HELP PLEASE!!!! T. Stirmi escaped

tarantulas118

Arachnoknight
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Oct 16, 2022
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195
My T. Stirmi escaped and is loose in the house please tell me what to do the reason it escaped my enclosure has a mesh lid and I was trying to find the time and money to fix it and was actually gonna do it today the cat during the night clawed it open and now he’s gone please help!!!
 

Alphaomegalogs

Arachnopeon
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Oct 7, 2022
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5
If you find him, you find him. I don't know what else to do but keep track of your cat because that is a huge risk to the spider as well as the fact your cat will most likely find it first. Please update soon now I'm worried too.
 

tarantulas118

Arachnoknight
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HOLY crap i found it
C7D8AF03-D41F-422D-ADD1-A94C9E0B37A6.png
the cat was swiping at it dang it was so weak barely moving it’s legs and not even hissing I immediately checked for hemolymph and found none which I am grateful for I got it checked for ruptures but there’s none i put it back in it’s enclosure next to its water and the cat was still trying to get it!
 
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Cmac2111

Arachnomac
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Look in the enclosure (are you 100% sure it's not still in there?) and then start looking around it. They can climb but are terrestrials so look for any dark/well covered spots in the room you keep it in and make sure you sweep the ground level. In future keep your cat away from it as clearly this feline has seen it as something to potentially go after based on what you describe. Let's just hope the cat hasn't killed it, or it hasn't haired the cat as both could do serious damage to one another.

Edit: Good, you found it just as I posted... pls fix the enclosure and keep it away from the cat from now on! Glad to hear the spider doesn't seem damaged (keep an eye on it), but I hope your cat has not been haired!
 
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Liquifin

Arachnoking
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I'm glad you found it, but who in this world gets a pet and doesn't have the proper enclosure for it?
 

Smotzer

ArachnoGod
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Better fix that lid ASAP not a fun thing for the spider to have to go through with your cat a single time let alone another if it gets back out again!
 

Zoopy

Arachnopeon
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Nov 20, 2022
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Lucky that it escaped with nothing more than some trauma! When I was still living in South Africa, I once saw my mom's cat munch down a roughly tarantula-sized rain spider.

Definitely get a better enclosure and put it somewhere where the cat can't get at it. Do you have a cupboard that could fit the enclosure?
 

tarantulas118

Arachnoknight
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Oct 16, 2022
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Lucky that it escaped with nothing more than some trauma! When I was still living in South Africa, I once saw my mom's cat munch down a roughly tarantula-sized rain spider.

Definitely get a better enclosure and put it somewhere where the cat can't get at it. Do you have a cupboard that could fit the enclosure?
i dont have a cupboard to pit it in but I found a neat place for it which is our bookshelf I’m working on an acrylic lid right now
 

Matt Man

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there are 2 things you need to do
1) replace the mesh lid with acrylic that can lock
2) decide whether you want a tarantula or a cat. As you have learned, owning both doesn't work so well

your only option to have both is if you can keep the 2 apart by a door. Cats are the debbil
 

me and my Ts

Arachnoknight
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Mar 20, 2021
Messages
251
Good thing you found them, I had an O. phillipinus get out once, about an inch, was trying to feed them and accidentally left the lid off 🤦‍♂️, luckily I found them after about an hour of realizing they were gone but it was incredibly stressful

But really, next time make the changes asap, also try getting a curio cabinet or something to put your T’s in so the cat can’t get to them next time
 

arthurliuyz

Arachnoknight
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a mesh lid and I was trying to find the time and money to fix it and was actually gonna do it today the cat during the night clawed it open and now he’s gone
This is why we always ask people to change out the mesh lid.
 

Zoopy

Arachnopeon
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Nov 20, 2022
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This is why we always ask people to change out the mesh lid.
I've also heard that some Ts can chew through them. As much as I love mine, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with a T on the loose.
 

Matt Man

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I've also heard that some Ts can chew through them. As much as I love mine, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with a T on the loose.
stirmis being one of the ones who can, and do chew through their wire mesh

also an acrylic lid will hold in more humidity and make overall care much easier.

and again, at the risk of being redundant, you need to be able to isolate your T from your cat.
 

HooahArmy

Arachnoknight
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Jul 12, 2022
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I've also heard that some Ts can chew through them. As much as I love mine, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with a T on the loose.
They do chew, yet I've only seen the LPs in my house take some nibbles (I'm unsure of other species). The process of the chewing however is very slow, even when the T is large (only our 5-6" big girls did it), and it's easy to change the lid or make adjustments when you see it happening. The chewing also occurred for us more when the T was hungry, or just was outgrowing their enclosure. We use plexiglass lids now, due to the limb loss risk of mesh, but just in case if mesh is the only option for the time for some, I recommend that it's best to keep a close eye on the T and bear in mind their size and climbing ability.
I'm also glad you found your wayward buddies!
 

Pyrelitha

Arachnobaron
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there are 2 things you need to do
1) replace the mesh lid with acrylic that can lock
2) decide whether you want a tarantula or a cat. As you have learned, owning both doesn't work so well

your only option to have both is if you can keep the 2 apart by a door. Cats are the debbil
Woah woah. I own 5cats, cats are fine you dont need to give cats access to the tarantula room lol. Smart keeping allows you to keep multiple animals lol
 

Matt Man

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Woah woah. I own 5cats, cats are fine you dont need to give cats access to the tarantula room lol. Smart keeping allows you to keep multiple animals lol
if (big if) you can keep them isolated from each other. So if you can keep them out of the T room...
sadly most folks don't have a T room, their Ts are in a bedroom, or den or what have you

if you cannot, it isn't a question of "If" it is a question of "when"
 

Zoopy

Arachnopeon
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Nov 20, 2022
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if (big if) you can keep them isolated from each other. So if you can keep them out of the T room...
sadly most folks don't have a T room, their Ts are in a bedroom, or den or what have you

if you cannot, it isn't a question of "If" it is a question of "when"
I think that's a bit extreme. It depends on too many factors. A proper enclosure will be too heavy for a cat to push over and it's also easy to ensure they can't get to or sit on top of it. If you do all your feeding or maintenance with the door closed and the cats not in the room, the chances are slim of them every directly interacting.

Many people have exotic pets and cats and never have issues. To each their own and if you're not comfortable in your ability to keep them separate, I understand, but I don't think we should be scaring people by telling them their cats are definitely going to get at their tarantulas at some point.
 

Matt Man

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I think that's a bit extreme. It depends on too many factors. A proper enclosure will be too heavy for a cat to push over and it's also easy to ensure they can't get to or sit on top of it. If you do all your feeding or maintenance with the door closed and the cats not in the room, the chances are slim of them every directly interacting.

Many people have exotic pets and cats and never have issues. To each their own and if you're not comfortable in your ability to keep them separate, I understand, but I don't think we should be scaring people by telling them their cats are definitely going to get at their tarantulas at some point.
I have tarantulas in all phases of growth. From slings to full blown adults, all in the same room. Sure if you have a couple adults, fine. Any juveniles, slings, small arnboreals and you are asking for a catastrophe. Again, if you can have them in a room where the cat(s) CANNOT get in, yes. If they can, they will and again, it is when and not if.
I like cats, have owned some great ones, they are too much risk with small exotics. House Rabbits fill the same niche and are far less destructive.

I am not trying to scare anyone, you are a noob. When you have been on here multiple years and read all the "Help my cat knocked over my cage" reports you'll understand my position better.
 
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