Spider

[Champagne]

I got out of the shower this morning and had put one foot on the floor when suddenly a highly deadly black tarantula crawled across the floor! ARRGHH!! Okay, so it wasn't a tarantula, but it was one of those large black hairy house spiders that are so big you can see every hair on it's eight legs and it has a fag hangin' out of its mouth and one of those looks that says "f'kinc'monthen!!".

Anyhooo, to make a short story long, I squealed and shuddered and squirmed and generally freaked out like the big girly girl that I am (no offence girly_girl). Eurgh eeeew &)*!Q$^!/&^%&*$^ bleurgh *shudder*. I couldn't even run and hide in fear because I still needed to brush my teeth! (although I did contemplate going to work with rancid breath from where I slept on my back all night with my mouth open, possibly swallowing a couple of spiders during the night but that's irrelevant right now). So I did what any true arachnophobe would do and I set the dog on it. However, my boxer dog has his own phobia; he's scared of floor tiles. Consquently, although he could see the highly deadly black tarantula, he couldn't get to it. Instead, he stood guard at the bathroom door, waiting in anticipation for the spider to crawl into his mouth. And that is where I left him.

In conclusion, I have a two questions:

1. is it commonplace for animals to have phobias? and;
2. is there a country I can move to which doesn't contain spiders?

Thank you.

[gessoo]

LOL champagne. What a vivid picture you paint.

In answer to the first question.

Yes definitely. We had a cat that was freaked out by cracks in the ceiling and would hiss at them. If you picked him up and he was nearer the ceiling he became agitated.

We have also had an agrophobic cat who wouldn't set foot outide!!

I am sure I can think of many more examples.

In answer to your second question, I seriously doubt it, although perhaps a nice retreat in the Arctic circle might suit you!!!

[electricblue]

I'm gonna have a picture in my mind all damn day now of a boxer standing in the doorway with his mouth open,crikey,i've always pulled the dogs away from them so they don't hurt the spider,then i hoover it up instead!!!

[wolf63]

I found a big spider in the house once. I took about half an hour to build up the courage to catch it. I put it in a box, which I placed by the front door and went for my jacket. Robbie the stupid mutt thought we were going "walkies" and ran to the front door - he sat down to wait for me. Where did he sit, yes - moron dog sat on the spider and killed it. This was the spider that I intended to release back into the wild, and had spent so long trying to catch alive.

He wasn't interested in catching the spider when I was freaking out though.

Did you know that spiders 'crunch' when you eat them, my cat, George, proved that point to me once.

Your big brave boxer dog sounds just like my moronic (and now deceased) lab/GSD mutt.

[tinkertontom]

thanks for that champagne you have given me a laugh just imagening the the whole thing I'm gald it wasn't me though I think I would have passed out. our cat has a phobia of the vac cleaner as soon as he see's it he off like linford christie

[spudqueen]

You could always apply to a research station in the Antarctic Champagne! And after hearing this story you might want to - a girl I worked with went home and found the top she was wanting to wear that night on the washing line (her nice mother had washed it and pegged it out). However, wanting to wear it NOW she took it off the washing line and popped it into the tumble drier to finish off drying. When she put it on something went POP on her chest and when she looked it was in the shape of a spider which must have been in the top when it was on the washing line, had been heating up nicely in the tumble drier and then POPPED when it touched her skin!

[zara 4]

eeeuuurrrrgghhh,,gross,gross,gross,gross,!!

[Clanad]

"2. Is there a country...?"

I had the distinct pleasure of spending nearly a whole summer in a fire lookout station in central Alaska... nary a spider the whole time. Seems there used to be a population of them but the grizzly bears developed a taste for them as a delicacy...

[123paul]

Our dog used to eat them too. Dont go to Australia, or if you do, take your dog. There is a really deadly spider, not sure of its a Huntsman, or something like that. Kills people in Aus every year but dogs are immune to the venom!

Truly Mans' best friend.

[Tarka2006]

Hi Champagne,

Yes my dog has the usual fears - thunder, fireworks, (poor little mite!) and also doesn't like going out in the rain! However, if we are out playing already then it rains - no fear!

She also is a bit aprenhesive of the hoover, but when I take the bottom bit off (its one of those miele's (think Henry type cleaner) and use the hose end, she chases it around and loves to grab the suction end in her mouth! I have to put the end back on otherwise Im worried she will get her tongue sucked in by it! Silly thing! :o)

[Sphinx_Svens]

If you find that spiderless country ... book 2 tickets, I'm coming with you

[Champagne]

Ahhh... she sounds like a cutie, Tarka.

Right, Sphinx_Svens, Alaska here we come! :o)