Why did you get into spiders?

[The Red Queen]

Hi all,

I was just curious to see why everyone started keeping tarantulas and other inverts instead of or in addition to other more typical animals (dogs, cats, etc.)
Here's my story...
I have always had a thing for spiders and bugs, but I really started keeping T's because of a lack of options for other pets. We lived in an apartment when I was growing up, so dogs and cats were out of the question. I am allergic to furry animals anyway, so rats, guinea pigs, etc. and anything that eats small furry animals were out too. My sister had fish, but I have never cared for them myself. I had parakeets for a few years, but when they died my mother said no more... she was tired of the noise, the mess, and the smell. She told me if I wanted a pet I had to find something quiet, clean, small, and odorless... so I brought home my first tarantula, an A. seemanni named Spaz.

I would love to hear everyone’s story of how they got started with inverts

 

[sanguinarian]

I've always been fascinated by spiders. My Aunt says I was drawing them when I was 6 years old. Living in the country every now and then you see a Golden Orb Spider with that wonderful web you just have to throw some bug into. I have always loved jumping spiders. I made a cake shaped like a spider with butterfinger legs and lollipop eyes. I am not getting any younger and I thought to myself just do it and get one. Well now I have six.

 

[eksong]

Before this year, I had never even considered owning tarantulas. Honestly, it was a sudden whim that developed into a fascinating and addictive hobby.

 

[WayneT]

Well...always had a thing for spiders, that's for sure. Definately fascinated by them. I remember when the B. smithi's were all over the pet trade in the 70's, too. Wanted one then, mom said NO!!!
Zoom to the recent future...I was at a point in my life after a divorce and no one serious...in other words, no one to talk me out of it and I spent a year or so reading everythin I could get my hands on and talking to other enthusiasts. Well, three years later, and I've got 26 of them, and would have 126 of them if my bank account would let me!! It is by far the coolest hobby there is...and I've met some really great people through it, especially from the boards!

 

[Lycanthrope]

It all started when I walked into the local exotic shop to buy a snake. They had two big P. imperators on the counter in a crtter keeper labelled "13$ for both. So I bought them on impulse, and went home and researched them for hours. Alot of the sites I read about scorps on also had t's, and before long I bought my first t. Then my second. And so on.

 

[Malkavian]

NEver really considered them until i got shoved into a college housing apartment and had to consider pets that dont take up alot of room.

 

[Elizabeth]

I've always loved "bugs" (as well as more traditional animals.) Have cats and a dog. Fish. The rare wild thing that needs rehabilitating. Got into Ts because of the web, really. Looking stuff up, found sites with pictures, and wow! But they just fit in beautifully with the type of nature I have loved all my life!

 

[David Burns]

I've always been into bugs and things. At 13 I raised several generations of mosquitoes, kept wood ticks as pets, stuff like that. Over the years I've raised and bred cockroaches, grasshoppers and many types of small vertabrates as well.

Well, a couple of years ago I had to make a choice, get a job or a hobby so I was checking out the pet stores and I came across a king baboon spiderling. I went home, got on the computer and learned every thing I could in a few short days and bought it. Now I have 34 T's with 6 more coming this week. I'm definitally a tarantula addict.

 

[Hoosier]

I'm actually getting into T's right now. I just purchased an emperor scorp. and I absolutely love it. I grew up watching those national geog. series and still recall those scenes with T's and even pedes. I am especially interested in colorful sp. like the green bottle blue and fire leg.

 

[spidergoddess]

I have been addicted to animals (excepting monkeys, shudder) for just about all of my 50 years. Must have been about 1991, I was coming home from my job in Virginia as a dog-walker, and noticed a pet shop going out of business. Stopped in, and found a G. rosea with Kritter Keeper for $11., half-price. Thought it was too good a deal to pass up, so bought. At that time I knew nothing about keeping spiders, and there was little info that I could find. When she died after 10 years, I bought another, and went online to see what I could learn. Lo and behold, all sorts of people talking about tarantulas. YAY. Now I'm up to 50 tarantulas, and really love seeing slings grow to adulthood. Family all dislike spiders to varying degrees, but I'm working on my grandson, who just worked up the nerve to hold his first G. rosea sling last weekend.

Other animals in the house include 5 demonic cats (Tiger Lily, Boogie, Sassafras, Fellini, and Zelda Fitzgerald), 1 energetic Austrailian Cattle Dog mix (Weezil), 1 sweet cuddly rat (Ratzenchen), and assorted nameless mice.

