Orb weavers in captivity?

[GailC]

I have a tiny little cat spider appear in the kitchen window. I've been trying to feed her but its been difficult, I did finally succeed today.

I'm wondering if there is any way to keep her in captivity? I'm afraid she will eventually get lost in the house and not survive. I imagine she can't go outside until next may at the earliest.

Her little abdomen is about 1/4", I have a acrylic arboreal tarantula enclosure I thought I might use. Maybe if I hot glued stick anchors on the sides, she would be able to build her web.

Amy tips or ideas?

 

[jbooth]

I did this as a kid.. box like a picture frame.. square and big enough for adult web, but only like 3 inches deep with a solid back and plexiglass or something on the front. Even a cardboard box with clear plastic on the front will work. I think I left the front off until it made a web or something(so it wouldn't web to it), but I guess leave it closed and lock it in there.. if you don't want to risk losing it. They make the webs at dusk or later, so if you place them in a suitable location at that time, you may get it to do what you want. I had some success getting them to live in corners of my room and stuff but they will wander off after laying eggs and die. Not a very long-lived pet, but certainly an intriguing one. Fun to watch them make the webs and they do like to eat. Misting the webs looks cool and they'll drink from it. For the corner of the room, you have to stick around and watch them until they start the circles around the web, and they need to find food there after they complete it or they will move... I've seen them give up and eat the web and change locations but not after they get going a few times around with the spiral.

 

[GailC]

I did this as a kid.. box like a picture frame.. square and big enough for adult web, but only like 3 inches deep with a solid back and plexiglass or something on the front. Even a cardboard box with clear plastic on the front will work. I think I left the front off until it made a web or something(so it wouldn't web to it), but I guess leave it closed and lock it in there.. if you don't want to risk losing it. They make the webs at dusk or later, so if you place them in a suitable location at that time, you may get it to do what you want. I had some success getting them to live in corners of my room and stuff but they will wander off after laying eggs and die. Not a very long-lived pet, but certainly an intriguing one. Fun to watch them make the webs and they do like to eat. Misting the webs looks cool and they'll drink from it. For the corner of the room, you have to stick around and watch them until they start the circles around the web, and they need to find food there after they complete it or they will move... I've seen them give up and eat the web and change locations but not after they get going a few times around with the spiral.

It will be a long time before she is big enough to lay. Do you think she would stay in the window if I keep her fed? I have a couple plants she has been attaching her webs to and plenty of hiding spots for the day

 

[jbooth]

It will be a long time before she is big enough to lay. Do you think she would stay in the window if I keep her fed? I have a couple plants she has been attaching her webs to and plenty of hiding spots for the day

Worth a shot. She's inside then? I'd say yeah make sure to keep her fed and mist the web and stuff. If she has no reason to move, she shouldn't. She will grow fast though, she will be full grown in a couple months if you keep her fed.. and she'll want more room for web so if she can find that there, she may just stay.

 

[CutThroat Kid]

My Mother and I recently raised an orange cat-face spider (Araneus Gemmoids) to the point that it has laid its egg sac. But now it won't web and seems to be on the decline sadly. My mom doesn't realize because I've been doing it all, but it is actually the most difficult spider I've kept. Very hard to get it to spin a proper web, in its later life the web isn't as sticky, I noticed, and this makes it very difficult to feed the spider. I had three different Araneus and only had this one make it this far. My male Sauves was my favorite, but it was so hard to nourish that dude after he reached maturity, so I sent him off to find a lady.

 

[jbooth]

My Mother and I recently raised an orange cat-face spider (Araneus Gemmoids) to the point that it has laid its egg sac. But now it won't web and seems to be on the decline sadly. My mom doesn't realize because I've been doing it all, but it is actually the most difficult spider I've kept. Very hard to get it to spin a proper web, in its later life the web isn't as sticky, I noticed, and this makes it very difficult to feed the spider. I had three different Araneus and only had this one make it this far. My male Sauves was my favorite, but it was so hard to nourish that dude after he reached maturity, so I sent him off to find a lady.

She has no reason to web or eat any longer. It used to make me really sad as a kid because I loved these spiders, held hundreds and kept scores, and they just die after the eggsack... It doesn't have to be fertile or anything even. These are unfortunately one season spiders.

