My old man ):

[katiekatelyn]

For a long looonnnng time, there was this big lonely theraphosa stirmi at my local pet store, it seems like no one wanted him. The store owners told me that he was sexually mature and probably has about six months to live. Having all slings, I wanted to gain some experience caring for the giant beasts my babies will eventually turn into, and I figured six months wasn't a long time if it turned out to be terrible for me/us.

Well, it's been a year and I'm very fond of my wizened old man by now. Caring for him is super easy and he makes it that way by being so cool.
Usually though, when I go into his tank he tends to quickly move away from whatever part of the tank I'm doing something to. If I'm lucky I get a hiss and some raised legs.
Today, however, I was spraying his sub down with water, and as it was getting closer and closer to him he kind of drunkenly staggered to his burrow. As he wasn't facing me, I noticed his rear legs look like toothpicks and his abdomen is gigantic. This is unusual because he hasn't eaten anything more substantial than a single hornworm in the last two weeks. And his legs? I have no idea. But I have a feeling that I got six more months than predicted and maybe now it's Zeus's time to go.

 

[spidey noob]

sounds like u might be wright to me, but at least u gave him a good for as long as u could (he is a beast)

 

[hellknite]

It's a sad fact in the hobby that we must accept.. It's nature taking its course... I had lost 3 matured males this year.. and looks like another 1 gotta go soon.. we all know how it feels..

 

[katiekatelyn]

He is still eating, at least I dropped a hornworm in there yesterday and it's gone now. He hasn't been exploring his enclosure lately, and it already feels like a loss because he used to make such a ruckus in there, and it always made me smile to hear him. I'll post updates.

 

[Martin Oosthuysen]

For a long looonnnng time, there was this big lonely theraphosa stirmi at my local pet store, it seems like no one wanted him. The store owners told me that he was sexually mature and probably has about six months to live. Having all slings, I wanted to gain some experience caring for the giant beasts my babies will eventually turn into, and I figured six months wasn't a long time if it turned out to be terrible for me/us.

Well, it's been a year and I'm very fond of my wizened old man by now. Caring for him is super easy and he makes it that way by being so cool.
Usually though, when I go into his tank he tends to quickly move away from whatever part of the tank I'm doing something to. If I'm lucky I get a hiss and some raised legs.
Today, however, I was spraying his sub down with water, and as it was getting closer and closer to him he kind of drunkenly staggered to his burrow. As he wasn't facing me, I noticed his rear legs look like toothpicks and his abdomen is gigantic. This is unusual because he hasn't eaten anything more substantial than a single hornworm in the last two weeks. And his legs? I have no idea. But I have a feeling that I got six more months than predicted and maybe now it's Zeus's time to go. View attachment 7544

Don't want to give you a long story nor false hope,I just wish that you have at least some more time with him.

 

[katiekatelyn]

Yeah he's a cool dude, I never thought he was going to be as cool as he is. He has his moments, but there will be none like him!