Well, for future reference, this is a wolf spider:



They're harmless, and keep pretty much any other insects/arthropods above the size of an ant out of the house. They have the same effect on my aunt, usefully

This is a small one, I think probably a male. It's only about 2 inches across the legs at most. There are some much bigger ones around somewhere, maybe two to two and a half times the size (you sometimes hear them thumping around the room at night, lots of little feet going clatter, clatter, clatter...). The only one I know the current whereabouts of is under the bed, but the last time I tried to get it out with a stick to take a picture we had a brief tug-of-war, and I lost.

Pixel loves them.

Actually, she just hits them until they stop working, then goes off to find some other source of amusement. Sometimes I have to rescue one from her, very occasionally with a really big one I have to rescue her from it...

pca