New owner anxiety

[spideyspinneret78]

The anxiety is real at first. Thankfully most tarantulas are very hardy and resilient. When I start worrying, I remember that spiders have existed for millions of years and know how to be a spider much better than I do! Get the basic husbandry down and trust them to do spider things, even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us sometimes.

 

[fcat]

I’m sure the advertising was a small investment but a good tax deduction

 

[eggsbenedict]

The anxiety is real at first. Thankfully most tarantulas are very hardy and resilient. When I start worrying, I remember that spiders have existed for millions of years and know how to be a spider much better than I do! Get the basic husbandry down and trust them to do spider things, even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us sometimes.

relatable, alot of things I do don't make alot of sense to me sometimes, maybe I was a spider in my past life

 

[spideyspinneret78]

relatable, alot of things I do don't make alot of sense to me sometimes, maybe I was a spider in my past life

Same. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of something and a coworker interrupts me, I catch myself stridulating and rising into a threat pose.

 

[eggsbenedict]

Same. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of something and a coworker interrupts me, I catch myself stridulating and rising into a threat pose.

What I usually do is go and find a hole in the office somewhere and block the entrance to it with my butt, that's very effective at stopping people from bothering me.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Same. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of something and a coworker interrupts me, I catch myself stridulating and rising into a threat pose.

Do you flick hairs at him? Do you inject him with enzymes?

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Do you flick hairs at him? Do you inject him with enzymes?

Believe me I wish I could, but that would present a problem with HR when they say I'm creating a hostile work environment.

 

[fcat]

I really need to listen to my own advice. I’m disgusted

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I really need to listen to my own advice. I’m disgusted

View attachment 489830

Is this someone trying so say there T stole a 20 haha

 

[fcat]

Is this someone trying so say there T stole a 20 haha

No, she is for sale and apparently he didn’t have a ruler that wasn’t potentially riddled with chemicals

 

[TheraMygale]

Everybody has anxious moments. Some manage to let go and actualy forget the tarantulas are there.

whats interesting with AB, is sometimes, in a same thread, you can have opposite opinion/advice, and it still works. Both ways. Which proves something important: you need to trust your instincts and at the end of the day, you do you.

keep researching. This builds confidence. It helps letting go. And tarantulas do have bad moments, even if you did everything right.

with a pulchripes you have less chances of paying for your mistakes. Because this species is very adapted to captivity, and in general, super tarantulas. They evolved to survive the extremes. Thats why they also make pet rocks.

i myself, was nervous in the begining. Now, when i feel the anxiety wanting to come over, i take a step back. I dont feed the overthinking.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

No, she is for sale and apparently he didn’t have a ruler that wasn’t potentially riddled with chemicals

Yeah humans can be so ignorant

 

[eggsbenedict]

Everybody has anxious moments. Some manage to let go and actualy forget the tarantulas are there.

whats interesting with AB, is sometimes, in a same thread, you can have opposite opinion/advice, and it still works. Both ways. Which proves something important: you need to trust your instincts and at the end of the day, you do you.

keep researching. This builds confidence. It helps letting go. And tarantulas do have bad moments, even if you did everything right.

with a pulchripes you have less chances of paying for your mistakes. Because this species is very adapted to captivity, and in general, super tarantulas. They evolved to survive the extremes. Thats why they also make pet rocks.

i myself, was nervous in the begining. Now, when i feel the anxiety wanting to come over, i take a step back. I dont feed the overthinking.

Not feeding the overthinking is good advice, when I did therapy for anxiety a number of years back the key thing they put an emphasis on was to try and break the cycle with distractions.

I've been saying this quite alot, but as someone who really cares for animal welfare, this is my first and foremost priority for my T.

 

[TheraMygale]

Not feeding the overthinking is good advice, when I did therapy for anxiety a number of years back the key thing they put an emphasis on was to try and break the cycle with distractions.

I've been saying this quite alot, but as someone who really cares for animal welfare, this is my first and foremost priority for my T.

