Tarantula venom and cats

[mistertim]

Nice colors Tim!

Thanks!

 

[Pociemon]

From what I understand, bites from tarantula's like P. murinus. S. calcaetum, H. maculata, etc basically most OW tarantula are very dangerous/ life threatening to pets. Now if I got bit because of some stupid error I made, I can live with that. But I can never forgive myself if my cat got seriously injured because of my mistake.

Note: I am neither ready nor interested in owning OW tarantula's.

My question is, where does the venom of the Psalmopoeus genus rank? I've read that their venom, as well as their temperament is a step up from other NW species.

I certainly would not let any T near a cat. The T will most likely be half dead before it finds out there is a predator near it....

 

[Chris LXXIX]

A thing to remember always is that Cats are formidable natural born class A predators. Now, one thing is the venom, another is the % chances of those skilled lovely purr machines to end bitten.

Watch this video (another user send me this vid, thanks man btw).
Now without entering into the ethic debate (i would never permit something like that, as i'm sure like everyone else here... and go figure, T's & Cats are ones of my fav.) check the Cat hunting skills, cold blood, behavior.

And the Theraphosidae isn't a slow 'Grammo' or 'Brachy'. IMO looks like a P.cambridgei if my eyes doesn't betray me.

P.S

Please no hate on me, i don't like this sort of shows, uh :-s

 

[Robyn8]

Wow I found that very hard to watch. Poor T

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Wow I found that very hard to watch. Poor T

Yeah, you know, if something like that happens, because "happens per se in the wild" is a thing; just when my Cats kills pidgeons outside, that's their predatory nature, hunting skills they have in their DNA. I don't go against nature.

But like this, when someone films that... bah.

 

[Vanessa]

While one of my boys is an expert hunter and will try to kill anything that moves - my other two have very little prey drive in them. My big marmalade tabby boy has zero prey drive - he's a lover, not a fighter. Cassius is the feline version of Pit Bull Sharky.
Personally, I will not have any tarantulas who would pose a risk to my cats - no matter how small that risk might be. I take precautions with them even being in the vicinity of hair kickers.
Unfortunately, accidents might still happen, no matter what lengths you go to prevent them. I love my boys and would never forgive myself if I was responsible for them being injured. The best way to prevent that is to avoid those species completely.
I am more than happy to appreciate them through photos and hearing stories instead.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

While one of my boys is an expert hunter and will try to kill anything that moves - my other two have very little prey drive in them. My big marmalade tabby boy has zero prey drive - he's a lover, not a fighter. He is the feline version of Pit Bull Sharky.
Personally, I will not have any tarantulas who would pose a risk to my cats - no matter how small that risk might be. I take precautions with them even being in the vicinity of hair kickers.
Unfortunately, accidents might still happen, no matter what lengths you go to prevent them. I love my boys and would never forgive myself if I was responsible for them being injured. The best way to prevent that is to avoid those species completely.
I am more than happy to appreciate them through photos and hearing stories instead.

True! Even if i have OW's inverts i completely agree. One of my cats looks like (not in colours) a lovely giant like your Cassius and the funny thing is that his brother (brother for real, same mom/dad) is completely identical in colours but not in shape (little head, more slim).

They looks like a sort of Blues Brothers. I need to take a pic of them one day when they love to sleep together, sucking (i swear) each other belly, like when they were babies

 

[ErinM31]

Wow I found that very hard to watch. Poor T

Agreed. I didn't watch the whole thing.

My personal decision is not to keep anything that could pose a danger to my kitties, including certain dog breeds which are both larger and less apt to see the feline family members as part of the pack, pythons, or significantly venomous species. I do agree that cats will be quite adept at not being bitten -- my kitties play with the local scorpions that find their way inside without being stung, until I rescue the angry scorpion and release it outside. Still, it is what I am comfortable with. Plus, both tarantulas and cats are long-lived. My kitties may be able to take on anything now, but what about ten years from now?

