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Getting Tarantula...One Problem

Ok, so my neighbor has a Tarantula, not sure on the species, but it's supposedly an easy one, that is pretty common. I'd loooovvveeeeee to have it, but there's a problem...my mom HATES them!

Any ideas? I've tried just about everything I can think of... I even offered to keep it in 5 cages, all with padlocks on them, but still no.
 
Parents can be tough. Their "fear" is next to impossible to overcome.

Try to comfort her with these facts:
*There is no such thing as a deadly "tarantula".
*The are no recorded human deaths in the entire world from a "tarantula" bite.
- Tarantulas (theraphosids) are not spiders. Spiders (theraphosidae) can kill you.
 
Get a job and move out.
or
Get a divorce from your parents.
or
Take a deep breath and realize you can't always get what you want

http://youtu.be/8zgAWHRJC1Y
 
haha. I like his answer better.
 
Unfortunately, the only thing you can really do is educate your parents as much as humanely possible and hope they warm up to the idea. You do have to understand your parents side of the argument though; they can just be plain scared of it, and having it in the house can surely affect their mood, and even sleep. I don't know about you, but I dun like when my parents are cranky lol.



You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need
 
I had one for many many years.... her name was Martha.

I could set books on top her terrarium and somehow that thing could move them and still excape. (she was massive, dont know what species she was, but her fangs were hugeeeeeeeee)

When she would escape I would usually find her buried in the bed or clothes somewhere, she would try to find somewhere dark and humid as possible.

Once I looked for her, couldnt find her... gave up and went to school. Come back home that night and still didnt find her only to discover she was about 3 inches below the light switch I had turned on when I entered the room.

Glad she didnt pounce on my finger with those fangs.

Ended up eventually giving her away and she lived another few years... she had to been very old.

I enjoyed having her, but sort of boring after the cool factor wore off.

It was fun watching her pounce on crickets.... she was a little pig when it came to feeding time.
 
Coming from someone who used to be in the same situation years ago... Just don't tell her, that's what I did with all my snakes when I was teenager. Then when my mom finally did find out about them, I told her I'd had them for years and she never noticed, and she didn't really care anymore. Tarantulas are even easier to hide than snakes - most species can be kept in a plastic shoebox or 2.5 gallon tank, and that can be kept under your bed since they don't need light. Depends which species it is, but the care of most common tarantulas is incredibly easy.

I realize my answer is different from most other people's, but that's how I feel about situations that involve irrational fear and hatred of harmless animals. If I hadn't spent so much time keeping and studying reptiles when I was younger, I probably wouldn't be going to school for biology like I am now. What mama don't know won't hurt her.
 
I would honestly play it safe and just keep working on her.
It took me over a year of daily "Did you knows" and flat-out begging and up-and-down promises to get a ball python, but eventually, my parents caved.

Or Natalie's answer might work out too if your mother isn't a snoop and isn't the sort to freak out and kick you out. My dad is very seriously the type. Cause I was given the ultimatum to get rid of the snake or gtfo when he found out I had a rescue that was in the process of being rehomed.

Just whatever you do, make sure it's best and safest for you and the animal, even if it's not what you'd prefer.
 
Coming from someone who used to be in the same situation years ago... Just don't tell her, that's what I did with all my snakes when I was teenager. Then when my mom finally did find out about them, I told her I'd had them for years and she never noticed, and she didn't really care anymore. Tarantulas are even easier to hide than snakes - most species can be kept in a plastic shoebox or 2.5 gallon tank, and that can be kept under your bed since they don't need light. Depends which species it is, but the care of most common tarantulas is incredibly easy.

I realize my answer is different from most other people's, but that's how I feel about situations that involve irrational fear and hatred of harmless animals. If I hadn't spent so much time keeping and studying reptiles when I was younger, I probably wouldn't be going to school for biology like I am now. What mama don't know won't hurt her.

Let's hope when you have kids there aren't irresponsible adults around to advise them to go behind your back.
 
  • #10
Let's hope when I have kids there aren't irresponsible adults around to stifle my children's interest in biology.
 
  • #11
Coming from someone who used to be in the same situation years ago... Just don't tell her, that's what I did with all my snakes when I was teenager. Then when my mom finally did find out about them, I told her I'd had them for years and she never noticed, and she didn't really care anymore. Tarantulas are even easier to hide than snakes - most species can be kept in a plastic shoebox or 2.5 gallon tank, and that can be kept under your bed since they don't need light. Depends which species it is, but the care of most common tarantulas is incredibly easy.

I realize my answer is different from most other people's, but that's how I feel about situations that involve irrational fear and hatred of harmless animals. If I hadn't spent so much time keeping and studying reptiles when I was younger, I probably wouldn't be going to school for biology like I am now. What mama don't know won't hurt her.

Not everyone's parents will react the same as yours, and that was a complete lack of respect on your part for your parents. I would not recommend this unless you know your parents would react that well, as most parents I know greatly value honesty and respect.


Let's hope when I have kids there aren't irresponsible adults around to stifle my children's interest in biology.

Your kid doesn't have to own a spider to in order to maintain his/her interest in Biology.
 
