help convince my mom

[Froogleyboy]

Okay, I'm looking to get a rabbit, and I found a place that has some sweet ones, but I'm not sure if she'd go for it, how could I convince her to let me get one

[Starbuck_II]

Have you shown her you are repsonsible before?
Assuming you have:
1) Tell her you have looked up on how to feed/what
2) How to take care
3) And you promise to do it.

If you haven't shown her you are responsible that might be step 1.

Oh, kinda need to make sure no one has allergies.

[CrimsonAngel]

If you do get it, try to dump it in radioactive waste. Only enough to make it look like a bear. Then bring it to school.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Sorry, can't help you. Raised rabbits for years. Had one in my room even for a month as a kid (well, 15-16) before i couldn't stand it anymore (and you're talking to someone who raised emus in there). Unless you get special training to make it use a litter box they are the nastiest little cretins ever.

They chew on things a dog would leave alone. They spray like a tomcat. They will then scatter anything that isn't nailed down or has been chewed to bits earlier.

Their urine is acidic and unless cleaned immediately will stain AND eat away.

All in all I wouldn't bother.

Gah...

(same goes for bloody guinea pigs)

[Froogleyboy]

Well all of the ones from these people are spayed/neutered and litterbox trained

[Solaris]

Well all of the ones from these people are spayed/neutered and litterbox trained

Then tell her it's like a cat, only cuter and less likely to bring home dead vermin. Plus, y'know, tastier.

[Asta Kask]

Okay, I'm looking to get a rabbit, and I found a place that has some sweet ones, but I'm not sure if she'd go for it, how could I convince her to let me get one

You mean one of these?

[toddex]

Wouldnt it be awesome if we bred* a race of super rabbits that quickly covered the earth and decimated cities?

[Solaris]

Wouldnt it be awesome if we bred* a race of super rabbits that quickly covered the earth and decimated cities?

Don't show her that when you're trying to convince her that bunnies are okay pets.

[billtodamax]

Regarding rabbits: Perhaps mention them in an offhand manner first, to judge her opinion on the matter.

Make sure you thoroughly do your research on the things.

...in my room... ...(and you're talking to someone who raised emus in there)...

:O You raised Emus in your room!

That is so cool!

[Johel]

(same goes for bloody guinea pigs)

Even worse with these ones, as they make crazy noise !!
My little brother had one (emphasis on "had").

The thing was eating like its stomach had no bottom. Each time somebody would enter the room where it was kept, it would whine in a series of high pitched screams, this until you drop it a romaine (chicon).
If it was only the food and noise, that would be bearable. But the little bastard was also pooping like hell. Damn, did it even digest what it was eating ? Hundreds of rice-sized brown "gifts" every week. Yeah...

I don't remember if we gave it someone or if we set him "free". The second option would have made the day of the neighborhood's cats, thought...

[Helanna]

Yeah, my sisters use to have a guinea pig and a rabbit . . . They got rid of them fairly fast. Turns out they're a lot cuter when you're looking at them in the pet store. And for some reason, there's a hamster in our spare bedroom that nobody really wants.

It's why I keep saying 'no' when people tell me I should get some cute rodent as a pet. No thanks, I like my bedroom to be quiet and clean. Even the dogs and cats are never, ever allowed in my bedroom, at all, ever.

About your mom:

Try to introduce the topic gently. Like, "Would you consider letting me get a small pet?"

Make sure you've done all the necessary research, and be ready to prove it.

If necessary, be ready to pay to provide it with everything it needs if your mom is reluctant.

[Amiel]

Actually, rabbits aren't probably the best choice. They lack the true affection of dogs and cats. They're all superficial appearance (the cuteness) and lack any substance. They bite like they mean it and gift it liberally. And it's painful; very painful. It's because they don't like being handled. At all.

You're probably better off getting gerbils or hamsters. Same family. Same buckteeth.

[Froogleyboy]

Actually, rabbits aren't probably the best choice. They lack the true affection of dogs and cats. They're all superficial appearance (the cuteness) and lack any substance. They bite like they mean it and gift it liberally. And it's painful; very painful. It's because they don't like being handled. At all.

You're probably better off getting gerbils or hamsters. Same family. Same buckteeth.

Well, I registerd on a Rabbit forum, they seem to like 'em

[Moff Chumley]

(same goes for bloody guinea pigs)

But... I LIKE Guinea Pigs...

Even worse with these ones, as they make crazy noise !!
My little brother had one (emphasis on "had").

The thing was eating like its stomach had no bottom. Each time somebody would enter the room where it was kept, it would whine in a series of high pitched screams, this until you drop it a romaine (chicon).
If it was only the food and noise, that would be bearable. But the little bastard was also pooping like hell. Damn, did it even digest what it was eating ? Hundreds of rice-sized brown "gifts" every week. Yeah...

I don't remember if we gave it someone or if we set him "free". The second option would have made the day of the neighborhood's cats, thought...

1) Keep em in a cage in the living/sitting/place where no one sleeps room.
2) Clean the cage twice a week.
3) ...
4) Really, that's about it, in my experience.

I've had Guinea Pigs since I was nine or ten, and they've been nothing but amazing and cuddly.

[Froogleyboy]

I love guinea pigs :)

[Maelstrom]

If you tire of it, it makes a nice meal!

[Isak]

Well, I registerd on a Rabbit forum, they seem to like 'em

And people on D&D forums seem to like D&D.

