KatKwery! - July 22 - three in a row!

persi & alley · Jul 22, 2008

First, the Wikipedia definition of tarantula: Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.

Marianjela won for the third straight time (unprecedented) by using the word site. Luvmycat1 kept out of the clutches of Glitch by using both. Nobody used possible, thought, or enter.

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

marianjela · Jul 22, 2008

Thanks Lee - does 3-in-a-row make me a turkey? I am on a roll!

When I think of a tarantula I definitely do _not_ think of it as an animal or any kind of pet for that matter. Instantly I think of an insect or pest that needs to be squashed! Where's my shoe??? Although, when I was younger one of my best friends had a little spider living in her room in a web in corner, she kept it there and called it Fred - ewww... but I guess it did take care of any bugs

I imagine if my cat found one, in my garage, home or basement that it would think of it as dinner! I envision him investigating, pouncing and batting him around the floor like a lifeless ball. Personally I do not feel better knowing that spider's bite is not "seriously poisonous". Is that an oxymoron or what? A bite from spider, no matter what size is an itchy nuisance. I imagine a spider with teeth as big as my cat and with an appetite for blood would be painful and not something I would want living as my neighbor!

I am very content with where I live. I have been to states with snakes roaming free in backyards, and scorpions at the local park... no thank you. When winter comes to Erie, I may get frustrated with all the shoveling, but I will remind myself this year how lucky I am that the cold weather scares away the beasties!

The biggest spider I've ever seen here is a Daddy Long Leg when we go camping. Those I can deal with... but I still keep my shoes close

And hey.... I dont live in Texas, but I'll still talk to you about KatKlik

luvmy2cats · Jul 22, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

First, the Wikipedia definition of tarantula: Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.

Marianjela won for the third straight time (unprecedented) by using the word site. Luvmycat1 kept out of the clutches of Glitch by using both. Nobody used possible, thought, or enter.

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

I never though of a tarantula as an animal, I can't say why. If Popsie found on in the garage he'd probably go investigate it. If I found one in the garage I'd probably scream first, then go look at it. Spiders really don't scare me. It does ease my mind knowing that it's not seriously poisonous. I think it would be cool to live in Texas with all the creepy crawlies.

persi & alley · Jul 22, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes?

I do think of it as an animal because I was always taught an insect had six legs. Persi thought it was a lot of fun to play with but did not try to kill it, it is still out there in the garage as far as I know. I found several of them in the back yard area where they are digging but I did not flee in terror, I took the time to take the picture but I did make sure it did not get close enough to jump on me. I know most spiders do not have poison but would not want any of them on me. I do live in Texas and I have found a scorpion in my bed. Ever since then, I look closely before jumping under the covers.

monaxlisa · Jul 22, 2008

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal?
No I dont think of it as an animal, I think it'd fall under the creepy/scary insect category.

What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage?
I cant even imagine what I would do if I found one of my kitties playing with a giant spider, Im sure any of my cats would think it was a toy or dinner (or both) though.

And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage?
I'd probably just curl up in the fetal position and cry. Well..maybe not but it'd cross my mind.

Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous?
No, not in the least.

Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)
Now Im having second thoughts about even visiting Texas!! I remember seeing a picture once of a big wall clock with spider legs sticking out around the edges ( http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...er+clock&gbv=2 ), I'd just die if I ever saw that. I used to live in WA where there were rattle snakes a plenty (never saw one though) but Im pretty content where I am now, where all you have to worry about are the sparrow size mosquitoes.

belongstoevie · Jul 22, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

Aw, poor Tarantulas! No one thinks of them as animals... I certainly do think of them as animals! Nasty, ugly animals I wouldn't want to come across in the garage, but still animals!

Hmm... If Evie came across a tarantula in the garage, I'd quickly grab her and take her home because we don't have a garage and we must be at someone else's house!

He he. But really, I wouldn't be too worried because she's a chicken, and something that big and moving? Well, I'm pretty sure she'd freak out and run away! Much like I would! If she went to go check it out, I'd stop her, probably pick her up and put her somewhere safe while I shooed the bugger outside. Poisonous or not, I don't want my baby to be bit!

So yeah, if I ran in to one, I'd get kinda creeped out, and probably catch it in something, like a cup or bowl, and take it outside. Far, far away outside!

