for his pinchy attitude. What a little bugger!