Why People Keep Pet Spiders (and Why It Is Not as Crazy as It Sounds)

For many people, the phrase pet spiders sounds like a contradiction. Pets are supposed to be soft, fluffy and ready to cuddle on the sofa, right? Spiders, on the other hand, often trigger fear, shivers or at least a quick step back across the room. Yet thousands of keepers around the world choose spiders as companions and find them calming, fascinating and even beautiful to watch.

The secret is understanding what a pet spider really is. A spider is not a tiny dog or cat. It will not recognize its name, it will not play fetch, and it very rarely enjoys being held. Instead, a pet spider is more like a living, slowly changing piece of art. You create the right habitat, offer the right food, and then you watch the animal go about its private routines: weaving silk, exploring tunnels, waiting patiently in ambush, and sometimes surprising you with unexpected behaviors.

This guide focuses on pet spiders that are realistic for beginners: mostly tarantulas and a few other species that are commonly kept in captivity. We will not encourage you to keep highly venomous or illegal species. The goal is safe curiosity, not risk. As you read, imagine that you are walking through a calm, well-organized spider room with someone experienced at your side, pointing out what matters and what really does not.

Which Pet Spiders Are Best for Beginners?

The term pet spiders covers a huge variety of animals, from tiny jumping spiders to large, hairy tarantulas. As a beginner, you want species that are:

• Relatively calm and slow-moving.
• Tolerant of minor beginner mistakes in temperature or humidity.
• Not dangerously venomous to humans.
• Commonly bred in captivity, not taken from the wild whenever possible.

Many keepers start with tarantulas because their care is well documented and there is an active community ready to help. Here are a few widely recommended options you will see mentioned again and again when you research pet spiders:

• Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco golden knee tarantula): large, gentle and usually slow, with golden stripes on its legs.
• Brachypelma hamorii / smithi (Mexican red knee group): famous for their bright orange knees, moderate size and calm temperament.
• Grammostola pulchra (Brazilian black): often described as velvety and statuesque, a very steady and forgiving pet spider.
• Jumping spiders (Phidippus species): tiny, curious and often surprisingly bold, with big eyes that seem to watch you back from their little enclosure.

All spiders have venom, but the species commonly recommended for beginners have venom that is medically mild for most healthy adults, comparable more to a bee sting than to a serious injury. Even so, responsible keepers avoid bites not just for their own comfort, but also to avoid stressing the animal. The best pet spiders for beginners are ones you enjoy watching more than you feel the need to touch.

Building a Safe, Simple Enclosure for Pet Spiders

One of the most important parts of keeping pet spiders is the enclosure. Most problems that new keepers face — escapes, injuries, mysterious deaths — can be traced back to poor housing. The good news is that spider enclosures do not need to be fancy or expensive. They do, however, need to be appropriate for the species you choose.

Terrestrial tarantulas, which live mostly on or under the ground, prefer enclosures that are wider than they are tall. They benefit from a deep layer of substrate for digging and a secure hide where they can feel safe. Arboreal species, like tree-dwelling tarantulas, need more vertical space, branches to climb and anchor webbing, and excellent ventilation to prevent stale, damp air.

A good basic checklist for most pet spiders includes:

• A secure lid or door that locks or clips closed.
• Escape-proof ventilation holes that are too small for the spider to fit through.
• A substrate appropriate to the species (often plain coconut fiber or a soil mix).
• At least one hide, such as a half log, cork bark or a small cave.
• A shallow water dish, cleaned regularly, if the species requires it.

Many experienced keepers repeat one simple rule: “Keep it simple and safe.” Decoration is optional. Stability is not. A clean, uncluttered enclosure where your pet spider can move, hide and build without danger is far better than a crowded display that looks pretty but creates risks of falls or mold.

Feeding Pet Spiders: What, When and How Much

Feeding pet spiders is one of the most fascinating parts of keeping them — and also one of the most misunderstood. Many people imagine spiders constantly hungry and ready to attack anything that moves. In reality, spiders are surprisingly patient. A well-fed adult tarantula can go weeks, or even months, without eating if necessary, especially before a molt.

Most commonly kept pet spiders eat insects such as crickets, roaches or mealworms. The general rule is that prey should not be larger than the spider’s body (excluding legs). It is better to offer several small prey items than one oversized meal that could stress or even injure your pet.

A simple feeding rhythm for many tarantulas might look like this:

• Young spiderlings: small prey two or three times a week.
• Juveniles: a few appropriately sized insects once or twice a week.
• Adults: a moderate feeding once a week, or even every two weeks for heavy individuals.

