Convincing Parents

[michaela]

Hey!
I didn’t really know which section this fit into.. so it’s in House Rabbit Q & A. Basically, I’ve been researching since January 2020. I’ve asked my parents a few times before, but they’ve always said no. I’ve kind of kept my research to myself until I have enough money for a bun or two (or more). I get $10 a week from my parents (I’m not legally old enough for a job). I have almost $140 as of this week. I know bunny care basically inside and out by now. So far I have an essay that I will read to my parents. Any other tips on convincing them?  Thanks! I’ll add a list of things I know I need to get.

-Timothy Hay (I plan on adopting adult buns)

-Veggies

-Litter Pan

-Rabbit Safe Litter

-Hidey House

-Timothy Hay Based Pellets

-Food and Water Bowls

-Lots of Toys (to switch out)

-New Rugs and Puzzle Mat (and fleece)

-Rabbit Safe Treats

-Grooming Supplies and Nail Clippers

-Cord Protectors

-X-Pen (to block off my door from my dogs)

Optional-

-Mini Fridge (to store Veggies)

I’m sure I’m missing something but this is what I could think of. I obviously have to pay an adoption fee as well. (Vet care will be needed too.) I am scared to ask my parents and have all my research turned down. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks!

[DanaNM]

Hi michaela, it’s great that you are doing all this research before getting a bunny!

You might check out this page that has a break down of potential costs (which you might have already): https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/costs-of-a-bunny/

I think the most important things to consider are:

• who will care for the bunny when you move out, go to college, etc. Not sure how old you are (please don’t tell us!), but we often have young members that leave their bunny with their parents when they go to college, and then the bunny doesn’t get good care any more (this happened with my own sister 🙁 ). Bunnies can live 9-12 years, which is longer than most people realize.
• who will pay for veterinary expenses. Vet bills can be very expensive with bunnies, or you might never have to go, there is no way to predict. I had one bunny that had $1300 in dental work in a few months, and another that had less than $500 in vet care over her entire life. We often see younger members in a panic because their bunny is very sick and their parents won’t take them to the vet, so it’s important to have this honest discussion first, about the worst case scenarios.
• How your dogs will be. Do they have a strong prey drive? Are they well trained and calm? Do they listen to you if you tell them to stop? Dogs and bunnies can work, but only with the right dogs, right owners, and right bunny.
• What type of flooring do you have in your room? You might want something to protect the floor if it’s carpet, or something to provide traction if it’s hard flooring. Some bunnies are perfectly fine to just be free-roam in a carpeted room, others need to have their own area if they are very destructive and need to be supervised when roaming.
• How much time do you spend in your room? Solo bunnies do best when they are in rooms that are have lots of family activity. Think about all the hours that you are not in your room, and that your bunny might get lonely in that time.

Also, just to give some money saving tips to your list:

• pine pellets sold for horse stalls or wood stoves are one of the cheapest things you can use in the litter box (I get mine for $9 for a 40 lb bag)
• if you can get hay from a horse supply or a local rescue it will be much cheaper than buying from the pet store
• rabbits love homemade toys: phone books to shred, toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay, paper mats, etc. So no need to spend lots here (although we all love to spoil our babies!)
• store bought treats are optional also. An extra pellet or two, a rolled oat, a bite of an apple, a small piece of carrot, or some fragrant herbs are great treats.
• I “scatter” feed my rabbits their pellets so they have to search for them, so you can even skip the food bowl. 🙂

If your parent’s say no for now, or if you decide it’s just not the right timing, you might see if you can volunteer at a rabbit rescue if there is one near you.  🙂

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Wilburbunny]

Yes! This was exactly me, I’ve been trying to get a bunny since March last year and I just got one a month ago. My parents were dead set against me getting a bunny but I’m pretty stubborn lol. What I did was make a VERY long PowerPoint and sat my whole family down for a presentation. In the PowerPoint I put

1. How I’ve proved responsibility  (good grades, good behavior, past responsibilities, etc)
2. Why bunnies are a good pet (can’t make noise, close bond with owner, can be trained, clean themselves)
3. what I will do with it (train it, take care of it, love it— give examples of each)
4. Play the emotional card! (“I only have a few years left of living here and want to make the most of it”, “when Im living on my own it will be comforting to have my childhood pet”)
5. Say the plan (what will happen when I leave for college, when the best time to get it is and how I will pay for it)
6. Spell out the costs (of everything you mentioned getting and don’t forget to say how YOU will pay for it)
7. Explain the set up (where the pen will go, what the flooring will be, etc) *this is to show how prepared you are
8. Explain what I will do to get a bunny (work for it, never argue, etc)
9. And ofc add some cute bunny pics

