A former coworker used to own a tarantula. Her name was Itsy Bitsy, Lil' Bit for short. I HATE spiders, but even I have to admit that's a pretty cute name.
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- Thread starter Arirang
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I know people who have been in dogs professionally and in the show/trial ring or have worked working dogs for over 40 years. And what's weird is the longer they're in dogs, the less they're enamored with dogs in general and stuff they do. It's not a dislike of course, but if someone says "my puppy barked at me for 30 minutes, isn't that hilarious" they're thinking "no, it sounds obnoxious" but might say "that is silly! I have trained puppies to bark on command and shush on command, it's really a nice tool to have and impresses my friends. Want me to teach you?" whereas other people are laughing and saying "ISN'T THAT CUTE?!" etc.
On tarantulas, when I was small we had one of those wolf spider things make it into the house and I swore it was a tarantula. Years later I saw Home Alone and when Kevin stuck Buzz's tarantula on Marv's face and he screamed like a girl having her earrings ripped out by rabid hawks, I might have screamed with him!
I heard a rumor that the dude that played Marv agreed to do this scene once, and only one, and this was a "Real" reaction.
My changing my underwear immediately after the scene had nothing to do with it.
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As much as I do not want to be around spiders, I was clearing some brush one day and a teeny, tiny little spider was on some flagstone. I cleared the brush, he ran away under a leaf. He was so tiny and I wasn't totally scared, so I lifted the leaf. He backed into the corner and crammed his legs up against and in front of him like "I'm just a baby. Please don't scream and stab me with a knife or smash me with your shoe."
I did let him alone and placed the leaf over him. I respect spiders...outside. I don't know why I'm AFRAID of them. I've never been attacked by one, but when I see them hanging on the wall, I don't think "cool" I think expletives.
...when you take more time grooming your cat's hair than your own
In my culture spiders are just about sacred. Personally, I walk them outside when I find them in the house. *Talk about tiny harnesses and leashes*
So I once walked into my apartment and there was a spider the size of my palm (with legs outstretched). It died a messy death as it exceeded allowable spider size for indoors. Then I was curious, since that size of a spider shouldn’t be in Northern California. I looked it up and found out it was some Mediterranean invasive species, non-poisonous and there was a guy doing a study on sitings and collecting specimens. I sent him this email.
Sorry about the poor quality picture, I was afraid it would hug my face if I got too close!
Sorry about the poor quality picture, I was afraid it would hug my face if I got too close!
That's too bad. Spiders eat harmful insects. They're really helpful to us. Even the venomous ones, if you just leave them alone, the last thing they want is to encounter humans, which are their worst nightmares for obvious reasons. I would have to draw the line at venomous ones in the house or in a place where they might harm anyone, but other than that, I just walk them back outside.So I once walked into my apartment and there was a spider the size of my palm (with legs outstretched). It died a messy death as it exceeded allowable spider size for indoors. Then I was curious, since that size of a spider shouldn’t be in Northern California. I looked it up and found out it was some Mediterranean invasive species, non-poisonous and there was a guy doing a study on sitings and collecting specimens. I sent him this email.
Sorry about the poor quality picture, I was afraid it would hug my face if I got too close!
...if you don't mind Miller moths in the house because they provide a lot of entertainment for the cat
Oh I felt bad when I knew it wasn’t poisonous. I was definitely afraid though ... 
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You build your kitties a toy box.
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Don't blame you one bit. Don't know how you were able to kill it, I'd been hysterical finding one that big inside the house.Oh I felt bad when I knew it wasn’t poisonous. I was definitely afraid though ...
When people ask you why you don't do something about all the chipmunks making holes in your landscaped gardens and scrambling up the downspouts to run through the gutters, and you just smile and say "they're cute and harmless", but you are really thinking " Cat TV ."
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KarenKat
That photo.OMG that photo.
If I saw that on my wall I would keel over and die a thousand deaths before the thing woke up and said "who's the weirdo human lying dead on the ground? Eh, probably heart attack."
