Is tarantula keeping your main hobby?

[Minty]

While I'm aware there are people that have tarantulas purely for scientific and/or profitable purposes, the majority of us are in this hobby due to the simple pleasure of keeping tarantulas.

Just curious as to how many of us would regard it as our 'main' hobby. The definition of main hobby will invariably differ between users, but as a general rule, if it's the hobby you invest the most time in - through choice, not because it's time consuming - then I'd say it's your main hobby.

Personally, I'd say it's 3rd or 4th from my main hobby.

 

[nicodimus22]

I see them as pets, which are more like a pleasant, ongoing responsibility than a hobby to me.

Even if I considered having them around as a hobby, the answer to the question is no. Photography is my main hobby, even though I've had no time for it lately. Buying a house in a neighboring state and fixing it up before you move in is very time-consuming.

 

[Teal]

Well now I want to know what your other hobbies are! Lol.

If I examine my day to day routine, I think I spend about equal time (meaning hours and hours lol) on my three main hobbies - reading, working/training dogs, and observing/watering/feeding tarantulas.

 

[Greasylake]

Probably the hobby I am currently putting the most time into, but not the one I'm putting the most money into, so I'm not really sure. I don't have a hobby I like more than another, they're all fairly different and I like different aspects of each ones, so I'm not sure I can really answer this question.

 

[cold blood]

surprise

Pine

• cold blood
• Jul 25, 2016
• 5

 

[Greasylake]

Oh yeah I almost forgot about fishing.

 

[BoyFromLA]

surprise

Pine

• cold blood
• Jul 25, 2016
• 5

Oh my you fish?! I did not see that coming at all.

 

[Andrea82]

I have many things I like to do, but the focus on them shifts with my enjoying them. Today I feel like painting a Disney princess painting for my daughter, but it is also feeding day for the eight legged kids so my focus will be on them tonight. Yesterday I was researching activities I can offer the kids in the boyscouts, which is another 'hobby'. Tomorrow I am sanding a desk I found at the thrift store so I can paint it for my daughter. My hobbies aren't set...I enjoy a lot of things. I also second @Nicodemus in that my spiders are a constant, not so much a set apart hobby.

 

[MikeyD]

My main hobby is horticulture, I grow many rare plants such as Nepenthes, Orchid species, Hoya species, and various Aroids. I also garden outside and grow plants for sale, that has been my main interest for over 20 years. I also have quite a few snakes in vivariums and that allows me to mix horticulture and reptile keeping. Arachnids are still pretty new to my life but have been very enjoyable so far. I am just at the one year point now and have been slowly adding more species as I decide what I like and as I learn more about them.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Not at all... I say as well that T's (and inverts in general) are my 5th or 6th

But I completely agree with @Greasylake point of view about the different aspects.

 

[weibkreux]

Juggling my time between work, Ts and mobile games. Will do some hiking in the future.

 

[ArachnoHazard]

Ball jointed dolls, drawing, reading, writing, and sewing (and as an extension, alternative fashion) are my actual hobbies. I tend to enjoy super creative hobbies.

I see T’s more as pets than a hobby on its own. Sure, I could lose interest in them, but I would still have to put the effort in in finding them a new, good home, just like if I suddenly lost interest in my cat or rabbit. They can’t just be ignored in a corner for months on end because I have another hobby taking up my time and attention.

I have a closet full of alt. clothing I haven’t worn in almost a year that I plan on selling soon. Can’t really leave an animal to their own devices in a container for a year before I “get around” to selling them.

So while there are definitely hobby aspects of T keeping for me, it mostly qualifies as the keeping of pets in my brain.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Other than keeping crazy creatures I skateboard and fingerboard. The combination of all 3 keeps me sane.

 

[Minty]

I can understand people separating the keeping of pets from their definition of hobby, but I also keep parakeets and parrots, which is both keeping pets and a hobby to me. Same with my dog. I suppose it depends on how you view it.

@Teal My other hobbies include, but are not limited to, playing guitar, squash, football , other animals and reading.

 

[Venom1080]

Tarantulas are what I invest into the most. But I play a ton of table tennis as well and couldn't imagine having to decide between the two.

 

[Teal]

I can understand people separating the keeping of pets from their definition of hobby, but I also keep parakeets and parrots, which is both keeping pets and a hobby to me. Same with my dog. I suppose it depends on how you view it.

@Teal My other hobbies include, but are not limited to, playing guitar, squash, football , other animals and reading.

I am finding this distinction between "pet keeping" and "hobby" quite curious, actually! Maybe because I only have one hobby that isn't animal-related (reading), and my life has always revolved around animals... raising livestock, horseback riding, keeping exotics, working with dogs, etc. I consider animals my hobbies and my lifestyle.

 

[Minty]

I am finding this distinction between "pet keeping" and "hobby" quite curious, actually! Maybe because I only have one hobby that isn't animal-related (reading), and my life has always revolved around animals... raising livestock, horseback riding, keeping exotics, working with dogs, etc. I consider animals my hobbies and my lifestyle.

I hold the same view as you.

 

[fleetwoodmcc]

My primary hobby is basketball...everything except playing it. Tarantulas are something that serve as a really welcome distraction when I get home from class. I've gotten super into all the science and taxonomy behind it, I enjoy soaking up all the information I can about every genus, especially outside of the pet trade. I'd say its become a major hobby for me over the past year+.

 

[spookyvibes]

I’d probably consider tarantula keeping my main hobby, but apart from that I play guitar and enjoy gardening/traveling.

 

[DanBsTs]

I would say keeping tarantulas is the hobby I care most about. Keeping tarantulas has created another hobby which is my YouTube channel. It’s more for my enjoyment tbh than the subscribers. Ever since I was a kid I have loved filming and editing videos and making something (that I consider to be) interesting out of it. I also have a 55g fresh water aquarium with an assortment of fish and a few live plants. And I think the casino is more of a habit right now than an actual hobby