The main goal of the PowerPoint was to show how prepared, responsible, and dedicated I was. My parents are the kind that admire hard work so that’s what I based it around. I showed this PowerPoint one year ago so don’t expect a bunny right away. Even after that PowerPoint, my parents said “maybe, but probably not” but it wasn’t a definitive no anymore so I saw hope. The main thing is that you never want to beg, always say “I understand” or “I see where your coming from.” NEVER EVER  push them or bring up bunnies constantly. You DO NOT want to annoy them because then you won’t get a bunny. My parents were very surprised rabbits could use litter boxes so that was something I brought up especially when they said “your room will be a mess.” Really sell the litter box because it also contains the hay so that also won’t get everywhere. After you first tell them about you wanting a rabbit be super nice and help them a lot but still act normal. You need to make them realize that you are serious about this and are willing to do anything whether they say no or yes to getting a bunny.
Here are some tips for saving money:

1. Never buy anything at pet stores first of all
2. For the litter pan, don’t buy anything marketed as one. There are some really get options at the dollar store that are large enough and have high sides. Currently I’m using an actual cat litter box though from amazon that cost $10 and is really great with smell.
3. For litter, use pine horse stall pellets that you can buy from a tractor supply store. Near me, a 40lb bag is only $6. Rabbit safe cat litter is at least $20 for a 20lb bag!
4. For a hidey house, just cut a hole is a cardboard box, this is just as good as a store bought one in rabbits eyes!
5. The dollar store sells food and water bowls
6. Once again, the dollar store sells plastic cat toys with bells that are great for bunnies. Besides that just cut toilet paper rolls into fun shapes and stuff hay in. I also found some wood laying around that my dad sawed into squares for chewing. I also grabbed some sticks from outside and pinecones (just make sure they are safe). Honestly, I only spent one dollar on bunny toys.
7. Don’t buy “bunny treats”, just give them a piece of fruit or carrot. This is healthier and less expensive
8. Use old human nail clippers you have laying around, bunny nails are small and these work really well
9. To protect your base boards and furniture, use shipping tape. Just tape along baseboards and furniture legs and the bunny should be repelled and if not, their teeth won’t do much damage.
10. Adoption fees are usually not much compared to buying a baby from a breeder. I know where I am bunny’s are adopted for $25 and two are around $40. It really great that you’re wanting to adopt! Also, rescue bunnies are already spayed/neutered so you won’t have to pay for that.

Don’t be afraid to bring up vet bills because if your parents are like mine, they will definitely bring it up. Call some local vets and ask what the price of regular wellness checks is. Tell your parents that you will continue to work for money to pay for it and ask if you can do anything extra to get more. Good luck!!

 

[michaela]

Thank you so much Dana! I do plan on adopting older buns, rather than babies. If they are still around once I graduate, I won’t leave them to be my parents responsibility. Plus, my parents have already told me I should probably do a local community college the first 2 years anyways and just stay at home. That gives me 5+ years (I can’t say exactly how much time because of forum rules that could give away too much info). It will be a little more than 5 though. As far as my two dogs, one is very prey driven which is why I am looking for an X-Pen that a bunny can’t jump as well as a dog. One dog is a little more mellow. I plan on the bunnies having no interaction with the dogs other than noises that they can here coming from outside my bedroom. I’m putting bunny safety over having a dog to sleep in my room. My flooring is wood floor and I do have a rug but I want to get a new one. I found one on IKEA that is only $10 so I think I’ll get two of them and some fleece, towels, and puzzle may for other areas. I will definitely utilize the horse stall pellet idea and I will probably use a lot of homemade toys as well. As far as hay goes I’m looking into options and I’m hoping to find hay in bulk. I do live in a state that tends to have a lot of livestock, so hopefully this will be easier. I think I might ask my friend who owns a bunny and has horses where she gets their hay. (If not I will order from Small Pet Select.) I will ask my parents if they can help with vet stuff until I get a job. As of right now I spend more time in my room because of quarantine. I do go to a public school so I am hoping to get more than one bunny for once we go back to school, unless I find a bunny who doesn’t do well with other buns. Sorry I answered this kind of out of order. Thanks again! (I also figured I should mention I have two friends with bunnies and one has agreed to watch them when I’m gone and I’ll do the same for hers.)