That is just how I feel on the matter and I would not judge people who keep both -- certainly there are plenty of precautions one can take to ensure there is never such a meeting! Now the assholes who make such videos, I do judge.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Now the assholes who make such videos, I do judge.

Yeah, i completely agree, i'm with you :-s

Sadly, he seems Italian (an Italian living in some Central/South American nation i suppose) according to his videos and comment section, where there's in perfect Italian replies. Bah.

 

[Andrea82]

I own Psalmopoeus sp., but I keep my inverts in a locked room, due to em having a four year old daughter. There's no way my cat can enter the room when I am not there, and she gets shushed out of there when I am. (She loves crickets and dubia for some odd reason). I really don't like the chance of ending up with either an injured cat or crushed spider. Or one of my mantids half eaten.
How does your cat behave around them Robyn? That could give you some clues as to how interested she is in hunting them.

 

[Robyn8]

I own Psalmopoeus sp., but I keep my inverts in a locked room, due to em having a four year old daughter. There's no way my cat can enter the room when I am not there, and she gets shushed out of there when I am. (She loves crickets and dubia for some odd reason). I really don't like the chance of ending up with either an injured cat or crushed spider. Or one of my mantids half eaten.
How does your cat behave around them Robyn? That could give you some clues as to how interested she is in hunting them.

This is the situation at this very moment.
The cat is aware that there is something in those boxes but its more curiosity than really wanting to hunt things. He's sleeping on a chair or under the spare bed here most of the time.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Ah ah love the cat and "Pip Boy"

 

[louise f]

Ah ah love the cat and "Pip Boy"

So you noticed the fallout fanatic too

 

[shining]

I'm a bit curious, the members here that refuse to keep anything that could pose a threat to your cats, do you let them outside?

 

[Robyn8]

I keep my cat inside because i live near a busy road.

 

[Vanessa]

I'm a bit curious, the members here that refuse to keep anything that could pose a threat to your cats, do you let them outside?

Mine never go outside.

 

[ErinM31]

Absolutely, I keep them inside. There are animals around here that could pose a danger to them, diseases, stupid people, cars...
On a farm in the country or the like, I could see having outdoor cats, but I keep my babies inside.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I live in the pure downtown of my town, just few meters from the Dome. Still it's like living in the country, thanks to sweet Lombardy ancient middle ages streets/architecture here.

My cats are always in my cobblestones <3 garden in late Spring/Summer (they enter home only for eat) but i let them go outside as well, "terrorizing" the hood. They are loved (neighbours offers always a water dish and Cats croquettes) since they kill pidgeons (hated by everyone, ain't Venezia here lol) on daily basis :-s

One of my cats, the most bigger, fat, alpha male big headed purr machine i had in decades (btw i suspect he's a rapist of 0.1 cats) is a regular "customer" of a pharmacy near me. He just enters, opening the door with his head lol. He's loved.

No one is able to resist to not touch him, he's rough like hell in a lovely way

 

[Ericka]

From what I understand, bites from tarantula's like P. murinus. S. calcaetum, H. maculata, etc basically most OW tarantula are very dangerous/ life threatening to pets. Now if I got bit because of some stupid error I made, I can live with that. But I can never forgive myself if my cat got seriously injured because of my mistake.

Note: I am neither ready nor interested in owning OW tarantula's.

My question is, where does the venom of the Psalmopoeus genus rank? I've read that their venom, as well as their temperament is a step up from other NW species.

Being so much smaller than us I would think most tarantula venom would have some degree of effect on cats that is worse than what would happen to us. But I have no first hand experience with that.

Yes, I have witnessed a kitten bitten by a tarantula... Within few minutes it died and there was nothing I could do!

 

[dangerforceidle]

Yes, I have witnessed a kitten bitten by a tarantula... Within few minutes it died and there was nothing I could do!

I'm sorry the little kitty didn't make it.

Which species of tarantula was it?