What it really comes down to is proving to your Mom that you really want this. Pay for it's supplies for it's with your own money; Clean it and take care of it yourself; Show responsibility. Don't keep it for a week then get bored of it. Rabbits, if you couldn't tell, tend to be a higher maintenance pet than a Dog or a Cat,

[truemane]

Rabbits are indeed a high-maintenance housepet. You know your mother better than we do, but the advice you've gotten so far is sound: convince her that the thing isn't going to become her responsibility and then most likely she won't care.

That's the sticking point for most parents and their chilren's hairbrained schemes. We don't want your obsessions costing us time, energy and/or money. Or making a mess (which is just another word for 'time, energy and/or money').

You might consider starting small. Buy a hamster cage and a hamster and the like. They only live a year or two at the outside anyway (except someone on the forums here has a cranky one that won't die - but in my experience that's the exception), so if you can take care of that, then you'd be in a much better position to wheedle a rabbit out of her.

I'd suggest starting with a rat (two rats actually - they're social) as they're far easier to keep and you'll get far more enjoyment out of them, but mothers and rats (as a rule) do not go together.

But I wouldn't let either of my sons get a rabbit. No way. No how. Neither of them are responsible enough for it not to become MY responsibility.

[Froogleyboy]

I've raised rats, Well techniquely, a hairless rat. She was soooo fun, had her for five years, I miss her :(

[Moff Chumley]

I would consider a Guinea Pig over a bunny, to be honest...

[Asta Kask]

I've raised rats, Well techniquely, a hairless rat. She was soooo fun, had her for five years, I miss her :(

That's an ancient rat. The oldest I've heard of was 7, but that was a freak-freak. Two years is more common.

Tell her that if you tire of it you can eat it.

[truemane]

That's an ancient rat. The oldest I've heard of was 7, but that was a freak-freak. Two years is more common.

Tell her that if you tire of it you can eat it.

In my experience if you buy from retailers that are careful about their suppliers, 3 years a more reasonable estimate.

We currently have two rats coming up on their third b-day, both of them quite spry. One's getting a little crotchety in her old age, but aren't we all?

We have one more who just passed two-and-a-half. Her sister died last week so that off-sets the bell curve a little. And three more coming up on two. And one that's not even one. And one who's a rescued feeder rat, so we don't expect her to live as long as the others. But she's fiesty, so you never know.

[Thatguyoverther]

I'd try and sell her on the taste. If things go badly you can always eat it.

I recommend soup. With extra carrots, for irony.

[Groundhog]

Rabbits can sometimes be a bit mean (for instance, my aunt and uncle's rabbit delights in freaking out their two dogs, who are both scared of him.) but rabbit personalities also vary, and you can get very gentle, affectionate ones too. Whichever breeder you end up going to probably has at least one rabbit that fits that description.

If you've kept a rat for five years, then that should be evidence enough that you're responsible--use that as part of your argument. Another thing--although I don't know if this would be a plus or a minus for your mom--is that part of their diet includes some kind of fruit--which includes parts of fruit that people don't normally eat, such as grape stems--so you can say that part of the diet is free. (Not all fruits are good for rabbits, but still...)

One last thing, which I haven't seen mentioned on this thread yet: Rabbits groom themselves, similar to cats. But unlike cats, they can't cough up hairballs. So if you get one, you'll need to do one of two things to keep the rabbit from dying of a hairball in its intestines: One, brush it regularly. Two, there are certain types food that help a rabbit's digestion, so make sure that one of those foods are in its diet. (If you get a longhaired one, you'll probably need to do both of these things.)

[Escef]

A lot of people seem to have had bad experiences with rabbits.

Rabbits are reasonably low maintenance compared to a dog or cat.

Rabbits are also individuals, don't expect them all to be tame. Don't expect them all to be high strung, either. I've met rabbits that were irritable little cusses, and met rabbits that were quite happy to be handled (so long as you knew how to do so with out hurting them). I've also met rabbits that were pretty ambivalent about people, but good luck getting them back in the cage once out.

[jlvm4]

Okay, I'm looking to get a rabbit, and I found a place that has some sweet ones, but I'm not sure if she'd go for it, how could I convince her to let me get one

Agree with previous posters, the main thing is that you know what work it will entail and are ready to take it on. If it is an indoor pet, its cage will need to be cleaned regularly or it will smell. They chew electrical cords, even the nice ones. That sort of thing.

Other than that, is there other evidence of you taking responsibility for anything (homework, cooking dinner, cleaning room, etc) where you can point out success and then relate it to the upcoming pet. The rat would be a good example to start with, but a rabbit will be a lot more work and need a lot more space.

Rabbits can live a long time, so be prepared with a 'what happens when you head to college' kind of question, too. I've had rabbits for most of my childhood. The early pets were 'outdoor' rabbits, and only Shamus (much later in high school) was indoor. The outdoor rabbits lived shorter lifespans, but that was because they had predators that can and do find ways into the best-protected enclosures. The one that survived to die of old age was nearly eight years old. Shamus lived until I was an adult and on my own: we're talking ten years.

Other than that, my rabbits were all over the board personality-wise. One, I could tell was sick because it didn't try to bite me when I got near her. Shamus was a real sweetheart, though, and loved to be petted. Handle them as much as possible, if they'll allow it, to keep a sweet rabbit sweet.

Good luck

[Mando Knight]

Rabbits are reasonably low maintenance compared to a dog or cat.

What kind of rabbit did you have? A cat takes to using the litter box for its waste like an otter to water. Rabbits don't have the same natural inclination to cleanliness nor the independence of a cat, who can be left to its own devices outside of a cage pretty much 24/7 provided you have a scratching post and a good supply of food.

[Froogleyboy]

rabbits can use a litter box

[Worira]

Not reliably, they can't.