# How do you convince your parents to get you pet rats?



## Cookie_Rat12 (Feb 5, 2016)

How do you convince your parents to get you pet rats? (My friend wants some).And yes, I know that males and females can't be together unless sprayed/neutered and that they can't be on their own. 😉😉


----------



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Are they against you having pets in general or do they have something against rats in particular? How old are you? The strategy to convince them might be different depending on that.


----------



## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

If your friend's parents don't like the idea of rats suggest to them to put together a slideshow, or a collection of images and videos together showing how great rats can be as pets, and how cute!

If it's a maturity thing, maybe your friend needs to prove that they are capable of owning rats by doing work around the house. Perhaps they should do housework without needing to get asked by their parents.


----------



## Cookie_Rat12 (Feb 5, 2016)

My friend is above the approite age for rats:12 years and it's not that they despise rats, they are fine with them, but don't want to have pets in general. My friend knows all about rats, and is able to pay for them. Thanks for any help!!!


----------



## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Then what your friend should do is have a sit down talk with their parents to tell them how important it is for them to have a pet, and that they're ready to take on the responsibility. In this talk it's also important for your friend to listen to their parent's reasoning why they aren't too keen on pets at the moment. It's important to talk about this as calmly and maturely as possible. If their parents say no then it'll take time and patience on their part to hopefully convince them otherwise.


----------



## Cookie_Rat12 (Feb 5, 2016)

Thanks sooo much!! I'll tell her right away. Her parents are pretty keen on "no" and "we just can't". How long do you think it will take to convince them? How young where you when u got ur pet rat and did u have to convince ur parents to get u some (when u were younger).


----------



## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

I was either 9 or 10 when I got my first pair of rats. My parents were a bit hesitant, because it wasn't a common pet so they made me do some major reading before getting them. Since I was too young to earn money my parents handled the cost and I handled the care and cleaning.

Now my boyfriend (we live together) wasn't very interested in getting pets so he took more convincing. When I told him I wanted rats he flat out said not going to happen. It wasn't that he didn't like rats he just didn't want another expense. 

So it took a lot of small conversations and sharing of cute rat pictures to slowly win him over. Last year all I wanted from him for my birthday was to go see some rats. So we did and he had a much better idea of what they were like. It wasn't until maybe November that he was on board with owning them.

A half year later we're getting three little girls next week. I've been very patient and I have been working very hard as a freelancer to help take care of the costs.


----------



## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

Cookie_Rat12 said:


> My friend knows all about rats, and is able to pay for them. Thanks for any help!!!


I think that paying for them is probably not the reason that the parents say no. It is more about them getting bored. Also they parents have to know that the will being paying hundreds of dollars on vet bills.


----------



## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

so when I was 13 i got rats and my parents did not want anything to do with them. this did not bode well for the rats who had a too small cage and repeatedly had vet care put off. if your parents do not want rats, don't get rats. it's not worth it for the ratties.


----------



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

JAnimal said:


> I think that paying for them is probably not the reason that the parents say no. It is more about them getting bored. Also they parents have to know that the will being paying hundreds of dollars on vet bills.


Correct. If by paying for them you mean the cage, the food, and the rats only, that is nothing compared to the veterinary costs. If your friend is 16+, maybe she could get a part time job which will shiw her oarents that she is mature and responsible. Also she will be able to actually pay all the costs associated with owning rats. Also, where would she keep her rats? If it is in her bedroom, she better be a very heavy sleeper- I would never be able to sleep with rats in the same room.


----------



## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

to put it into context one of my rats when I was 13 needed repeated vet visits for an ongoing issue. one got an ear infection, and all four had URIs at some point. my last pair did not have URIs ever but one of them had ongoing neurological issues which got expensive. This pair I just got three weeks ago and they came with URIs which have cost me approximately $80 to treat thus far. That's within the first month of ownership. Rats have very many issues in their short lives and you must be prepared.

Griboulli, there are no part time jobs for 12 year olds.


----------



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I don't know how old she is! She said she was at least 12 years old, not that she is 12. Unless I read it it wrong.


----------



## Binky (Nov 15, 2014)

The way I got my rats isn't a way I would suggest or anyone else on this site for that matter. I ended up in the pet store getting dog food and left with two baby rats and all the supplies to go with them. I was 13 at the time. My parents were not happy at first but once they saw how they behaved and how cute they were, they didn't care. But the responsibility was entirely on myself. Lucky for me, those two rats required no vet care (I was too young for a job) but when I got new rats after those passed, I had a job and took them to the vet when needed.

Maybe if you have rats, bring them to your friend's house and show their parents how smart they are and some tricks, if they know any? Videos of rats doing cool stuff always helped my mom get over the stereotype of them being disgusting little creatures (my parents are divorced - the rats and I mostly lived at my dad's but when I went to her house, I would sometimes bring them with me so she took some convincing). Pictures of sweet faces always help too!


----------



## Cookie_Rat12 (Feb 5, 2016)

Sry for any Misconvenience! And yes she is too young for a real job


----------



## Cookie_Rat12 (Feb 5, 2016)

Thanks for all the help!


----------



## Ratticus Finch (Feb 6, 2016)

My mother has a strong prejudice against rats. I made her a lovely powerpoint presentation that ultimately won her over. I stole a bunch of pictures from http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/an...that-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-rats and I think that helped.


----------

