Success! I've managed to convert my girlfriend into an Arachnophile!

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

Considering I've only been in the hobby since spring this year, my girlfriend has never liked spiders and said she would never like them either.

On saturday I had to pop into my local exotic pet store, where they still had a lovely young chili red Grammostola rosea that they've had in there for months, and I've been wanting to give it a nice home.

I showed it to my girlfriend, who was still sitting outside in the car, and when she said, 'aww that's sweet', I kinda asked her if she'd like it for her house. She said 'yes, I would', so 'we' now have a new addition to the family, but Bonnie will be kept at her house instead.

Luckily I had enough substrate and a spare tank for 'her', and 'Bonnie' seems really settled in her new home.

I will attach photos, once I've got a few decent ones over the next few days.

[Jamie Cooper]

I find it interesting how easily the other half converts!

Like you, my girlfriend hated spiders and cringed at the thought of me bringing one into the house. A couple of months down the line, I'm into double figures and she's given them all names!

Great new addition, I bought one about a month ago. A must for every collection.

Jamie.

[Stephen jordan]

Most of my friends wont come past my front gate because of the spiders. So I don't bother with them anymore, just me and the spiders now.

[Colin D Wilson]

Thats a nice outcome Andrew, now you have another thing to share in common with your girlfriend.

Luckily for me Elaine was well into spiders before we got together, and it was the need for me to collect a particularly scatty P. miranda that enabled us to meet up and find we got along like a house on fire ..... and the rest is history as they say

[R Thomas]

Well, I think this is a common theme in a number of households. When I first told my wife that I wanted a tarantula it was an empthatic NO! It therefore took me a while to tell her that I was going to buy a G. rosea and that 'that was that'. When it arrived at the house the wife would go no where near its enclosure but over time slowly realised how fascinating it was to watch (and that it was enclosed and not going to come at her) and her fear subsided. Now the wife loves to visit shops and mail order sites and just loves to surprise me with new additions to my collection. She still hates house spiders but this is a good start lol

[James Box]

Thats a nice outcome Andrew, now you have another thing to share in common with your girlfriend.

Luckily for me Elaine was well into spiders before we got together, and it was the need for me to collect a particularly scatty P. miranda that enabled us to meet up and find we got along like a house on fire ..... and the rest is history as they say

yeah i was lucky to be found by someone also into spiders as well!
congrats, Andrew!!! Grammostola are a great ambassador for the spiders of the world!

[Colin D Wilson]

yeah i was lucky to be found by someone also into spiders as well!

And very happy you both look too my friend

[James Box]

And very happy you both look too my friend

as do you and yours!! fantastic to see

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

Thank you all the good comments.

I thought I should update the thread with some pretty pictures. So here goes.

Meet Bonnie.

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Andrew, they're some great pictures you've taken there, the Chili is a classic T and a good addition to anyones collection.

[Carole Dallison]

Aww! She`s really pretty.

I remember a conversation I had with my husband, went something along the lines of " can I have a pet Tarant.....""Nope its not gonna happen". The following year I divorced said husband and now own 30 gorgeous T`s lol!

[Mrs Linda Street]

That's right Carole, you've got to get your priorities in order lol

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

Sometimes a hobby becomes an obsession, and then the obsession becomes an addiction and that takes over above all else!

Maybe Carole gets more love from all her Ts than this ex-hubby of hers?!

[Carole Dallison]

Oh yes I do. They`re much more interesting too, lol!

[Sarah Willis]

Bonnie is beautiful, Andrew! Nice one on converting your girlfriend. Funnily enough, it was a red Chilean Rose which converted my other half also. He was none to keen back in February when I said I wanted to keep spiders. I took him to a shop to look at some and the minute he saw the Rosie, he thought she was gorgeous, so I bought her. Now other half is egging me on by telling me which one he thinks I should get next!