Indeed. Distractions help.

you can make a physical list of what is supposed to be done, and recheck it when youre feeling anxious. That way you validate your ownself by seeing that nothing is missing.

definitely avoid comparing what you do with what you can find on the board. Some people have hundreds of cool tarantulas. Its easy to get caught up and wanting more, new enclosures, expensive gear.

but it in the end, its as simple as tupperwear, dirt, a hide, water and prey insects.

everything else is extra fluff. Youre tarantula does not experience anxiety as you do. It probably doesnt even care. Afterall, its getting a free ride.

 

[Introvertebrate]

No, she is for sale and apparently he didn’t have a ruler that wasn’t potentially riddled with chemicals

Money's not riddled with anything.

 

[Arachnopotamus Rex]

So far breeders, dave's little beasties youtube channel, and arachnoboards have been the fasest at closing info gaps when I became stuck.

I've kept all sorts of animals in my life, and I still find myself learning new things daily. So even seasoned vets will still get stuck on something new, and you just have to get used to the idea of starting fresh every so often when you get a species you havent had before, or have to do something for an existing one that you didnt need to do before, or come across a problem you never dealt with before.

The anxiety goes away when you see them thriving.

Except with stuff like breeding, as that can sometimes just go sideways no matter what you do. Which I mention because while you do gain more control through knowledge, you will never have COMPLETE control, and trying to get that will make you stress.

Some animals will die or get sick for unexplainable reasons, sometimes your individual animal will have specific needs that other keepers don't need to deal with. Some individual spiders will eat their own eggs on occassion. Sometimes temperments/behaviors do not match whats claimed by most. Sometimes you will make a mistake because you're tired or got distracted, sometimes you will forget something, and sometimes your reaction time will be off. Etc.

It can be tempting to stress over everything, but the more that you relax and just enjoy the hobby, the less mistakes you'll make.

When I come on here now, its more like how I feel when watching the discovery channel (before it went downhill), only interactive. Not so much anymore feeling like I'm calling for emergency vet help.

It takes a bit to get to that point sometimes.

 

[kingshockey]

So by this point from talking to so many experienced keepers I fully realize that my nearly constant worrying about my new T is kind of normal.

I admit I'd be far worse off without a support group such as here, It definitely helps to have the reassurance, but I'm wondering how y'all got to cope with it? I'm guessing it's just a matter of experience really.

it's easy the more research you have,had or currently in process of doing the easier it is to dimiss your own doubts anxiety etc. Trust in the effort you put in.there is a very tiny con to all that researching though before you know it you have a growing list of what you want next

 

[WolfieKate]

Not feeding the overthinking is good advice, when I did therapy for anxiety a number of years back the key thing they put an emphasis on was to try and break the cycle with distractions.

I've been saying this quite alot, but as someone who really cares for animal welfare, this is my first and foremost priority for my T.

I was very anxious. Through the roof anxious. I do believe that it was only when I got my first Tarantula that I started to understand husbandry though. My GBB taught me alot about behaviour. Nothing is certain. My first sling was a freebie, after 2 weeks of the most careful husbandry ever it flipped on its back and died. It was tiny, in a horrible container during a long postage and put me off free slings. I waited anxiously for my first succesful moult. I was not disappointed, my 12 hour bought and just rehoused D Pentaloris got up mid molt and climbed the cork bark and slipped wedged between the bark and the wall. I had to intervene and remove everything, The molt continued with her lying on her side but she lost a spinnaret and is waiting for her next molt. Did I cause the lost spinnaret, i hope not.

I’m saying all that because i now have 23 and they’re all thriving. Stuff happens and it’s usually outside of your control. Forums attract bad news and problems. Just remember most things are out of your control. And the things in your control are not hard to master. Every Tarantula is different and you will learn what it likes and dislikes fast by observation.

 

[fcat]

When you think about, we are fragile skin bags that defy most evolutionary traits, why not focus that reflection on one’s self? Like instead of targeting the tarantula, what can you do to take better care of yourself?

 

[Stu Macher]

It's kind of hard to screw things up with T's. You would need to be really indifferent or lack common sense. Just do some research and don't lose sleep over it. You'll be alright