Spiders are among the most misunderstood animals; emerging research on their behavior and cognition raises questions about their welfare status.
The welfare status of spiders is genuinely uncertain. Simple spiders with minimal neural complexity likely have limited if any capacity for suffering. Jumping spiders, with their complex behaviors, curiosity, and apparent problem-solving, represent a more interesting case. The default human response of immediate killing ignores this uncertainty. Relocating rather than killing spiders is a low-cost way of applying the precautionary principle.