What's the closest you've been to permanently getting out of the hobby

[scorpanok]

For me it was after a surgery that reduced my balance, eyesight, and fine motor skills to a shadow of what they were. It led me to sell off all but three of my inverts. After about a year my eyesight had mostly returned to normal, and confidence in my ability to care for the animals I love grew.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I'm really glad to hear that you're able to get back into doing what you enjoy. This hobby has been a lifesaver for me personally. I've never come close to leaving the hobby, but I've heard of many people who've had to sell their collections due to a move or major life change and never got back into it again.

 

[testdasi]

Getting married. She-who-must-be-obeyed dictates.

 

[moricollins]

I've actually left the tarantula hobby. My wife has a no spiders rule .
I do still keep isopods, since she can tolerate those as long as she doesn't have to see them

 

[ColeopteraC]

Don’t keep many T’s anymore, just a couple of phormics and a pokie now. Left few years ago and went into phasmids, silk moths etc.

Am thinking about getting a few when the expos start again....

 

[Colorado Ts]

Winter snow storm...we lost power for a week. Killed my tarantula and all my scorpions. I’m now recently returned.

 

[viper69]

Never happened

 

[Poonjab]

Winter snow storm...we lost power for a week. Killed my tarantula and all my scorpions. I’m now recently returned.

Holy crap. That’s awful

 

[testdasi]

I've actually left the tarantula hobby. My wife has a no spiders rule .

LOL, we turn out to have more in commons than I thought.
Trust me, just keep on persuading her and earning favours, eventually you will be able to trade all the favours for some T's (and then slowly smuggle in more than you are allowed).

Would help a lot if you somehow sort out a corner for yourself that she doesn't quite care to come and check.
A desk drawer, for example, can hold way more Pokies than I dare to admit to she-who-must-be-obeyed.

 

[moricollins]

LOL, we turn out to have more in commons than I thought.
Trust me, just keep on persuading her and earning favours, eventually you will be able to trade all the favours for some T's (and then slowly smuggle in more than you are allowed).

Would help a lot if you somehow sort out a corner for yourself that she doesn't quite care to come and check.
A desk drawer, for example, can hold way more Pokies than I dare to admit to she-who-must-be-obeyed.

Unlikely it's going to happen. Even a regular house spider sends her into a tizzy.

I have my separate space in the house for frogs and Isopods, good enough for me

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I would be so incredibly sad if my BF didn't accept my hobby. He gives me the stinkeye sometimes if I bring home another tarantula or get more than I planned at an expo, but thankfully he understands how much it means to me and basically just says 'you do you' as long as I don't really go overboard with it (I have 15 spiders right now, so I'm coming close to the limit...I think that 20 would be my absolute max). I feel sad for people who are in that position where they have to give it up entirely to stay with someone they love.

 

[Cas S]

I've actually left the tarantula hobby. My wife has a no spiders rule .
I do still keep isopods, since she can tolerate those as long as she doesn't have to see them

what about a pet hole?

 

[Daniel S]

I’m relatively new to the hobby, but mine would probably be the first time I had a T climb a pair of tongs... or more accurately, vertically LEAP about 5 inches as soon as I started lowering the dubia, way overshot it and ended a few inches away from my fingers, and immediately started climbing. I dropped those tongs like they were red hot and threw the lid back on so quick.. It was a T at my work (college insectary), but if it had been one of mine I probably would’ve left right then. (I had been keeping for less than a month and dealing with T’s for less than two at this point).

 

[Tarantula155]

Fried my entire collection. I left my blinds open in my T room, (here in Colorado we have the most bi polar weather) this was during December too. One day we had 30F and this particular day it shot up to like 70F, and in my T room it gets so much sun. Every single one of them were fried, True spiders, centipedes, vinegaroons, you name it.

 

[Tarantula155]

I've actually left the tarantula hobby. My wife has a no spiders rule .
I do still keep isopods, since she can tolerate those as long as she doesn't have to see them

lol, my wife doesn't mind brown recluses, black widows, Phonetria, hungry geniculata, 10+ inch theraphosa, scorpions... She came around to them when we were dating. Centipedes however, is another story. She won't do those ever.

What's all so special about Isopods?

 

[Chebe6886]

I had well over 100 Ts of all ages and genera. Moved to a smaller place and got busy with work. Got down to 0 shortly after. About a year later I got a Rufilata/GBB/Versicolor sling and a year 1/2 later 2/3 were males so it kind of spurred me to do some shopping and arachnoboarding. Back up 20 and putting in at-least one more order soon. Current GF is kind of freaking out bc I went from 1-20 overnight but already has already been told, where I go my army will follow from here on out.

 

[Tarantula155]

Winter snow storm...we lost power for a week. Killed my tarantula and all my scorpions. I’m now recently returned.

No frozen pipes? Jeez, plumbing is killer out here. Pipes freeze and bust.. lots of $$$

 

[Chebe6886]

Winter snow storm...we lost power for a week. Killed my tarantula and all my scorpions. I’m now recently returned.

I hope you had natural gas to heat your home. You’re still alive so I guess you managed some way

 

[Colorado Ts]

No frozen pipes? Jeez, plumbing is killer out here. Pipes freeze and bust.. lots of $$$

I’m a high school science educator. I went home for Christmas Break and there was a blizzard. The school lost power for a week. When we all returned, there were flooded classrooms, burst pipes...and in my room, everything had died. It was sad...

 

[Chebe6886]

Dang. How many “pets” did you lose?