What To Do with Charlotte?

by Barb Casort

Picture this: your child has just discovered the world of arachnids and when you go to the pet store they see a tarantula.  Immediately they decide this would be a perfect pet to have at home; mysterious, kinda creepy, but quiet. They beg and you decide that if they can work for the money you will let them buy it. Fascinating as it is, will this be a good choice as a lifelong pet?  Where was it acquired?  Was it born in captivity, or brought in from another country either legally or illegally?  How long will it survive even with excellent care, or rather ESPECIALLY with excellent care?  Too often an exotic animal which spends its life in hiding, unaccustomed to being handled, will continue to exhibit those same behaviors of hiding in captivity.

Charlotte, the Chilean Rose Toed Tarantula, is one such animal.  She was adopted from a college student from WWU who discovered that thought she was a great pet and conversation piece to have while in middle school. Once he went away to college he found that although she was quite low maintenance, his parents did not relish the idea of taking over her care and feeding for the next four to six years while he studied away from home.  Charlotte went with him.  Once in his dorm she was pushed to the back of his desk, where her monthly feedings were stretched to six to eight weeks.  Her water often went empty, and her cage went uncleaned for over a year.  Luckily he eventually sought another home.

Now Charlotte lives with me.  Her life is still quiet, but she has opportunities to travel to the homes of home schooling children, classrooms, and occasionally a family who is thinking of adopting or purchasing such a pet, only to discover that a month may be plenty of time to have a visitor like Charlotte.  Most of her time is spent hiding in her den.  She comes out only to eat her 4 crickets a month, have a sip of water, and perhaps sit on her heat stone to aide in digestion.  Rare is the chance for someone to see her shed her exoskeleton – not more than once every 18 months or so – and then most people think she has died until they see TWO spiders of the same size in her tank.

I urge you to consider carefully when thinking of a rare animal for your child.  The longevity of a spider like Charlotte is up to 25 years.  Ask them what they intend to do once they go to college?  A parent should not be expected to care for an animal forever because of the whim of a child, and the animal should not have to suffer neglect once the interest has passed.

Groups such as the Alternative Humane Society take in all sorts of animals, but with our seams bursting, eventually we too will be full.  Instead of purchasing or adopting a pet, consider other options to experience pet guardianship, like pet-sitting, visiting friends who have different pets, “borrowing” as some families do with Charlotte, or fostering.

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