[michaela]

Thank you Wilbur the Bunny! How’s the first month of having a bun? Sorry I forgot to clarify when I said treats I meant like banana and apple!😂  Thanks for all the great ideas. I’ve seen bunnies for adoption for $15-75. (Not too bad considering you are saving a bun.) I really like how they come fixed it’s honestly great and a money saver. Like I said I wrote a whole essay and did a little Google Slides Presentation but I’m still working on that. I don’t have a job yet so I will talk to them about vet bills and I’ve been searching for vets who will treat them. I found a couple. (One is in my city and the other is 45 minutes away. The farther away one will probably be my main vet because we go to that town a lot anyways and the one in town will be for emergencies. This is because the farther away seems to have a lot more experience.) Again, thank you guys so much!! 😁

 

[Hazel]

Good on you for doing tons of research! 🙂

When you bring this up with your parents, you will naturally try to make the idea of getting a rabbit sound as appealing as possible to them. While this might make it easier for you to get them to agree, it’s important not to leave out any of the negative aspects of bunny ownership. It will show your parents that you’re not looking at this through rose-colored glasses and it will also ensure that they are aware of all the things that can go wrong with a bunny. The worst thing that could happen is if they agree but then later down the road kick the bun out of the house or make you give it up entirely because an issue arose that they didn’t see coming. Rabbits are destructive. They can be hard to completely litter train, especially before they are fixed. There will be poo and pee on the floor, maybe even on the walls! Vet care can get expensive quickly. I know you’re doing your best to save up money to care for your rabbit, but if something goes wrong and emergency care is required, the bills can end up in the thousands quickly and your parents WILL have to chip in. While this would be “your” pet, your parents are the adults in this situation, and the rabbit will be their responsibility at the end of the day. You and them have to be on the same page about that.

Good luck, I hope you get your bun(s)! 🙂

[michaela]

Thank you Hazel I definitely will talk to them about the not so great aspects of house rabbits and how we can work around that. You guys all gave amazing input and I’m very thankful you guys responded so quickly. Thank you so much I’ll definitely try and update this. 😁 Fingers crossed! 🤞

[michaela]

I’m also looking into a Shop Vac which I’ve seen 101Rabbits use and it does really seem to help her with cleaning up poop and hay😂 I think I might get a Shop Vac Mini off of Amazon it’s about $35. I forgot to add that on to the list with the veggie fridge.

[Hazel]

You’re welcome! 🙂  You can repay us with lots of bunny pictures! 😀

Shop Vacs are great, all those bits and pieces of hay can get troublesome for a regular vacuum.

[michaela]

Yeah, I don’t want to ruin my parents vacuum because I’m trying to get that one piece of hay😂 If all goes well my camera roll will be only bunny pictures.😂 It’s already mostly doggo pictures. I’ll definitely post some on the forum.😁

[FluffyBunny]

Hey! I remember being in the same spot as you some 12 years ago! 🙂 I was 11 then, and I am now almost 23. Bunnies were a huge part of my life as a preteen/teenager, and now they’ve become a companion I plan to have as long as I’m alive.

I know that for me, my parents’ main concerns were the cleanliness factor of having a pet in the house, as well as concerns that I would get tired of the bunny after some period of time. If it’s similar for your parents, you might explain to them that most bunnies can be fully litter trained like a cat, and that a spayed/neutered rabbit should have minimal smell or mess.

As for the second one, I’ll let you know what happened with me. (Maybe you can show them this post later on.) I was a pretty isolated kid, so getting my own pets was a big deal for me. I didn’t have a lot of friends, so the bunnies and associated online communities were kind of my social interaction. I learned everything there was to know about rabbits (seriously), and then I ended up volunteering part time at a rabbit shelter for over 5 years. The leadership and work experience I got at the rabbit shelter helped me get better jobs as I became an adult. Meanwhile, the passion I found for animals made me decide to go to college and successfully complete a degree in evolutionary biology, which I now hope to eventually turn into a career helping wildlife. And I still have my pet house bunnies! 🙂

And I second planning ahead for vet expenses. I’d work toward getting at least $500 in savings – or even $1000 eventually – so you’re never caught off guard by sudden vet bills. Most of my vet expenses have been $200 or below, but I did have an unfortunate several month span where I spent over $1500 due to three rabbits falling ill at once. It’s summer now, so perhaps you could trim people’s yards or walk their dogs part time to save up some money. Your parents might feel a lot more comfortable with the added expense if you show them you’re “planning for the worst” and taking the responsibility seriously 🙂

[michaela]

Thank you Fluffy Bunny! I’m a little older than you were when you first wanted a bunny, but still close in age. I think it’s amazing that you have become so interested in them you are considering a career in wildlife! I think that you are a great example of how bunnies can change your life! I do really like being with my friends but right now I can’t because of social distancing. I think right now is the perfect time to bond to a bunny or pair of bunnies. 😁 I think I will ask this weekend! I will have almost $150 saved up by then and I definitely want to have a summer job that works for me, because I can’t get a job at a store or anything for a couple more years. I’ll definitely ask my parents if I can do dog walking, as I have two dogs of my own. This will definitely help me earn a little extra money! Thanks again!

[Wilburbunny]

Good luck this weekend!

[michaela]

Thank you Wilbur! I re-did my slides presentation and I still have my essay. My parents told me we are going to go down to my aunts’ house, which is close to many of the shelters I’ve been looking at! 😁 I’m a little scared to ask them still.😬

[Hazel]

Good luck! Try not to be nervous, you’re well prepared. 🙂

[michaela]

Thank you!! 😁😁

[Wick & Fable]

Everyone has given really great points. I’ll emphasize on something else, which may seem different, but based on your judgement, may be wise to consider.

I think there’s a tendency to send the message of “I will take full responsibility, and you won’t have to worry about a thing. I know everything there is to know, I’ve done a lot of research, and you won’t be burdened by adopting a rabbit for me!”… While that’s great, it’s helpful to point out that, for some parents, this can bite you in the rear later down the line if the rabbit has health problems or you run into a situation that you don’t know the answers for.

Dana hit on a lot of the items that will, at times, really rely on parental support and aid.

… So in discussing with your parents, I wonder about adding in some realistic uncertainty as well — there are times when something may come up and you will need their help for transportation, finances, etc.. You may state that this particular list of items is all you need, but you want to acknowledge that you may need to buy other things in the future due to the specific rabbit’s wants or needs. Building in this wiggle room can be really important so if down the line you need their support, they are prepared for it.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[michaela]

Thank you for the advice! I made a slides presentation as well as an essay and I made sure to say that because I’m still technically a kid, I will need help with this. 🙂 I’ll copy and paste one or two of the slides so you can see what I said.

Medical Care

Bunnies, much like other pets, need yearly vet care, as well as emergency vet care. You can not take them to a dog and cat vet because at the current time, they are considered “exotics” meaning you will need to find a vet who has extra training and knows proper vet care for them. Some bunnies don’t need anything more than yearly check-ups whereas other need medication and other things that cause more time at the vet. I would like to help with the fees (but I obviously can’t pay them all by myself) by getting a summer job such as walking dogs or pet-sitting, until I am old enough to have a part-time job.

Emergency Vet Funds

I understand that rabbits are pets who need to go to the vet, and it would be great if you could pay those costs (with a little help from me), because I plan on paying for most everything else. If I get a summer job, I could use the money I earn towards an emergency vet fund, so that I can help pay for the expenses. I would never want any animal to suffer because my family and I couldn’t get them what they need.

Who Pays For What?

What I Pay For

• ongoing cost of hay
• ongoing cost of pellets
• bunny-proofing supplies (cord protectors, rugs, etc.)
• water and food bowls
• litter box
• ongoing cost of litter
• hidey-houses 
• toys 
• parts of vet care

What You Pay For

• ongoing cost of veggies ($15-20 a week)
• vet care (I can try and help if I get a summer job)
• adoption fee (I can help)

Hopefully this shows them that they will need to help. I’m still very scared to ask because like I said before, they might turn down 5+ months worth of research, and I’ll have to respect that.

 

 

[splotchesthebun]

Wow! I agree, you’re very prepared! I like that you made a slides and an essay. I am working on my parents too, so I will ”follow in your footsteps!” 😄😄

[michaela]

😂 thanks splotches! I have wayy more slides but that’s all on vet stuff I think I have like 15😂 maybe your parents will be a little easier to convince than mine😁

[michaela]

Splotches! Thank you for the friend request by the way! The forum must be a little buggy still because it won’t let me accept it! It says 404 error.😭

[splotchesthebun]

maybe your parents will be a little easier to convince than mine

oh no. I’ve already asked them many many times and it has not worked, even when I present some reasons. hopefully your parents say yes!

