Embarrassing but true: I too have a "pet" spider. A huge brown spider very cleverly built her web over my mailbox and under the porch light last June. When I turn on the porch light, she feasts on assorted flying things. I was afraid I had lost her to a wind/rain storm a few weeks ago but she came back, repaired her damaged web, and went on with life. Winter is coming. I imagine she will die but hopefully one of the fifty million babies that hatched out of her nest (that was a rude surprise in and on the mailbox) will choose this same spot next year. I haven't named her. She is a bit too dignified to be written off as a pet.