“Sharing my life with Ziggy has been amazing …”
One day, while working from her home office, Kae noticed something small moving behind the corkboard on her wall. At first, she froze — she’d always been afraid of spiders.
But this one was different.
Behind that corkboard was a tiny wild jumping spider, doing her best to survive. Nearly a year later, that spider — now named Ziggy — has become one of Kae’s closest companions.
Meet Ziggy
When Kae first spotted Ziggy, the spider was just a baby. Although she was still scared, Kae couldn’t bring herself to harm her. Instead, she chose kindness.
She allowed Ziggy to stay and even began offering her food to help her grow strong and healthy.
What started as cautious coexistence soon became something much more meaningful.
From Fear To Friendship
At first, Kae kept her distance. However, over time, something surprising happened.
“Every time I’d walk into the office, she would come out from behind my corkboard to greet me,” Kae said.
Slowly, her fear began to fade. Instead of anxiety, she felt curiosity. Instead of avoidance, she felt connection.
Soon, Ziggy wasn’t just a spider in the room — she was a companion.
A Bond Built On Trust
Today, Ziggy comfortably climbs onto Kae’s hands and sleeves. Sometimes she crawls up to her shoulder and sits while Kae scrolls on TikTok.
“She loves being taken out of her enclosure and jumping around on my hands and sleeves,” Kae said. “I know she trusts me. The way she looks at me makes me almost tear up.”
The same woman who once feared spiders now describes herself as Ziggy’s mom.
Changing Minds About Spiders
Since befriending Ziggy, Kae has welcomed four more jumping spiders into her life. She regularly shares videos of them online, hoping to help others see spiders in a new light.
Her message is simple but powerful:
“Spiders are not evil. They just want to feel safe and live just like the rest of us.”
Through Ziggy, Kae overcame a lifelong fear. More importantly, she discovered that even the smallest creatures can inspire empathy, curiosity and connection.
Sometimes, all it takes is looking a little closer.