I'd like to get a kitten

[Corey NC]

A friend of mine has a bunch of kittens she can't keep and if she doesn't find homes for them she will have to take them to a shelter. There is one that I really would like a sweet little 3 month old girl. Right now I already have a dog, a parakeet, and over 30 chickens, which I take care of by myself and pay for all feed and such. As a family we also have 4 other dogs, and a cat (and 3 sisters, do they count as animals?).

I have not asked yet but I am sure my dad won't be all for it and my mom will go with whatever my dad says. How do you guys think is the best way for me to go about asking without a flat out "no," (he has been known to do this before on other requests, i.e. parrot, rabbit, hampster, and horse.) I'll take any advice, I'd really like to save one of these kittens from going to a shelter.

 

[fallenweeble]

i would say that your dad should be thrilled that you want to put your energy into such a postitive and rewarding direction! so many kids/young people get caught up in really negitive stuff like gangs, drugs and such . . . a kiddo like you doesn't have the time for such things with so many responsibilities right? when i was a kid i got into plenty of trouble and i wasn't allowed to have pets. i think if i would have had a dog or a horse or a flock of chickens it would have kept me out of a lot of bad stuff.
keep up the good pet care and good luck with your dad!

f. weeble

 

[Haviris]

Don't know if this will help, it's hard to say not knowing your parents, BUT when I was a kid me and two of my sisters were at a friends and their dog had just had puppies, we picked out which one we wanted (without actually getting permission to get a dog, don't know why we thought this would be ok), so when the pup was old enough the friend brought it to us, while my parents weren't home. When my mom got home I showed her our puppy "aint he cute?", she said (in the same baby talk tone I was using) "yes he's cute, but you aren't keeping him", well guess what Duke stayed!! Could be worth a try, but you better have a back up plan, I can't believe that worked for us!

Now for us bringing home kittens was easy, mom never seemed to have a problem with that, bringing home another dog could lead me to sleeping outside with it. I guess without knowing your parents it's hard to say what would be the best method.

You could try haggling with him, tell him you want THREE kittens, and plead and beg until he relents and says you can get ONE, that way he'll feel like it was his idea!

Or another option if your dad is a softie, play the sympathy card, tell him how horrible it will be for the kitten if you don't take it.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Truthfully, what's one more when you have that long list already??!! I say bring it home and kill your Dad with cuteness!!

 

[jjthink]

When I was a teen I brought home a kitten some neanderthals threw out of a moving van as I was bicycling by. I pleaded with my mom to just let us keep it for the weekend.She relented. 16 years later we buried that sweetheart cat, all crying our eyes out.

The kittens, if they are brought to a shelter, stand a good chance of being killed if homes are not very quickly found. Millions upon millions are put down in shelters every year because there are not enough homes. Maybe this can be one of the things you can explain to dad.

Does your friend have the momma cat too? She really needs to be spayed once the kittens are weaned. And if she has the option, best to have the kittens stay with mom till at least 10 weeks. Not always an option but best for the kittens and for momma cat if it is possible.

A lot of other great advice has been given so I'll stop here and just wish you all the best! You sound like a wonderful and caring person and I am crossing my fingers for you. Oh, and I don;t know how old you are, but sometimes parents think ahead that their teens may in a few years be away at college or out on their own and that they will be left caring for the pet who with good care could live to be 20, so think about that a little bit....think about how you would respond to that if they bring it up, though hopefully by then they will be so in love with the cat that they couldn't imagine life without it. Are your parents animal lovers too?

JJ

 

[ChickenFanaticAB]

Two years ago my neighbors cat had kittens, and of course i wanted one, lol. My dad agreed to keep one as long as it stayed outside (and i used the excuse that it would kill the rats and mice that we were currently having problems with around the chicken coop) So i brought home two (one was supposed to go to my friend, who about 2 month later decided it wouldn't work...great....) but anyway, now we have two happy indoor/outdoor cats and I wouldn't have it any other way. And my dad was so excited the other day when he let both of them stay inside and they caught a mouse that he had been suspecting was in our basement!

 

[Betsy]

Come up with several good reasons to a get a one of the kittens, and then come up with way to make your Dad think it's his idea. That's how I can persuade my Dad to do/allow things. Recently I told one of his first cousins who is 17 years his senior that that's how I get Dad to do things, and she laughed and said I was learning how to manage men because that's the way you get them to do/allow something!

 

[Corey NC]

This is what I have decided to say, tell me what you think. (I have pointed out the lies)

I am going to approach him while he is eating dinner, that is when he is in the best mood. I'll tell him about my day and ask him about his day and tell him a silly thing the dogs and/or chickens did that day and then subtly go into this...

Me: "Hey dad, one of my friends from the NCpoultry group..."


Dad: "who?"

Me: "Remember the people we met at the chicken show? Anyways she has rescued some kittens (lie) and is unable to keep all of them and if she can't find a home for them by the end of the month she will have them to the shelter where they'll probably be put to sleep. I wanted to make sure you didn't mind me taking in one of the kittens."

Dad: "what?!"

Me: "Not permanently (lie) just until I can find it a home so it won't have to got to a shelter and be put to sleep."

Dad: "no, no, no we can't have another animal in this house!" (half laughing, half exasperated, slowly getting angry with me. We have gone through this many times)

Me: "but dad it won't be forever (lie) ill it gets a new home, I can't let it die! You won't even know it is here, I will pay for everything and she will stay in my room. Please don't let the kitten be put down."

Hopefully he will answer like this:

Shaking head feeling as though he is saying yes aginst his better judgment, "Fine, but I better not have to do anything."

More than likely he will say this:

"No, you cannot have any more animals! If you ask me agian you will be in big trouble."

I know some of you will disagree with lying but it is for a good cause and I am sure that my dad will learn to love the kitten and forget that I said I would find it a new home.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Usually when I want a certain type of animal, I just bring it home and say I will keep it in the garage or the barn. My parents always feel bad that any animal should stay where it is too cold or too warm and they fall in love with the animal anyways. Mind you, this has only ever worked for small things like baby birds or fish. I have wanted dogs and such before, but I know I would not be able to afford them and in reality while away at college I would not want to leave them with the responsibility.

As for chickens and stuff, they usually don't care what I bring home as long as it doesn't require a regular vet bill. Sometimes my parents get more attached to things than I do!

I did speak to my mom about what she would think of me getting a small animal while at college. She didn't say anything about the fish or the snails, but I'm really wanting a pet rat once I can save up the money while working over break. At first she didn't seem receptive of the idea, but then one day she came out and said "I do still have the aquarium lid in the attic if you needed it". Basically she was saying she wouldn't mind me getting a pet. My dad doesn't usually care.

Other than that, I am usually pretty good at talking myself out of things. I would be wonderful if you could help save a kitten though!

 

[johnnyjack]

Quote:
i like this answer best lol.