Yeah I get they're beneficial but if I saw that on my bedroom wall I would raise holy hell and probably wake every living thing in a 2,000 mile radius.
Knowledge doesn't always override fear or boundaries. I think raccoons have a purpose but I don't want them hanging out on my kitchen cabinets for obvious reasons, nor do I want eagles swooping into my living room or elk grazing in my kitchen.
If I can scoot the 8 legged things outside I will but if not....you have a large acreage of land to scuttle around on, eat things, build your webs, live your lives. Why do you think my living room wall is top real estate? Why do you take pleasure in seeing my crap my pants when I realize you're hanging out 2 inches from my pillow? Why do I feel like a freak when most people like me simply smash them but I run around like a nutcase, wondering if a shoe or a trap is appropriate?
Maybe I fear spiders because they're smarter than me. They hang out, all "LOL" and I'm running around like a freak and threatening to bug bomb the entire joint.
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Those brown spiders with the weird hairy claw-looking feet? Usually dead by October IF I'm being generous here due to the winters we get but last winter one stowed away. I went into the bedroom one day and noticed this hairy little **** hanging out on the ceiling above our bed.
Options:
1. Pretend I didn't see nuttin. Walk away and take a huge dose of sleeping pills to make me forget before attempting to sleep. Pray the spider murder my partner instead of me.
2. Half-assedly hit it with something or a spray bottle, watch it fall onto our bed and then flip out bad enough that I'll spend 6 months in a mental institution and pray that it's gone by the time I get out.
3. Kill it immediately with a hard slap with a broom, shoe, or other object.
4. Trap it, but how do you trap an upside down jumping thing you're afraid of when it's hanging on the ceiling?
5. No other options.
So I chose 3. I apologized. I used a broom. Approximately 57% of the animals in the room at the time ran for the hills, the others barked and tried to attack the broom I was using to attack the spider.
Options:
1. Pretend I didn't see nuttin. Walk away and take a huge dose of sleeping pills to make me forget before attempting to sleep. Pray the spider murder my partner instead of me.
2. Half-assedly hit it with something or a spray bottle, watch it fall onto our bed and then flip out bad enough that I'll spend 6 months in a mental institution and pray that it's gone by the time I get out.
3. Kill it immediately with a hard slap with a broom, shoe, or other object.
4. Trap it, but how do you trap an upside down jumping thing you're afraid of when it's hanging on the ceiling?
5. No other options.
So I chose 3. I apologized. I used a broom. Approximately 57% of the animals in the room at the time ran for the hills, the others barked and tried to attack the broom I was using to attack the spider.
Lol, yeah
1 bruce 1
I was pretty freaked. I ended up using an amazon box because it had to be big enough to get him. I’m ok with spiders until I get close and then I imagine them leaping at my face like in Alien. I know they don’t, but maybe it’s because I remove the threat ....
1 bruce 1
I was pretty freaked. I ended up using an amazon box because it had to be big enough to get him. I’m ok with spiders until I get close and then I imagine them leaping at my face like in Alien. I know they don’t, but maybe it’s because I remove the threat ....
lordy lordy
...you don't use your favorite chair when it's already been claimed 
. . . you are met with a welcoming committee when coming home.
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One night I was enjoying a quiet autumn evening in the barn with the livestock and some barn cats and a special dog, and I noticed a huge spider in a horse stall. I didn't want the horse to be bitten, so I used a manure rake (not sharp) to try to push him out (I was gentle, I swear) and the sucker turned and charged AT the rake. CHARGED. AT THE RAKE.Lol, yeah
I think that kind of sealed the deal. I stopped being gentle and flung that thing out of the barn, then ran like a 6 year old girl. Dog followed. Cats watched me like the lunatic I am but when a spider charges towards a shooing instrument, I forget the happy thoughts of co-existing and Eden and whatever, and either run like a girl or kill it with fire.