And yes, it definitely makes me feel better that they're not poisonous! For me and the pets. In fact, creepy as it is, I've met some "pet" tarantulas, and I've even pet and held them!

I guess being in search and rescue, I've become, not used to, but able to handle bugs, since we practically have to swim through those creepy crawlies! Then I go take a long hot shower.

Yes, I am happy I don't live in Texas and have to deal with such things! Also so I don't have to deal with the humidity! I can't imagine having to deal with some of the bugs I've seen other places. I came across a spider that I swear was bigger than a tarantula when I lived in Japan. It was in my shower!! So yeah, I wasn't dressed. I freaked out! Since I wasn't dressed I couldn't take it outside, so I washed it down the shower drain.

laureen227 · Jul 22, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

to me, tarantulas are more like animals [altho i know that's not their true classification]. my cats don't go in the garage, & i've never seen a tarantula where i live [10 years] but they were quite prevalent at my parents' house when i was growing up - we used to 'hunt' them! scorpions were also all over [usually came into the house during heavy rainy times] until my folks got the exterminator out for them. we also had copperheads, rattlesnakes & cottonmouths on the property [which was next to a pond] as well as hognose & other snakes. snakes don't really bother me - neither do tarantulas - but i really dislike most other types of spiders. i'm currently having a spider attack - they look like either huntsman or grass spiders. have found 3 dead ones & killed a 4th myself just in the last 2 weeks. including legs, they've been about the size of a quarter - i can't figure out where they're coming from!

marianjela · Jul 22, 2008

Ok, if you want to get technical

You're right, insects do have six legs; therefore, spiders are not insects, they are arachnids! But I still wouldnt classify them as an animal. Most animals I know only have four legs. At least the cute or cuddly ones. But technically, encyclopedia-ly speaking, they are animals. They are multi-cellular and they move voluntarily and they acquire and digest food.

...it's not a plant, so...

BUT, I still wouldnt want to put it in a cage and pet it!

I remember a while back when I lived in North Carolina there were these HUGE crickets/grasshoppers that would get in the house - I think they were called spider-crickets or something like that - they had HUGE legs and could JUMP far. Anyway, the cats used to love stalking them, and would hunt them until they wer too injured to move anymore. At that point the poor crickets were done for and the cats would loose interest. My mother's cat loves to hunt moths. I think she would go insane chasing moths if left to her own freewill.

I went to visit Phoenix for a wedding about 15 years ago and the wedding was in the desert. Someone at the reception got stung by a scorpion; he leaned up against a wall (waiting for his wife to come out of the bathroom) and landed right on top of a scorpion who was minding his own business up until that point. I was only there a few days and witnessed that - I dont even want to think of the statistics or of them in my bed! No thank you!

Now - when I went to Florida last year, we seen lizards all over the place and had them in the villa we were staying at. Little lizards didnt bother me. But I also seen a snake just slithering along outside like it was an everyday red-robin or something. Again, no thank you.... but I did like Florida's weather!

And your description of a spider JUMPING....... you're making my skin crawl!

glitch · Jul 22, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

First, the Wikipedia definition of tarantula: Any of various large, hairy, chiefly tropical spiders of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.

Marianjela won for the third straight time (unprecedented) by using the word site. Luvmycat1 kept out of the clutches of Glitch by using both. Nobody used possible, thought, or enter.

