How shall I convince my mother to let me get a kitten even if I'm able to afford it?

Question

I can afford a kitten and all it's shots,but my mother won't let me! I don't know what to do!

Answer 1

Do you have a steady flow of cash? Can you also afford its food, litter, toys, spay/neuter, and vet visits for the rest of its life? If not, then your mother has the final say.

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to convince a parent to allow a pet if they are not already at least semi-open to the idea.

The best advice I can give is to find out exactly (and I do mean exactly) why she’s against getting one, and build your argument around that. Don’t let her avoid the question. Don’t be rude, she’s your mom, but politely and patiently insist. “I just think I could accept it better if I knew WHY you’re saying no, mom.” That kind of thing. Then, make promises to take care of whatever she’s against. "Just hear me out for a second mom." If she doesn't want fur everywhere, offer to vacuum every two days. If it's the smell of the litter box, offer to clear it several times daily. If she's worried it will cause damage, offer to pay for or work off the cost, etc. Then, tell her she can get rid of the kitten if you are not holding up your end of the bargain. If she knows she has a way out, she may be more likely to agree. "Just think about it for a while, mom. Please." You must follow through with your promises.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Have you asked her why, you may be able to sort out some of the problems just by talking to her about her concerns and how to fix them. She may be worried that it's just a fad and she will end up being the one looking after it. How about if you ask her if you can both set an amount of time to wait and if you still want one then maybe she could change her mind?

Also make sure you can afford the usual weekly costs and the additional occational medical costs, vets can cost alot even for most simple problems. I had a chook once that cost me forty dollars just for 1 shot to make it go to the toilet, expencive 50c chook!!! The times my dog and my friends dogs have gone with poblems, have proberbly averaged about the $400 mark each time and that's a cheap trip! (I cant give you figures on cats, but you get the picture)

If you decide you can afford this, make sure your mum knows.
Show her you've thought things out before you get one.

If you do end up getting one, desexing is a very good idea, but ultamately it is your's and/or your mum's decision! Some people are narky about the subject and dont get that! If your make sure your carefull with it, it shouldn't be a problem. Just remember that you never know when they'll end up managing to slip out and end up pregnant. You dont want to end up with fifty kittens and no homes! And you can let your cat out (with a bell of course) without any problems if you get it done. They also dont tend to stray as far if they're not looking for a mate.

Good luck, but don't worry too much if you cant. There will always be more when you are able to get one. : )

Answer 3

I got a kitten four months ago, she's now 6 months old. To date I have spent over 400 dollars on her, and that's not including food and litter and toys and what not. The shots are over 200. Then she got bit by one of the older cats in my house and had a bad infection that cost me a bit. Then there is blood testing, chipping, you name it.

Even if you can afford to spend that much, it's your moms house and her right to have the environment she wants. When you move out, you can get a cat.

Answer 4

Unless you have a steady job where you are getting money every week or two, I doubt you will be able to afford a cat. Having three kittens myself, I can tell you that they are a lot of work and cost a lot of money to own. You need to pay for the obvious things like toys (you don't need the toys if you have 2 or more cats), food (at least $10 - $13 per week for quality food), litter (good quality litter is at least $8), worming ($10 for worming liquid), flea and tick prevention ($40 - $60 every 3 months for either Frontline or Advantage), and so many other things a cat needs.

You may not think that they are a lot of work but they are! You need to clean the litter trays (worst part about owning a cat) and you need to groom them (clean teeth - if done professionally can cost over $150, clip nails, brush fur etc.).

There is no way to convince your mum to get you a cat. Do your homework, get a job, write down everything you know about owning a cat, write down what you will do for/with your cat, write down what you will do if he gets sick etc. My two young kittens (4 months & 5 months old) got chlamydia (like a flu) last month and it cost me over $500 for medication and for vet visits and it left a big dint in our wallet. Will you be able to afford that if that happens to your cat?

Answer 5

can you afford its food?
can you afford its litter?
scratchign post? carrier? bowls? toys?
can you afford to spay or neuter?

what about emergency medical costs?

it sucks but you are living with your parents in their house = their rules. What would happen if you got a kitten then when its time for you to move out to College or whatever, you cannot find a place that allows cats? Your parents dont want a cat so would it be euthanized? its pretty hard to find a new home for an adult cat.

So unless your parents want a cat, I suggest you save your money (and your dreams) til you move out and get your own home and can have a cat.

Answer 6

Sometimes it can take some work to get parents to trust you ... Start showing that you are able to tackle responsibility, earn some money to be able to support having a pet, and maybe write out some terms with your mom (if I have this budget, if I take care of the litter, if I can quote the price of vaccines and promise to go and get them done, etc) it'll be a great step to showing what a responsible person you are :-) Good luck !

Answer 7

The way I did it was, I brought my mom home the absolute cutest pictures of little kittens and she melted. Then I took her to the shelter to see all the precious babies! AAAAWWWWWW!!!

Answer 8

hi, it's very simple to convinence ur mom... u xplain her that they are not dangerous and don't disturb anyone. give her many examples to show that they r in no w ay harmfull.

Answer 9

tell her that you will be responsble for you kitten and keep your word.