This just in, dogs and cats are out, and jumping spiders are in! The hashtags #jumpingspiders and #spiertok have more than 1.5 billion views combined! Millions of social media users, most of them new to the idea of these tiny fun-loving spiders as pets, have fawned over clips of jumping spiders peeking up at their owners, appearing to ask for a lift or dancing around their reflections in a mirror. The spider fervor has birthed a cottage industry of deluxe spider habitats, from hollow walnut shells to regal glass towers. In fact, the exposure to spiders is curing some viewers of their arachnophobia and inspiring them to give these little guys a chance.
Jumping spiders are considered good pets because they are relatively intelligent, have curious personalities, and are considered one of the friendliest spider species! They rarely ever bite, (and even if they do, you can’t really feel it) and can be quite visually engaging with their large, expressive eyes, making them more endearing than intimidating to many people. These spiders also require minimal space and maintenance compared to other pets and are fun and easy to take care of!
And sure, they’re not as playful as a puppy or as snuggly as cats can be, when they’re feeling friendly. But keeping a jumping spider as a pet can be rewarding in different ways.
Danae Wolfe, a photographer and conservationist who shares regular updates of her jumping spider brood on tiktok, didn’t love them until she started to capture them on camera. She quickly grew fond of the little guys while examining them up close. Wolfe was able to find the charm in their “personalities and peculiarities.”
“While spiders might not form the same types of bonds with their humans as cats or dogs, I’d like to think that they might be able to recognize people and that people can earn their trust and perhaps even their love, whatever love might mean in a spider’s world,” Wolfe told CNN.
Jumping spiders are arguably one of the easiest pets to keep. They need very little space and can be kept in enclosures as little as less than a cubic foot. This enclosure can be kept in many convenient spaces such as on a bookshelf, desk or kitchen counter. Most people have this space to spare if they are unable to keep more traditional pets because of limited space. Jumping spider enclosures can also be fun to put together as a lot of it can be done at home with pet-safe materials such as wood, moss and handmade decorations, giving owners a lot of creative liberty. This will also make it easy to match the enclosure with whatever room they may be kept in.
These friendly arachnids are easy to feed. I know that for a lot of people, live prey can be very intimidating, (and gross). However, they take mostly small bugs and don’t need to be fed as frequently. Adult spiders go 5-10 days between feedings, making it easy for owners who may travel for a few days at a time.
For those looking to add a jumping spider to their family, more pet stores are beginning to carry them since they are so easy to care for. I definitely recommend looking into getting one of these eight-legged friends for yourself!