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

I think of a tarantula as a spider, just a larger kind of spider and they are generally harmless. I had a "pet" mexican rose hair for a long time, my daughter the Killer was a blast and even when he escaped his aqaurium it wasn't that bad, the one time he was crawling up the side of the vace, the other time we had just moved to a new place and he got out and was climbing straight up the mirror! My cat BooBoo who I had at the time thought the tarantula was quite interesting, never tried anything really! I use to love to feed the tarantula although I would never feed him a pinky because I think thats wrong, he did eat crickets and other insects! He didn't eat them near as cool as my old hamster Cleo did, she was nuts! She would find one of those crickets, give you this look that was just evil and then she would bite its head off, and then quickly shove the rest of it in her mouth! It was awesome! Never had to worry about a bug in the house with her around, she just didn't take no guff from anything, including the cats, who screwed with her once, then got their tails bit straight through! She was a tough cookie, took cancer to take her off this earth! My mexican rose hair molted a few times which was insanely neat, and I have pictures of! He climbed the glass and flipped upside down and then it took a few days to complete the process, I still have one of his molting shells! My tarantula was as big as your hand spread out open, and was very nice, he liked to climb up onto your shoulder and do cool thinks, he was always really pink on his back area right after he molted but a couple months later he wouldn't be near as pink anymore! I would not want to be on the recieving end of a tarantula bite, the fangs that are left on my tarantulas skin were over an inch long, and then it would take a while for his shell to unsensitize and get hard and he couldn't eat for close to a month when his fangs got hard again, and his teeth were scary, but he never bit anyone! I would like to live somewhere where they are more common so I could catch another one and make it a pet, even though I know it is far safer to buy them at the pet shop! If I lie and say I live in texas will you tell me what the katklik is about? I know what katkwiz and katkwery are, but not katklik! We don't have as many different big spiders here where I live, but we do have a couple brown backs that are nerve racking, I would not like to run across one of those in my garage! That would be scary! I dont think spiders get the respect in this world they deserve, anything that eats bugs is okay in my book, because those bites suck and you get them everyday while the chances of getting bit by a giant spider are slim to none unless you atagonize it! I had someone who decided they would squirt my tarantula and he had just molted so I threw them out of my house and told them to never ever bother again, they tried to squirt the hampster too but I threw them out too soon, they wanted to see the tarantula and the hampster fight! They were my DH's friends, key word being "WERE"! Anyone as sick as to squirt something that is so sensitive to touch is just cruel. We couldn't even pick him up after her molted for quite a while, although we always made sure to get his previous body out of there so he didn't have to look at it! Im interested to see what everyone else replied because I do enjoy a good tarantula, and I know alot of people are absolutely terrified of them!

glitch · Jul 22, 2008

Oh you can't crush a tarantula with your shoe! beings that they're so big can you imagine what kinds of bugs we'd have out there if it wasn't for them? They are a valuable asset to the world! We need them, I mean, a good sized tarantula can eat mice, rats, and other small animals! I dont think they're animals but I do think they can think and feel and should be clasified as a living being!

cocoa cream · Jul 23, 2008

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

When you think of a tarantula, do you think of it as an animal? What would your cat do if it came across a tarantula in the garage? And more to the point, what would you do if you came across a tarantula in the garage? Does it make you feel any better knowing its bite is not seriously poisonous? Are you happy that you do not live in Texas with tarantulas, scorpions and rattlesnakes? (If you do live in Texas I want to talk to you about KatKlik.)

Finally getting around to posting today.... Yesterday's KatKwiz made me laugh and shudder all at the same time! Tarantula's do not make it onto my short list of "companion animals", but I've known some people who keep them as pets. I really do not like spiders one single bit, even itty bitty ones, unless they are outside and I see them before they surprise me! However, at the pre-K where I used to work (in Texas!), we had a "pet" tarantula in a large terrarium (sp?) for quite a while. One of my co-workers' husband had kept it in his office for a long time after finding it in a client's home (he was an exterminator), but I guess he got tired of caring for it or something. The kids were fascinated by him...they got to catch crickets and other insects and bring them to "Hoss" (the tarantula) to feed him. Only two of the teachers were actually brave enough to open his cage to feed him and change his water, and I was not one of them. But I did overcome my fear enough to sit with the children and watch Hoss wander around his enclosure. He eventually stopped eating and died, which was a little sad for the kids. But it was a good learning experience for all of us! I did know that he was not highly poisonous, so that did help me feel less threatened by him. I was actually alot more upset when I found a black widow spider in the grapes I was washing for our snack one day! It was dead, but I don't think it had been for long! YIKES!

So anyway, to answer your other questions, I think after getting over my initial shock, if my cat found a tarantula I'd get my cat out of there and find something to trap the thing as quickly as possible! I would be highly surprised to find one here,though, since I now live in Illinois. I was thankful never to come across a scorpion while living in TX, though, as many of friends had stories about them. Here in southern IL, we have lots of other poisonous spiders and snakes, like cottonmouths and copperheads. I'm hoping I don't ever run into either of those!

KatKwery! - July 22 - three in a row!

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KatKwery! - July 22 - three in a row!