 

[jbooth]

My Mother and I recently raised an orange cat-face spider (Araneus Gemmoids) to the point that it has laid its egg sac. But now it won't web and seems to be on the decline sadly. My mom doesn't realize because I've been doing it all, but it is actually the most difficult spider I've kept. Very hard to get it to spin a proper web, in its later life the web isn't as sticky, I noticed, and this makes it very difficult to feed the spider. I had three different Araneus and only had this one make it this far. My male Sauves was my favorite, but it was so hard to nourish that dude after he reached maturity, so I sent him off to find a lady.

That black one is pretty, I never did catch a black one. The pictures weren't showing up for me before. Yeah I remember crying over these lol. They're so beautiful and gentle and I could never understand why I couldn't get them to stick around. So unfair. Brings tears to my eyes now.. These got me through a real tough time in childhood I guess, never thought about it before, but these were my favorites for sure.

 

[GailC]

Worth a shot. She's inside then? I'd say yeah make sure to keep her fed and mist the web and stuff. If she has no reason to move, she shouldn't. She will grow fast though, she will be full grown in a couple months if you keep her fed.. and she'll want more room for web so if she can find that there, she may just stay.

Yes, she is inside. Must have hitched a ride in on a plant over a month ago. Brought it in just before it froze.
I'll leave her be for now, seems to be a good spot and there is plenty of room.
I'm off the the pet store to look for teeny food today. Will cut up crickets if it comes to it

 

[jbooth]

Yes, she is inside. Must have hitched a ride in on a plant over a month ago. Brought it in just before it froze.
I'll leave her be for now, seems to be a good spot and there is plenty of room.
I'm off the the pet store to look for teeny food today. Will cut up crickets if it comes to it

Yay! she sounds big enough for pinheads, never tried cut up, it might be hard if it doesn't wiggle. Keep me posted I'd like to follow the saga

 

[CutThroat Kid]

She has no reason to web or eat any longer. It used to make me really sad as a kid because I loved these spiders, held hundreds and kept scores, and they just die after the eggsack... It doesn't have to be fertile or anything even. These are unfortunately one season spiders.

Today I was visiting my mom and her Cat spider was chilling looking old. I put it into an ICU not expecting much, just trying to make her more comfortable for what I thought are her last moments. Once in the ICU she had her arms up like a T threat pose. Curiously, I held a buzzing fly my mom had caught earlier to her fangs and she took it!!! Looks like she may actually make it to spring after all. Hoping this fat fly gives her the strength and motivation to build another web and eat more. I'm very happy about this!

 

[GailC]

Yay! she sounds big enough for pinheads, never tried cut up, it might be hard if it doesn't wiggle. Keep me posted I'd like to follow the saga

I found small enough crickets and she immediately took one. Gonna feed her as much as she will take for awhile as I know she's only had a couple small meals in the last month.
I've been trying to get a picture but being in the window, my phone focuses on outside things.

 

[GailC]

Today I was visiting my mom and her Cat spider was chilling looking old. I put it into an ICU not expecting much, just trying to make her more comfortable for what I thought are her last moments. Once in the ICU she had her arms up like a T threat pose. Curiously, I held a buzzing fly my mom had caught earlier to her fangs and she took it!!! Looks like she may actually make it to spring after all. Hoping this fat fly gives her the strength and motivation to build another web and eat more. I'm very happy about this!

Great that she ate, its hard to watch them decline

 

[jbooth]

I found small enough crickets and she immediately took one. Gonna feed her as much as she will take for awhile as I know she's only had a couple small meals in the last month.
I've been trying to get a picture but being in the window, my phone focuses on outside things.

That's great, I wish I had one. I was watching one for awhile but it was near a young paper wasp nest and it moved. Yeah, not much food in the house. I had an hmac sling loose for awhile, thinking it was just buried and it looked pretty hungry when I found it lol.

 

[jbooth]

I can't find it now, but I saw a video of them incorporating a floating rock into the web as the bottom anchor point.. I'm assuming the way to test is give them a single rock in the middle of the floor of the enclosure that will be the natural high point, and see if the rock gets hoisted when they build Some in the vid were high off the ground, like 10ft. One almost looked like it was using line like a block and tackle and multiplying the forces... there's a lot more than just fishing humans got from spiders...