A woman in Phoenix, Arizona, excitedly brought a spider home from Petco and showed it online, only to discover it had an egg sac. She returned to the pet store with her concerns, and according to the TikToker, the discovery ultimately prompted Petco to change how stores nationwide handle spiders that arrive with eggs or babies.
The woman, known only as Walking In Spider Webs, shared her story on TikTok. As her name implies, she is all about spiders, sharing the one she already owns and selling spider merch and decorations. Her Petco story went viral, with the clip attached above garnering 1.6 million views, 128,300 likes, and more than 1,500 comments.
“I bought a spider from Petco… and things got crazy,” she captioned the clip.
The Arizona woman explained that her latest spider, Harriet, a velvet spider, came from a local Petco. Excitedly, she shared footage of her online. However, many quickly pointed out that Harriet had an egg sac. Skeptical at first, Walking In Spider Webs later accepted that she was going to become a spider grandma. She decided to talk to a Petco manager.
“If I was brand new to the spider world and adopted this spider and, like, didn’t know there was an egg sac in there and, like, you know, let the little spider continue to live its life and moved everything into a bigger enclosure, and then all of a sudden I’m a grandma to a thousand spiders and then my spider dies because it got eaten by the babies, I would be devastated,” she told the manager.
TikToker Says Petco Changed Its Policy Nationwide
The manager, shocked, didn’t understand what she meant. She went on to explain the unusual maternal behavior of velvet spiders, which can ultimately result in the spiderlings consuming their mother. The manager, shocked, didn’t understand what she meant. She went on to explain the unusual maternal behavior of velvet spiders, which can ultimately result in the spiderlings consuming their mother. Petco’s care guide for lined velvet spiders describes the behavior as matriphagy, explaining that females provide extensive maternal care before their offspring eventually become a food source.
The manager, who said she didn’t know that, showed her another velvet spider they had at the store. Turns out, that spider also had an egg sac.
In a follow-up clip, Walking In Spider Webs detailed that the manager, Brenda, immediately got to work. She started emailing her boss and other Petco higher-ups about the situation. Days later, she contacted Walking In Spider Webs with an update. According to the TikToker, the manager told her Petco had changed its policy nationwide for spiders arriving with egg sacs or babies.
“Spiders arriving with egg sacs or babies will now be returned to their vendor for proper care, and the babies can eventually return to stores when they’re old enough,” the woman detailed in a third clip. “I know that a nationwide policy doesn’t mean every store will follow it perfectly, but it’s a step in the right direction.” Petco has not publicly announced the reported policy change, so the nationwide update is based on what the TikToker said she heard from the store manager.
Viewers React to Petco Spider Surprise
The Arizona woman’s Petco spider story sparked many responses, mostly from viewers who were amazed by how things turned out. One said, “This is legitimately so awesome! Great job noticing and doing something about it.” Another one commented, “I’m glad to see the people who prioritize selling animals in an ethical manner have made their way to the big box pet stores.“
Other viewers shared their own negative experiences with Petco. One wrote, “Petco is horrible. “They sold me a bearded dragon that had MBD.” Another one added, “Petco sold me 2 male guppies because she claimed the other one I had was male. No, I in fact have about 50 guppies because they impregnated her.“
For now, Walking In Spider Webs is waiting to see whether Harriet’s egg sac actually hatches. And her unexpected trip back to Petco left her with more than a reported policy change. She also brought home the store’s other velvet spider with an egg sac and named Harriet’s new companion Ruth.
