How to convince my parents….

[Kaitlyn*[ily]*]

Ok well i was on petfinder.com and i found the exact bunny i was looking for, the same breed, color, age, everything. My mom called the rescue place and they still have him. I even found a cage online at a local store that isnt too expensive and i have done tons of research of rabbits and what i need to do to prepare to become a first-time rabbit owner. My mom thinks i can handle it but my dad isnt to sure. What can i do to convince him that I am responsible enough….any suggestions?

 

 

I am 14, and i have wanted a pet so bad since my hamster died on my birthday two years ago. Yes the rabbit is neutered and house trained.

My dad doesnt like animals, that is why i think he is hesitating. My mom has grown up around animals and has had a bunny before so she knows kind of what to expect. I am a tree-huggin vegetarian and i love animals, and i really want a rabbit. 

 

Also can u guess what breed this rabbit is? The rescue isnt 100% sure because they found him…. (he’s the one i want to adopt)

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[Princess*Smudge]

If your mom believes you are ready to have the responsibility maybe you and her could have a talk with your dad. I’m sure if your mom explained why she believes you are ready for a bunny he might be more understanding. If he’s worried about you being too young she can explain that she will help you take care of the bunny when you need her to. For your part maybe you could create a bunny schedule that will work with what you do now on a daily basis. Make a chart or a list about when you will feed your new bunny, clean him and how, and of course when you will be able to give him the attention and exercise he needs. It’s sort of a way to reassure your dad in writing that you do have the time to care for a rabbit and you have thought about how. Of course you can’t keep the exact same schedule every week but just letting him see you’ve thought this through should help. You can also help by just talking to your dad about the general care of a rabbit and what you’ve learned about say their diet and types of toys they will enjoy and proper care like nail clippings and grooming. I think that if you and your mom both approach him (gentley of course ) he will probably be willing to give you a chance (even if he doesn’t seem all too thrilled about it hehe). I usually found that once I had my mom on my side it was just a matter of time before my dad agreed with her (or just gave up), moms seem to have this mysterious power like that. Good luck and make sure when you get you bun that you prove to your dad just how ready you are!

[Beka27]

i agree, moms are powerful… lol!

your mom needs to realize she will be responsible for the rabbit ultimately, and it really is up to her to convey this to your dad.

is this bunny spayed and littertrained? that will be a big bargaining chip with your dad…

[Binkles]

Just as a note, how old are you?

[Princess*Smudge]

Oooh thats such a good point Beka!! If the bun is already fixed and trained it will be much easier. The cost alone is a big relief because spaying or nuetering a baby can be very expensive and as an added bonus you shouldn’t have to deal with *too much* bad behavior because the puberty stage will be passed and the hormones will be gone. Oh and Binkles I believe in the first post somewhere in a forum Kaitlyn said she was 14.

[Deleted User]

Yea I agree with them I am 13 and am not aloud to have any pet of my own (although my mom has 4 cats and a dog) caused by her thinking I am not responsible enough, But when my mom saw me wil my friend rabbit she agreed to let me get one seeing how much I loved her. have your mom talk to him, or you can start taking care of other animals in your house (if you have any) and show him you can handle it…be aware rabbits may be a pain sometimes…

[TARM]

Have you thought about what your plans for this rabbit will be when you graduate high school and go to college?  Where will the bunny live? 

[skunklionshow]

Just some additional thoughts I had….

1.  Look into pet insurance, so that you don’t have to worry about emergency care costs.  It might cost you about $12/ mos., but worth it in the long run, so you can keep your bunny in the best of health.

2.  Would dad be willing to foster the bunny your interested in.  This way you can prove you can care for a bunny first hand & show him.

3.  I always suggest to teens, as clients & students, the best way to get parents on your side is to make a solid argument!  If you are a good student make a deal that you will work towards straight A’s by such & such a date.  Look into attending a bunny education seminar, as a family!!!  Parents LOVE to spend time w/ their kids, so giving dad that as part of the deal is A GOOD thing.  Can you guys all agree to attend House bunny trainings or bunny social events?  Can you agree to do a bunny & parent activity 1x a week?  This would gurantee that you will spend time w/ the parents & your pet rabbit…you might have to figure out some clever ways to have activity night, but it would be a benefit to your parents.

4.  You might need to have mom or both of you explore what’s blocking dad.  Did he feel like you haven’t been responsible in the past?  Does he feel like he’s too overwhelmed to handle anything additional in his household?  Is he worried that financially this isn’t a good thing?  Did he have a bad pet experience himself when he was a kid? 

Really w/ a mom on your side & a little bit more planning you should be able to work this through.  NEGOTIATE & be receptive to his concerns & criticism.  Good Luck

[jerseygirl]

I guess the argumentative teen never left me because I’ve been formng an argument on your behalf!! I looked at your other post and you said your parents had already agreed to get you a rabbit if you won the school board scholar – which you did!
Maybe you need to find out more about why your Dad is hesitating. As rabbits are fragile, maybe he’s concerned for you if something were to happen to it.
I think you’ve been really mature in your approach to getting a rabbit. Looking at adoption, researching care, preparing a habitat etc. I think you’ll get there yet! Maybe you could line up a second home as a backup – hopefully you’ll never have to use it. Perhaps then you can adopt it and prove you can do it – and if there are problems, you have someone prepared to house the rabbit??

[Beka27]

i was thinking about this last night washes dishes (lol… bunny geek, i know!)

maybe your dad does not understand the concept of house rabbits. you live in Indiana, and if that’s at all like Ohio, even when you are IN THE CITY, farm country is not far away. is it possible he just thinks of rabbits as backyard pets, or farm animals to be in a barn? if possible, can you go to the shelter with your mom and pick which bunny you want, put a deposit down, and then take him with you to the shelter and show him the bunnies? how they are littertrained and friendly (show him the very friendly ones). this will make him feel more of the process. they did say you could get one, and i think it is wrong to go back on that promise, but that doesn’t mean you should be a brat about it or throw a temper tantrum, which i know you’re not doing. just explain the whole thing to him. it is helpful your mom is on your side.

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