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  • #12
Your kid doesn't have to own a spider to in order to maintain his/her interest in Biology.
Could be anything, really, not just a spider. Say there was a adolescent who was interested in becoming a writer and wanted to read all of history's great literary works, and they had a neighbor who was willing to give that kid an old copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The kid's mom thought Lord of the Rings was scary, and told the kid they weren't allowed to read it. I would tell that kid the same thing - get the book and hide it under your bed, or at least go read it in the library. I take knowledge and education very seriously, and nothing should come between a child and their desire to learn, whether it be biology, literature, astrophysics, etc. Sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time in some cases, parents are wrong.

And that's all I have to say about that.
 
  • #13
Could be anything, really, not just a spider. Say there was a adolescent who was interested in becoming a writer and wanted to read all of history's great literary works, and they had a neighbor who was willing to give that kid an old copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The kid's mom thought Lord of the Rings was scary, and told the kid they weren't allowed to read it. I would tell that kid the same thing - get the book and hide it under your bed, or at least go read it in the library. I take knowledge and education very seriously, and nothing should come between a child and their desire to learn, whether it be biology, literature, astrophysics, etc. Sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time in some cases, parents are wrong.

And that's all I have to say about that.

It's a book, not a large living spider.

That's all I have to say about that.
 
  • #14
Parents can be tough. Their "fear" is next to impossible to overcome.

Try to comfort her with these facts:
*There is no such thing as a deadly "tarantula".
*The are no recorded human deaths in the entire world from a "tarantula" bite.
- Tarantulas (theraphosids) are not spiders. Spiders (theraphosidae) can kill you.

I had to use the first two to get my rosy, but I'm pretty sure Ts are still spiders (not that it changes the first two...)

Let's hope when you have kids there aren't irresponsible adults around to advise them to go behind your back.

Let's hope when I have kids there aren't irresponsible adults around to stifle my children's interest in biology.

...Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Natalie on this one. Going behind your parent's backs is just a part of life sometimes, and while it's not recommended, I've gotten lots of valuable life experience from it. Example, my interest in chemistry? Started when I made thermite without my parents knowing. Mechanics? Lockpicking. If we're talking about being "irresponsible", it's worse to irrationally crush someone's dreams than to sneak around that irrationality.

My personal recommendation though, it to just keep asking your parents about it. Really, that's just the easiest and safest way for something like this.
 
  • #15
If they are afraid, its easier to get them to lose most of their fear, but if they are just disgusted of them then itll be a pain in the butt since they're is no reason for it that you can counter with facts and logic.. And tbh... A giant spider as most people see tarantulas, isnt something that you just WANT in your house 99.999% of the time :lol:
 
  • #16
Whatever you decide to do, Heli, be considerate of your parent(s); try to understand where they are coming from. Think about the reaction they could have if you do decide to keep it behind their back, and even the consequences; do you have a good relationship with your mom? Keeping something like this from a parent will often times make them become more suspicious of your actions once found out, despite your intentions. Remember that your parents provide for you and keep a roof over your head, so be respectful of their decisions; unless you have a job, they are the ones who will ultimately be paying for this pet.


Edit: I like doomsdays post below mine. :lol: I wasn't allowed to keep a spider until I could pay for it so I would play with the spiders around the house and put them all in my room. I'd tell my mom not to sweep the webs in the corners of my bedroom.. haha.
 
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  • #17
Coming from someone who used to be in the same situation years ago... Just don't tell her, that's what I did with all my snakes when I was teenager. Then when my mom finally did find out about them, I told her I'd had them for years and she never noticed, and she didn't really care anymore. Tarantulas are even easier to hide than snakes - most species can be kept in a plastic shoebox or 2.5 gallon tank, and that can be kept under your bed since they don't need light. Depends which species it is, but the care of most common tarantulas is incredibly easy.

I realize my answer is different from most other people's, but that's how I feel about situations that involve irrational fear and hatred of harmless animals. If I hadn't spent so much time keeping and studying reptiles when I was younger, I probably wouldn't be going to school for biology like I am now. What mama don't know won't hurt her.

This is probably a bad idea.. What if she is cleaning or someone comes over and HAPPENS to look and bam there is a freakin hairy huge spider under your bed.. She might 1. kill it, 2 throw it out/release it, 3. give it to a pet store or random person who wants it , and on top of that punish you for a LONG LONG TIME. ITs a bad idea. I dont care who it is, if I found out someone i knew was keeping something I hated in my own house i would throw them out or make them get rid of it and take away ALL PRIVALEGES for months.. and GOD FORBID it got out.. what are you gonna say.. mom becasreful where you sit there is a giant spider in the house -.-



My idea would be to catch a couple jumping spiders (granted nobody you know including urself -.- and pareents) are allergic, and introduce them to those.. They are extremely intelligent and interesting, and got me over myhatred for spiders.. I find them very fascinating now and wouldnt completely trash the idea of having more arachids as pets (i ahd a scorp a few years back), and im the kind of kid who wouldve laughed if someone told me they had a pet t :lol:
 
  • #18
Can't agree with you, Natalie. Mom's house, Mom's rules. Don't like it ... wait until you move out to do what you want.
 
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