Most ridiculous thing you've been asked about your Ts?

[darkness975]

It is at the point now where I don't really tell anyone that I have them anymore. It is not worth the effort to have to constantly try to justify having them to people that will never listen or understand anyway.

 

[D Sherlod]

Great thread. I just let them think I'm crazy.

I get asked "why would you want spiders"
I reply ... "I like there smile" or "because they don't ask stupid questions"
Funny how people take offense to the latter responce.

 

[Moakmeister]

Am I the only one who's baffled as to why so many people don't like spiders? Like, I understand that arachnophobia is a serious medical condition. There's a phobia for everything. But just an inherent dislike of them or disgust that seems mean spirited? Tarantulas are literally eight-legged mice. I actually legitimately cannot wrap my head around why people don't like them.

 

[chanda]

Well to be fair, i kinda potty trained my avics too. They poo rite where i hoped an where its easy to clean w/out disturbing them. This is because i build the enclosures as best i can so they web where i want.
So i guess i can start telling ppl i can potty train SOME T's but not all lmao

Mine are all potty trained - they poop in their cages like they're supposed to.

Not once have I had to clean tarantula poop out of the carpet! (Wish I could say the same for the cats/dogs/children!)

 

[Ungoliant]

Am I the only one who's baffled as to why so many people don't like spiders? . . . Tarantulas are literally eight-legged mice. I actually legitimately cannot wrap my head around why people don't like them.

 

[salticid]

Am I the only one who's baffled as to why so many people don't like spiders? Like, I understand that arachnophobia is a serious medical condition. There's a phobia for everything. But just an inherent dislike of them or disgust that seems mean spirited? Tarantulas are literally eight-legged mice. I actually legitimately cannot wrap my head around why people don't like them.

imo it's cultural. we're taught from a young age that spiders (and other ~creepy~ animals) are scary and dangerous

 

[Venom1080]

It is at the point now where I don't really tell anyone that I have them anymore. It is not worth the effort to have to constantly try to justify having them to people that will never listen or understand anyway.

totally agree, its not worth the weird looks and snickering anyway.

 

[Moakmeister]

imo it's cultural. we're taught from a young age that spiders (and other ~creepy~ animals) are scary and dangerous

I guess I never heard that. I remember the first time I saw a picture of a tarantula and I was like "that thing is a SPIDER? THAT'S SO COOL"

 

[salticid]

I guess I never heard that. I remember the first time I saw a picture of a tarantula and I was like "that thing is a SPIDER? THAT'S SO COOL"

I guess I'm thinking more of like, spiders being shown as scary in media and kids picking up on that? Also seeing other people be afraid of them and learning from that. I used to be pretty arachnophobic; nobody ever told me spiders were scary but I just sort of learned to be afraid of them. We had a pretty sweet kindergarten teacher who taught us how to take them outside with cup and paper tho

 

[darkness975]

I guess I never heard that. I remember the first time I saw a picture of a tarantula and I was like "that thing is a SPIDER? THAT'S SO COOL"

I guess I'm thinking more of like, spiders being shown as scary in media and kids picking up on that? Also seeing other people be afraid of them and learning from that. I used to be pretty arachnophobic; nobody ever told me spiders were scary but I just sort of learned to be afraid of them. We had a pretty sweet kindergarten teacher who taught us how to take them outside with cup and paper tho

It is a lot of problems. But the inherit fear of spiders and other critters seems to be something that is hard wired into human DNA.
Even those of us that are believed to be above any fear and who have overcome that obstacle are still at risk of, for example, flinging a Tarantula if it so happened to climb up and nail us. Partly from the shock/pain and partly from the primitive reaction is where that comes from.
Essentially it is like we are trying to re-wire our brains.

You know it makes me wonder why this is the case. Did our ancestors get preyed upon by some species of giant spider?

They have looked into why we are often afraid of things that are above us and there are some studies that point to the fact that our ancestors were preyed upon by giant eagles and what not, the way African Crowned Eagles eat monkeys regularly.

 

[pissybaboon]

Am I the only one who gets this all the time? "What will you do with them when you get tired of them?"

...Seriously?

 

[nicodimus22]

Am I the only one who gets this all the time? "What will you do with them when you get tired of them?"

...Seriously?

"I let them go in the house of the last person who asked me stupid questions."

 

[pissybaboon]

"I let them go in the house of the last person who asked me stupid questions."

Perfect...I shall remember this if this ever comes to be the case.

 

[Andrea82]

'but spiders don't live very long. Don't you think €40 is a bit much for having it so short?'
: is the reaction i get when i answer them that my B.smithi probably outlives them...

 

[louise f]

Am I the only one who's baffled as to why so many people don't like spiders? Like, I understand that arachnophobia is a serious medical condition. There's a phobia for everything. But just an inherent dislike of them or disgust that seems mean spirited? Tarantulas are literally eight-legged mice. I actually legitimately cannot wrap my head around why people don't like them.

I used to have arachnophobia 9 years ago. Well I`m long passed that.. I think the reason why so many dont like them is because they dont know anything about them. They fear what they dont know. I did.
I was totally clueless too when i first got into T`s. All was so new, but my phobe turned out to be love instead. Today you can`t see that i have been a phobe before.
My living room is litterally stuffed with T`s allover.. Lol. Bye bye phobia bye bye

When people come to me today and say ewww how can you keep them how can you sleep. !! Lol.. I laugh and say how can you not!!!

 

[Grenn]

After showing a large adult T to the young son of a family friend, I showed the tank of crickets and explained this is what she eats.

He was quiet for a moment and then his eyes widened, "But how does she get in there to eat them?!"

 

[Moakmeister]

After showing a large adult T to the young son of a family friend, I showed the tank of crickets and explained this is what she eats.

He was quiet for a moment and then his eyes widened, "But how does she get in there to eat to eat them?!"

Well at least that was a kid.

 

[Grenn]

Well at least that was a kid.

Yeah, it's forgiveable - but I figured it would make a nice change from all the facepalm adult statements...

 

[Jeff23]

I was in Petco getting crickets and a father and son were getting crickets for their lizard. The son asked....

"Do you ever feed them birds?"

But it was a naive question rather than a stupid one. And when we went different directions, it seemed like a kid was about to soon own a tarantula.

 

[Kendricks]

I think the reason why so many dont like them is because they dont know anything about them. They fear what they dont know.

Reminds me of Marie Curie:
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood."