how did you convince your parents to get a bun?

[splotchesthebun]

I’ve been looking and researching since February, and my parents have said no even when I try to show them my research. They just keep doing what they’re doing and not even listening. Do you guys have some ideas on how to get them to listen and hear me out?
Thanks,

splotches

[Louiethebunny]

Hmm, if they’re really against the idea, it might be hard to get them to change their minds.

My mom was actually very convinced by the fact that we are social distancing and in quarantine. She figured it is a good time to adopt if able because the extra time home is good to bond with a new rabbit so he or she is more used to you by the time they have to get used to a regular schedule. I did all my pre-research and put everything I needed into an online list with prices so my parents knew what they needed and an estimate of what we would be spending. My mom likes animals but wasn’t fully convinced, and my dad is not an animal person but is quarantined abroad and isn’t home. I filled out an online application for a rabbit at a nearby shelter, and by the time they responded my mom took me to meet my rabbit. She was very skeptical but two weeks ago we brought him home, and now she loves him! If you ever need a real person example feel free to reach out in my BinkyBunny messages.

[splotchesthebun]

Yeah, I just want them to actually see my side of the argument. They just won’t listen 😭😞

 

[Wilburbunny]

I’m not sure if you’ve read Michaela’s thread with a lot of great ideas, but I was in your exact place a year ago! My parents were dead set against me getting any pet, but after one year of trying to prove myself I’ve finally got a bunny and my parents LOVE him. I’m feeling pretty lazy at the moment so I’m just going to copy want I put on Michaela’s thread, sorry if you already read the whole thing 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. Be reasonable with them though and explain that you will probably need some help money wise but you will pay for as much as possible. Good luck!!

[splotchesthebun]

Okay! Thanks for your advice. The essay/google slides is in progress. Thanks @WilburBunny. But there is this one bun that I have gotten REALLY attached to, and my parents don’t get that either. They lived with many animals, so they never really had to ask for one. How do you think I can make them understand?

thank you so much,

splotchesthebun

[DanaNM]

Hi splotchesthebun,

Do you know your parents’ specific reasons? It could very well be financial, and if that’s the case it would be best to understand your parents are doing the best they can, and it would not be fair to a bunny to adopt it when you can’t plan for it financially. Many people think of a rabbit as “just a rabbit”, and your parents might agree for you to get it, but then be unwilling or unable to pay for vet care, because sadly rabbits are viewed as disposable by too many people. 🙁

I posted some of this in another thread but thought it was worth reposting here.

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, who is ultimately responsible for the rabbit’s care. 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. Stasis treatment can cost $300 – $1500 depending on the severity. 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.
• 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.

If your parent’s say no for now, 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.  

[splotchesthebun]

Well, I know all their reasons and financially is not one of them. My mom is worried that we don’t have space and I know that I have enough space in my room, and my dad doesn’t have any reasons. He is just kinda going with whatever my mom says. 😢🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[Louiethebunny]

well if your room is small, free-roaming is a good option in just your room. since the room is small, it would be trickier for him to get lost and get into other things.

[splotchesthebun]

yeah, that’s what i was thinking. thanks for your advice

splotches

[Louiethebunny]

i hope your parents see your side more! good luck!

[Wilburbunny]

The slide show presentation and essay will definitely get things started and make sure you address all of their concerns. From experience, you probably won’t get that one bun you’re attached too. When I was trying to get a bunny, there was this one Lionhead I really wanted but my parents were set against it at that time. Your probably going to have to let that one go. What I’ve learned is that there are tons of buns  needing homes and your definitely going to fall in love with any you bring home. Im not sure if you were wanting an adult or baby bunny but what I did was convince my parents to let me look at babies at a nearby pet store (this is NOT where you want to get your bunny. Bunnies are mistreated there and buying one keeps the practice going.) Bringing my parents there allowed them to see bunnies and start to get attached to the pet. My mom usually was the one who went with me, and later she told me how much I lit up every time I saw the bunnies and how this helped change her mind. Realize this went on for about 3 months and I never begged her for any of these bunnies because I had learned as soon as I brought up getting a bunny she would shut down again. Soon she was the one pointing out the cutest babies. You said that your parents have lived with many animals they’re whole lives and that they don’t understand you wanting a bunny and having to ask for an animal. This is what you meant right? Is there a specific animal from their childhood or even now that they were super attached too? If so, bring up that pet and say how I want this bunny to be like how fluffy was too you, a pet you could always count on to be there and cheer you up. Having my own pet would be like having a best friend whose always there. Feel free to get as sappy as you feel is necessary but try not to sound super chessy😆
Definitely bring up free roaming in your room as this is a great amount of space for them. If they are worried about your room being destroyed, spell out for them exactly what rabbits tend to destroy and how you will bunny proof those spots. Honestly my parents were not sold on the idea of free roaming no matter how much I said it would be fine and just didn’t believe that was possible for rabbits. We had an old large dog crate sense our xL labradoodle grew out of it 😆 and I told them I would use that for the bunny and put a towel on the bottom and how I would let the bun out when I was with him and this was fine with them. (Now Wilbur hops around my room all day!) My mom tells me how she likes him being free roam because it’s more like he’s a part of the family. Be as specific as possible, it sounds like your mom is the one you need to sway so if I were you I would probably look up the exact space rabbits need to be happy and figure out how large your room is to compare the numbers. Don’t loose hope because your parents minds can definitely be changed you just have to be patient and approach it the right way. Good luck!! If you have any more questions, please please contact me.

[splotchesthebun]

Yeah, the one bun I got really attached to is now adopted, soooo now I will probably just wait a few more months and bring it up then. Maybe until then I will keep doing more reaserch and bring it up once in a while. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

@splotchesthebun

P.S fun fact, the reason why my BB name is splotches is because I was going to name the bun I get splotches

 

[Louiethebunny]

I totally get the getting attached to one too soon. I looked on Petfinder for rabbits near me, and got attached to about 5 different buns! I honestly recommend looking at Petfinder because you can search up specifics like age. I found lots of buns on Petfinder and showed them to my mom, and we decided to adopt my bun from a shelter close by. It’s a great way to see multiple options, and they are mostly shelter bunnies which is a great plus. Splotches is a super cute name!

[Wilburbunny]

Don’t wait until you find another bun you really like because your parents will probably need more of a heads up. Unless your parents are very different then mine were, I would start get the idea in their heads. Plus, this will show your parents that you really have put in the time, effort and are really dedicated to getting this bun. You don’t want them to think this is just a fling because you saw a cute bunny. Then again, your parents may be very different from mine. Sorry that the bun you liked got adopted 🙁

[Louiethebunny]

I agree @wilburbunny, my dad was worried it was just a “project” I wanted because we are on lockdown. For my mom, I showed her lots of bunnies every day and she slowly fell in love, and even though she says she doesn’t want to take care of my Louie, every day she comes downstairs to visit and play with him.

[splotchesthebun]

yeah, I have started looking on Petfinder… but then I got attached to another bun, not even a bun.<u style=”font-weight: bold;”>a pair.</u> (but they aren’t bonded yet) so I could probably adopt one and not the other? I don’t know, that was my other question. and yeah! It seems like they might be warming up to the idea so thanks for all the advice. soon I’m probably going to ask them if we can take the bun I liked home for a month or two and see if it works out for us. My shelter lets you have a period of time to see if the animal you want to adopt (in my case, obviously a bun) is a good match for you!
@splotchesthebun

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