Normally I am very nice to spiders, and even have my wife and son trained
to leave the daddy long legs alone in the house, since they tend to eat all
the other spiders etc. that get in. This live and let live attitude extends
to our yard, where we had a pretty (pretty big too) shiny green orb weaver.
Each morning he would be sitting in the middle of big circular web between
a bush and tree beside the driveway.
Unfortunately one morning that web was between the tree and the door of my
car. That isn't what got him squished though. I was carefully detaching the
web, and said pretty large green spider zipped down a strand and
disappeared under the door handle of my car. The thing is, I BARELY noticed
him going there, and that set off major spider paranoia. I fished him out
and smushed him with a stick, and I am still touchy about putting my
fingers under door handles.
Our cat "pretzel" has pretty much eaten every spider in the house now that
she has mastered leaping to all points. She is the skinniest cat, and walks
the top of curtain rods seeking tasty morsels without any fear.