Having a pet tarantula has honestly been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my mental health and well being. I know that sounds weird, but maybe once I’m done explaining why this will make more sense.

A lot of people get into tarantulas because they love the coloration and the display aspect, or perhaps they enjoy the voyeoristic nature of watching their pet tarantulas take down a meal. For me, I enjoy the more quiet, subtle things about spiders, and I would be more than happy to share those things with you.

1. They’re the ultimate introvert. I used to be very self conscious about being an introvert, to be honest. But once I got my first pet tarantula, Spidey, I slowly grew to accept this about myself and see that it wasn’t a bad thing. I truly heavily identify with Spidey’s neuroticism about making her enclosure just right and watching her get cozy and sit in one position for literally hours. To be honest, in the constantly shuffle of my everyday life sometimes I’m quiet envious of her lol. My tarantulas are a constant reminder to take things slow and to make my recharging time at home count.

2. Tarantulas are captivating. Much like humans, tarantulas can be beautiful, terrifying, unpredictable, soothing, and mesmerizing at the same time. It’s easy to get lost just in the observation and care of these creatures, and watching my tarantulas is one of my favorite things to soothe anxiety. Now, this may be because my tarantulas are pretty calm, so watching their slow movements actually IS relaxing. If you have a hyper or testy T, this might be a completely different story for you.

3. Tarantulas are like, really weird. Honestly it’s not the care or the novelty of having a pet tarantula that is the most exciting or enjoyable thing for me. I get the most joy from catching my tarantulas doing something really weird or discovering a new strange quirk or behavioral pattern. When you get to know these creatures up close and personal, you start noticing that they all have their own little “personalities” and habits, and to be honest it melts my heart!

4. Tarantulas are adorable! This may not be popular opinion, but I think tarantulas are really cute! Their little spider paws, beady eyes, and furry/fluffy bodies make me believe that I would love to cuddle one if they were bigger and non venomous.

5. They’re independent. If you don’t know who the jealous cat is yet, bless your soul. She appears in many of my videos and is extremely demanding. I honestly cannot imagine having another needy pet to take care of so I am incredibly grateful that my tarantulas are low maintenance and don’t require much from be besides a nice enclosure, food, and water. This was one of the main reasons I decided to delve into tarantula care, because I know I can get very busy and wouldn’t be able to take on much more than I already had on my plate. I think, being an independent person myself, I really love this about tarantulas. They are fine on their own and don’t need much to keep them content.

Maybe this has opened your mind about what tarantula keeping could be like. If you are already a tarantula owner, let me know what your top 5 favorite things are!