[michaela]

my dad is a little more willing on most things, my mom is always very skeptical and never says yes😭

[splotchesthebun]

oh my gosh! my parents are exactly like that!

[Louiethebunny]

My mom is an animal lover, but after years of begging for pets she never gave in. I was at the pet store with her buying fish supplies, (we have an aquarium), and I noticed the bunnies. I never gave any thought to it, but during quarantine I stumbled upon several videos and fell in LOVE with rabbits. I did extensive research and looked into adopting rabbits at shelters near me, and I even called a few. My mom wasn’t 100% on board, but she helped me send in some forms to a shelter, and they got back to us letting us know we could come to visit a rabbit. We went to the shelter and got to know my rabbit, Louie. My mom agreed that he was a good bun and we began purchasing the rabbit supplies, I used some of my money and she used some of hers as well. We have good relationships with people at a co-op near me and she knew we could get some good supplies ad resources at a good deal. She also decided the current circumstances are actually convenient, because there’s no school there is more time to get to know our rabbit before he has to adjust to my school schedule in the fall. Two weeks later here he is!

[michaela]

aww! I wish I could convince my parents as easily as that! see are actually near a bunch of shelters right now because we are visiting family. I haven’t talked to them about it yet…😬

[Louiethebunny]

Hmm, I would actually recommend looking at Petfinder at shelters near your hometown if you’re ok getting your hopes up a bit. I looked at many rabbits near me even before my parents allowed me to look into adopting one. If you find one that catches your eye, you could look into that shelter and see what their policies and adoption procedures are. This way you can inform yourself even more in case your parents agree or if you want to look into adopting later in life too.

[michaela]

There is only one shelter who has cats, dogs, and sometimes small pets in my hometown. Only about 45 minutes- 2 hours aways there are a lot more shelters with bunnies. I look on Petfinder a lot and have at least 3 email alerts for bunnies.😂

[Louiethebunny]

That’s great, doing research ahead of time helps a lot. I also found most of the products I would need to start out online so my mother would know I was prepared ahead of time.

[michaela]

Yep! Me too! I found all the stuff online already. Even the hay, I found an add in Craigslist for Timothy Hay, $9 a bale, $8.50 if you purchase 5 or more. This is the only one I found without a minimum order quantity. I even have back ups like Small Pet Select, but it’s more expensive.😁

[Louiethebunny]

you sound super prepared! When you pitch the idea to your parents I would offer as much information and details as you can. For example, “I would like to keep my rabbit(s) in a pen in my room and give them (x) amount of time to run around. I’d keep their hay in a big bin to keep the mess at a minimum.”

[michaela]

Definitely! I did plan on doing the DIY storage box hay box until I have enough money for a wooden one that maybe my dad could help me build. Victoria Raechel on YouTube has two like this for her bunnies, Cleo and Lola, which she made herself.

[Louiethebunny]

you sound ready! good luck pitching the idea to your parents!

[michaela]

Thank you! I’m always scared to ask my parents about getting stuff like even apps on my phone.😂

[michaela]

Hey guys! I sadly have to say that I am not allowed to get any bunnies, or any other pets for that matter, until I move out. 😭 My parents have a lot of misconceptions in mind, and they don’t like the idea of a litter box. There’s no convincing them now. I can’t wait until I move out, but that is a while a way. I researches for 6 months but sadly it was a no. I continue to look at bunnies in shelter out of impulse. 😭 Sorry guys.

[Louiethebunny]

awww that’s too bad to hear. if you want to hang around and visit bunnies, you can always check out volunteering opportunities at local rabbit rescues or animal shelters!

[michaela]

Yeah. There’s only two local shelters sadly, and one is just for dogs. The other usually doesn’t have any small pets. 🙁 I wish I could meet my friend’s bunny, but my parents never let me go to other people’s houses. I’m not allowed to go to sleepovers, either.

[Louiethebunny]

me as well, my parents are very strict about going over to other people’s houses!

[Peanutthebunny]

i still don’t have a rabbit but I’ve watched all the rabbit channels

[Peanutthebunny]

hi, Michaela, my parents said yes nearly straight away my dad didn’t want them in the house but then I said hutches were used to fatten them up to eat

go for it show them some videos encourage them that you can look after them show them your list

you can do it 😉

yours sincerely

rabbitlover908

[Author]

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