Any uneaten live prey should be removed after a few hours, especially if the spider seems stressed or is preparing to molt. In nature, prey runs away when not captured. In an enclosure, it can stay and bother a vulnerable spider. Remember: good feeding for pet spiders is about balance, not constant action.

Handling Pet Spiders: Do You Really Need to Hold Them?

New keepers often picture themselves gently holding their pet spiders on their hands or letting them walk calmly along their arms. While some individuals do tolerate careful handling, many experienced keepers recommend a different mindset: assume that your spider would prefer not to be held at all.

Spiders are delicate. A short fall that would not bother a cat or a lizard can be fatal for a large tarantula, especially if its abdomen ruptures on impact. Handling also increases the risk of bites, even if the species is usually calm. From the spider’s point of view, your hand is a huge, warm, moving surface; it does not know your intentions.

Instead of focusing on handling, focus on:

• Designing enclosures that allow good viewing angles.
• Using soft tools (like a paintbrush or catch cup) when you must move the spider.
• Spending time simply observing, noticing patterns in your pet’s behavior.

If you ever do choose to handle, keep it low to the ground, over a soft surface, and be ready to gently guide the spider rather than grab it. But remember: you can have a rich, satisfying relationship with pet spiders even if you never touch them.

Mindset: Respect, Patience and Boundaries

Keeping pet spiders successfully has as much to do with your mindset as with your equipment. If you approach spiders as props for social media or as trophies to impress others, you will likely become frustrated. If you approach them as quiet, complex animals with their own limits, you are much more likely to enjoy the experience.

Respect means accepting that your spider does not exist to entertain you on command. Patience means being okay with days — or weeks — when nothing dramatic seems to happen. Boundaries mean knowing when to leave your pet alone, especially after a recent meal, a molt or a rehouse into a new enclosure.

Many keepers describe an unexpected side effect of keeping pet spiders: their own anxiety decreases. Watching an animal that takes life slowly, that spends long periods simply resting or waiting, becomes a kind of moving meditation. The more you learn about how your spider sees the world, the more your old, automatic fear response begins to soften.

Ethics: Captive-Bred Pet Spiders and Responsible Keeping

Any guide to pet spiders should also touch on ethics. Not every spider you see for sale has been bred in captivity. In some regions, wild spiders are collected and shipped off to the pet trade, sometimes in large numbers. This can harm local populations and ecosystems, especially when rare species are targeted.

Whenever possible, choose captive-bred animals from responsible breeders. Ask questions:

• Is this species legal to keep where I live?
• Was this individual bred in captivity or taken from the wild?
• Does the seller provide care information and support?

Responsible keeping also means planning ahead. Pet spiders can live a surprisingly long time, especially females of some tarantula species, which may live 15 to 20 years. Buying an animal on impulse because it looks exotic in a shop window does not respect that long-term commitment.

From Fear to Curiosity: Rewriting Your Personal Spider Story

For many of us, fear of spiders did not start with a real-life bite. It started with stories: a relative screaming at a spider in the bathroom, a horror movie showing giant fangs, a rumor about deadly species hiding in shoes. When you decide to research pet spiders, you are quietly choosing to write a different kind of story.

The more you learn, the more your brain gains concrete images to replace vague panic. Instead of “spiders are terrifying,” you might think, “my tarantula is hiding in her burrow because she just ate.” Instead of “they jump at you,” you might remember that most pet spiders run away from large movements or freeze to avoid detection.

You do not have to erase every trace of fear. A little caution can be healthy, especially when dealing with animals that do have venom. But you can shift from fear controlling you to you choosing how to respond. Spiders stop being faceless threats and start being individuals with habits that you recognize and understand.

Are Pet Spiders Right for You?

By now, you have walked through the core of this guide: beginner-friendly species, basic enclosures, feeding, handling, ethics and mindset. You have discovered that pet spiders are not for everyone, but they are also not the chaotic danger that many people imagine.

Pet spiders are perfect for people who:

• Enjoy quiet observation more than physical interaction.
• Are willing to research and double-check husbandry details.
• Respect boundaries and do not push animals just for a reaction.
• Feel curious about overcoming old fears in a slow, steady way.

If you decide to start, begin with just one animal and one enclosure. Learn from that experience. Take notes, connect with reputable communities, and be honest with yourself if it ever stops feeling right. Keeping pet spiders should be a source of calm fascination, not constant stress.

And even if you choose never to own one, understanding them better can still change the way you feel when you see a spider on the wall. Maybe next time, instead of smashing it automatically, you will pause, take a breath, and gently move it outside — or simply let it stay and do the quiet work it has done for millions of years.