Steve Dale is the host of the nationally syndicated radio shows Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute with Steve Dale. His column, My Pet World (in which this post was originally published), is carried in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. He also serves on the board of directors for the American Humane Association.

Q: My son has three pet hermit crabs. We have a problem. My son is a New England Patriots fan -- don't ask me why. Of course, we are fans of our local team. Will the crabs get along with one another if they are wearing different team logos painted on their shells?
-- D. H., Denver, CO

A: I may not be paid as much as Tom Brady, but I might love my job more because of questions like yours.

Crab shells painted with sports-team logos are a craze, but it's not a healthy one. "Crab shells need to breathe, and the paint interferes," says Carol Frischmann, author of the book Animal Planet: Hermit Crabs.