Convincing my dad...?

[fluffpuffgerbil]

So...has anyone else had problems with a parent not letting you get a BP? How did you deal with it?

I was watching Dad mess with sorting out our fireworks when he said, mom told me to talk to you about snakes.
And he went on how we didn't need another pet and he didnt' want dead mice in the house and how no one but me would want to take care of it if I"m gone somewhere.
That didn't deter me from wanting and still planning on getting one the time the January Reptile Expo comes around.
I take care of my own pets, I've owned 8 and 1/2(me and my sis share a lizard, it mainly hers though) and they've all been healthy and lived to a proper age and the ones who have died have died of natural causes due to old age. I still have 3 1/2, my rat and my lizards.
The part of what Dad has said that confuses me most was him not wanting dead mice in the house when I was able to keep Crickets and breed my own superworms. These mice are dead. No noise, not as much smell as live ones(I hear the frozen ones have a little smell, but as long as you don't explode them, it's fine. XD), no need to make room for one more cage, ect. And I don't think he's fond of it living long. He thinks that 8 years is long for a reptile, my gecko lives for 15-20 years and the snake 30+years. I want a long lived companion, that's all, and I love snakes.
He doesn't do anything with my pets either. Only once when we went on vacation he had to take care of my dragons and my rat for 5 days. He also had the help of my younger sister. We found somewhere to board the dragons next time we go somewhere and depending on how long we are gone,(no more than a week I'd think) the snake would need no care from them except maybe to change the water.

[wolfy-hound]

Honestly, if your parent doesn't want a snake in the house, my advice is to wait until you have your own place and get your own pets then.

You can list out all the reasons that having a snake is a good idea(no noise, etc) and ideas around having dead rodents in the family freezer(get a small chest freezer in the garage perhaps for things like rodents and bait if your dad likes to fish... etc). But at the end of the day, it's your parent's word that will say yes or no.

[fluffpuffgerbil]

The hardest thing for me to comprehend is that Dad wants no more pets(mom doesn't really care. Awhile ago she would have said no on snakes, but after all the pets we've had, she doesn't care) he wants no more pets when he has nothing to do with them.
I think a pet that makes no noise, no stink, needs fed one a week, ect sounds amazing.
And I was thinking I'd just keep the mice downstairs in the freezer that we hardly use. Not the one upstairs with all our icecream and veggies and stuff.
It'll probably be 5-7 years +/- until I move out, so I'd have a long time to wait...
Thanks for the reply, though

[Jessica Loesch]

Maybe you should sit down and have a talk with dad and tell him all of these pros, and the lack of cons, but sit him down, not while he is doing something. tell him everything you have learned, how excited you are, and try to make a case.

Before you start, tell him to just hear you out for a second, and listen ... and then explain everything you have said here, plus more. Be prepared.

He may see why it's a great pet, and he may not. All you can do is try the mature approach. He may be impressed.

If he still says no, at least you know you tried. I also wouldn't mention frozen rodents having a smell, just keep them vacuum sealed or in a quality ziploc, and then inside another container. No smell at that point, plus frozen things don't really smell much.

[fluffpuffgerbil]

Thanks for the super helpful reply!
I won't mention the frozen rodents having any smell. XD
The hardest part is building confidence. I'm not very confident in asking about things around my dad.
...........I have seven days to prepare. XD He's on vacation right now.
I also have 5 months until his answer becomes important.
And I don't know if I'll still have my rat. That's pretty important.
Thanks for the answers, the more the merrier, but I'll try to get down a list of pros and cons with the snakes and later see what dad thinks.

[Jared2608]

Agree with Jessica 100%! It's not uncommon for parents to be against snakes, and it's not easy to get around. The main thing is you need to put your case forward properly, without ANY cheek or sass! I say this because its easy to get frustrated and then the cause is lost. Sit down and talk to him, explain why you want one, show him all the research you've done, maybe print it out. Also, explain why you think you're capable of caring for one.

I would also suggest taking him to the pet store, breeder or even better a reptile show so that he can get a feel for what your asking for. There are also videos on youtube that are made to help convince parents, just search for them!

The main thing to remember is that if your dad is firm about not allowing a snake, then please do not make the mistake of getting one anyway and trying to hide it, or just forcing it into the house. I'm not saying you'd do this, but people have done it, and always ends badly!

Give it a shot, and let us know how it goes, good luck!!

[Jessica Loesch]

Good luck!

[TimNA]

I went through something similar.

I only had my mom growing up & when I was 16 I got a job & one of the first things I wanted since I was young was a snake. I begged/pleaded with her but she was deathly afraid of snakes. I promised she would never be forced to be around it & I would make sure it was only out in my room. She said NO! So I stopped pushing the fact.

I started going to the libary & local pet store and gathered information on the snake I wanted. I came to her after a few months & showed her all the info I had regarding it & she still said no! After that I gave up on it. A few months later for my Bday I got a nice surprise & baby burmese with everything that was needed to care for it.

Not saying it will work that way for you but it's worth a try to show them that you are willing to devote all the time to gather the info it may push them to say yes. One word of advice is not to push too hard, if they say no it's not the end of the world, one day you will be on your own then you don't have to ask them for permission to get one. It will all come in due time.

[oppie2005]

I went through something similar.

I only had my mom growing up & when I was 16 I got a job & one of the first things I wanted since I was young was a snake. I begged/pleaded with her but she was deathly afraid of snakes. I promised she would never be forced to be around it & I would make sure it was only out in my room. She said NO! So I stopped pushing the fact.

I started going to the libary & local pet store and gathered information on the snake I wanted. I came to her after a few months & showed her all the info I had regarding it & she still said no! After that I gave up on it. A few months later for my Bday I got a nice surprise & baby burmese with everything that was needed to care for it.

Not saying it will work that way for you but it's worth a try to show them that you are willing to devote all the time to gather the info it may push them to say yes. One word of advice is not to push too hard, if they say no it's not the end of the world, one day you will be on your own then you don't have to ask them for permission to get one. It will all come in due time.

off topic, but, do you still have your burm that you'd gotten for your bday?

[Knytemare]

I was in the same boat you are in now. My entire family hates snakes, and yes we got waaay to many animals, 9 cats is enough but thats just the begenning of pets. I wanted a snake badly enough that i snuck it in the house, set it up, fed it, all the works. Then my parrents found out and yes my dad freaked cause hes a lil puss whos deathly affraid of a snake thatsin MY room that I have to deal with not him. Anyways he kept telling me and hinting i should get rid of it, but i never did and my mom was like oh well lifes to short to blow up and argue about something little. So here i am a year later with my Ball python, actually.. 2 ball pythons. :p