How to Show Your Parents You Are Responsible Enough to Own a Pet

Be honest with yourself. Are you responsible enough? Consider these questions and answer them truthfully:

• Are you ready to feed, brush, clean, bathe, walk, and play with the pet on a regular basis?
• Are you ready to clean out their cage, bed, living area, etc. regularly? Many pets need daily cleanup to keep odors manageable.If smells get too strong, parents can get angry. Besides, your pet won't be happy in that environment either.
• Do you have too many other commitments that might prevent you from having a pet and looking after it properly? Think about sports, after-school activities, weekend homework, etc. Taking care of a pet requires time that you have to make sure you have.

Research the animal you think you want (try your local library or the internet). Write down what you learn. This will prepare you for the care of the animal, help you choose the right animal, and demonstrate to your parents that you know what is involved, as well as letting them know you're responsible and interested. What different kinds of pets are out there? What are they like? How long do they live? How messy are they? What sort of care do they require? Don't forget the good parts! Are they affectionate? Can they be trained to do tricks? Can the whole family enjoy their company?

Make a list of things you will do to care for the pet. Show this to your parents to demonstrate that you are ready, and see what they think about letting you have this animal.

Buy a small soft toy in the shape of whatever pet you want. It may sound strange, but it will help. Care for it and pretend it is real for however long you want to (it will show your parents that you have patience). Don't keep asking if you can have a pet yet; just show that you are caring about the toy. Some people are quite happy with the soft toy and may not even want a pet anymore and some may think it is too much work and give up altogether. If you still want a pet, proceed to the next step.

Start off small. Show your parents what you have done with your soft toy and if they approve, then politely ask them to buy you a fish. The aim is to start small, then work up. A fish doesn't smell and doesn't make noises. You only have to feed it and change the water regularly. If your parents still do not agree, then ask for sea monkeys. They are cheap and you only need to feed them.

Progress to larger animals. After your parents have seen how you look after your small pets, slowly move onto the bigger, more high-maintenance animals. If you only want a mouse, this will not take long, but if you want a dog then it will take longer.

Tell your parents about friends who have pets. Don't overdo this, in case they think that your only reason for wanting a pet is because a friend has one. Do use it show that someone your own age is already caring well for a pet.

(Alternative to the above)Offer to buy the animal yourself(if it's something small like a gerbil), look up the expenses for the animal and the items it needs online, make some kind of poster or powerpoint presentation and show it to your parents add in many things you have researched about this animal and why it would be a good pet for you. If it's something like a dog(that you obviously can't afford) offer adopting a rescue, and many of those are barely $100, and many also come house trained, and are better in the long run.

Begin to take up more responsibilities around the house, also start to clean up around the house without being asked. Be as helpful as possible to your parents, but don't over-do it.