Tarantulas and wolf spiders are the most common types of arachnids “infesting” homes. Some of the advantages of having spiders as pets are:
- They are quiet and clean.
- Spiders don’t need a lot of living space.
- They can be interesting to observe.
- Pet spiders don’t need much interaction or socialization.
- Less expensive to maintain.
- Can serve as valuable and unique learning tools for people of all ages.
However, there are a few obvious downfalls of owning such a pet. For one, spiders are venomous. By pure nature, they’ll bite and could, quite possibly, cause major harm to their handler. Spiders don’t only cause harm through biting. Tarantulas, when agitated or scared, have hairs that could cause skin irritation or vision damage if near the eye. Another disadvantage would be that spiders don’t usually like interaction. They’re also quite fragile. If a person were to handle a tarantula and accidentally drop it, the abdomen could rupture and cause instant death. No fun, right?
Either way, for a person who doesn’t necessarily want a high maintenance pet, a spider could be a nice companion. The owner simply needs to remember the pros and cons of what they are caring for.