 

[chuck]

about 14 years ago my cousin had a normal outside NYC spider in a mayonnaise jar with sticks and it made a web. i was always fascinated with their webs. when i went to my great aunt's house, out on the porch during the summers would be spiders with their webs and i'd go catch flys to throw into the web.

jump ahead 11 years, i was bored and looking to get a cool pet. first thought was piranha looked a few websites and i came across tarantulas. my old love for the webs got me hooked. and with the dealers usually carrying more than just tarantulas i eventually got scorps and other creepy crawlers.

 

[spot]

I've also always been facinated with insects, not spiders really until I came across some tarantula websites and fell in love immediately!! I have been doing lots of research and will be getting my first ts next weekend-a curly hair and maybe an a. hentzi, and a sling or two. I am very excited. my family is also slow in warming up to the idea but they are willing to give it a chance. I hope they will fall in love with the spiders, too we've been fattening up some crickets and thats been fun.

 

[Gene]

I hadn't considered them until a little over a week ago after talking to Dragoon. I have had pretty much everything else at one point or another not to mention I was a little phobic of them. After being on the board for a couple of days and picking up a G. Rosea I have really gotten to like them.

Since then I have met Lycanthrope and purchased a A. Avic and I love her too. I would have never imagined how much fun a bug could be.

Now I must have more.......I told my wife that the avic was my fix for this week who knows what the future will bring.

 

[tarantulakeeper]

For the past 10 years or so I've kept snakes in my classroom. During the school year 1997/98 my students and I got into a conversation about phobias. Many kids come into my room a little leery of snakes and most love them pretty quick after learning more about them. Anyway, I told this group (6th graders) I didn't particulary care for spiders. Well, the challenge was on. Had to get me over my fear of spiders. After doing some websearching I found a 3D tarantula poster offered by Todd Gearheart which included a free tarantula. I think it was $10 at the time. I ordered the poster and told my class we were getting a new class pet. Well, the poster came along with a 1/4 spiderling. I was disappointed (in the size of the spider) and the kids were too. Later that week I found an adult female G. rosea for $5 from Paul Becker at PetCenter. And, since I had to pay $20 for shipping might as well get a few more spiders right? Well, six years later I have over 140 juvies/adults and about 400 various spiderlings from successful eggsacs. Gotta love this hobby! John

 

[lizmotobike]

i got my g. rosea about 5 months ago. she was not being cared for. no water for over 2 months. she was given to me by a friend who new i liked all kinds of animals. my mother told me that when i was 3 and we moved to a very rural area in the hollywood hills and that there was a tarantula that lived near the front door that i was enthralled with. so i guess it started early with me. i have had 4 goats, 30 rabbits, 7 chickens, 3 ducks, 6 cats, 1 hawk, numourous mice, 4 dogs and 2 horses at one time, while i was growing up. i was in 4-h. now i only have 2 cats, a dog, and my T evita. i am completly enthralled with T's now. i am going to be getting more T's soon.

 

[edesign]

well...think i used to want one when i was in high school/junior high. But i got my first one recently because i wanted a pet but not something i had to pay a pet deposit for. In a way i find the lil thing almost as cute as a cat in a way lol...something new too. always did like collecting bugs as a kid...can't even count how many ant colonies i had or how many spiders and caterpillars i kept in jars lol

 

[lizmotobike]

oops let me try again.

 

[Ker]

T's for me werent an option until a couple of years back. My brother's wife is a med student, and was given a Rose Hair to care for and report about for one of her biology classes. She was terrified. Seems that Priscilla was a bit of a jumper, and when Heather got pounced on the first time, she was DONE. My brother who also happens to be an arachnophobic called me up and asked if I could just keep her through the weekend, and then he would bring her back to the school. She ended up staying the entire school year. Although she was a rather acrobatic jumper, she was pretty low-key otherwise, and didnt do much other than lurk and eat. Giving her back was the hardest thing I had to do, and I spent a couple of years wondering if I should get my own. Well, I finally got my own.. four on the first order ( damn Swifty and his good prices!!), and I havent stopped yet. I am up to 15 and I spend every evening wondering what I will get next.

 

[Wolvie56X]

i got 20 scorps and finally got a centipede, so a T is the next step and ker is helping me with that one ;P

also i got into scorps because i couldnt get a snake, couldnt feed it mice, but crickets and roaches to big creepy crawlies work for me

Wolvie

 

[Wolvie56X]

haha speaking of which, hiya ker



Wolvie