Convincing parents

I really want a chinchilla. I have researched A LOT about them for countless amounts of time. I asked my mom and she said no, because about a month ago I got a dwarf hamster. Since she was saying no because of the close proximity of time between getting both animals, I asked if we could get one this summer or in the fall... But she still said no. So, I looked up many videos and articles on how to convince your parents to let you get a chinchilla and I tried numerous ways (writing a LONG letter, explaining A LOT about them, telling her how much I've learned and know about them, going to the pet store and showing them to her, and even getting my cousin to "test" me on my knowledge of them. Nothing seems to work. She says that we have enough animals but all we have is a hamster and a dog. Is there any ways of convincing parents that you would recomend? I even told her ( which was true) that I have the money to get one and get the cage and that if the money was an issue, we could get one off of Craigslist that comes with some basic necessities and a cage. I also tried to make some deals with her like I could get one if I get straight A's, or do a lot of Chores around the house (which Ive been starting to do more of), and many other things) PLEASE HELP ME OUT!

Well since as you say you have done a lot of research then you should know that chins are a lot more more and money then a simple hamster or even a dog sometimes. Start up cost for a chin for proper set up is around $500, for cage, food, food bowl, water bottle, hidy house, etc, the chin itself is cheap in comparison. Keep in mind that most things at pet stores are not safe for chinchillas, so you'll need to be ordering thing online, I spoil my 2 guys but easily spend hundreds every year on online supplies, their wheel alone was over $80 (the only chin safe wheels you can buy are found online). Chinchillas are also very heat sensitive so a a/c is a must unless you live in the arctic where it never gets above 75 degrees or the chin will die. I assume you already know, but just in case, a chin is an exotic meaning you need an exotic vet (that knows chinchillas, not all do or will even see chinchillas), so a simple vet check will cost around $50 +/- depending on where you are, and an emergency can easily run into the hundreds to thousands of dollars. For emergencies, ideally you want around $2,000 put aside for a vet fund. Can you afford a vet bill in the thousands? Or are your parents willing to spend that kind of money at the vet for a chinchilla? So if money is an issue a chin is not a good idea. Also a chins you find on classifieds commonly come with cheap treat filled food and a plastic cage, among other things, meaning you'll still need to buy a new proper cage and other things. You'd be much better off going to a breeder, then classifieds or even a pet store. A pet store you may be helping out that one chin, but are encouraging the store to sell more and the cycle of poor care (most have chins in glass aquariums with carefresh litter, junk food and plastic igloos) continues.

As to trying to convince your parents it might help to wait and take very good care of the hamster, prove that you can care for a short lived rodent before getting one that can live 20+ years. Also continue to do research, chinchillas are still new in the pet world so new info is coming out all the time. Get a vet lined up, get a savings account going, find a breeder(s) and talk to them, that way your parents can see you are serious about the chin. Maybe once they see how much time and energy you are putting into it they may change their minds, it is very common for kids to loose interest in a pet, so prove to them you are serious and it's not just a passing fancy.

Some other things to consider, chins require a lot more time and attention then a hamster, and I wouldn't suggest them for beginner pet owners. Are you prepared to not go away for longer then a night? You can't just leave a chin with extra food and water and expect them to be fine they need daily interaction. A chinchilla is similar to a parrot in terms of interaction time required, they will get lonely and depressed if you don't spend time every day for at least an hour, ideally longer. Since you are talking about grades, are you in grade school or college? If still in grade school are you planning to go to college? if so what are your plans for the chinchilla? I'm sorry if this advice is not what you want to hear, and it's not meant to be directed at you personally if you have truly done enough research, it's just very common for people to forget about vet emergencies, lifespan and extra costs in the excitement when thinking of getting a chin.

I would like to add that your parents may be concerned about the cost of a chinchilla. I easily spend between $50-100/month on my pair of chinchillas. Between food, hay, and chews. This is NOT including vet visits. Make sure you have a plan on how to pay for the continued cost of the chinchilla, not just the startup.

I'm assuming that you are going to be leaving your parents house at some time during the chinchilla's 15-20 year lifespan. My chinchillas were a surprise right before I went off to college from my parents who hadn't thought it through. The chinchillas ended up suffering because I couldn't take them to college and had very little time to spend with them, and my sister, their co-owner, lost interest. A lot of apartments and rentals do not accept chinchillas because they are considered 'exotics', so make sure your plan includes what happens to the chinchillas after you leave the house.

The last thing I want to add is that I understand your moms concern about you suddenly wanting another pet. It probably seems that you already lost interest in the dwarf hamster, because in only a month you decided you wanted yet another pet that can live much longer than a hamster. If I were you I would be paitent and take the best possible care of your hamster that you can and maybe wait a year or even until after your hamster dies to prove you are responsible and can take care of a pet for its entire life without getting bored.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it definitely needs to be considered.

I like this site for prospective chin parents: http://owningchinchillas.webs.com/before-you-get-a-chinchilla.

I'd say definitely show the link that Chinmama posted to your mom.

Also, a hamster can be a fun pet if you're willing to interact with them! I got my first hamster in 5th grade, and I would frequently make little obstacle courses for her using my dad's woodworking scraps - I could often find long, slim pieces to use as balance beams for my hammie. I trained her to jump over little toy horse fences, and climber the stairs. She especially liked climbing up "staircases" I made out of books I had a lot of fun with her and she lived about 3.5 years - which is great for a hamster. Since then I've had several more hamsters - including Fudge <3

I first started looking into chins a few years before actually bringing my girls home. A responsible breeder will likely ask you if you've done your homework and what your plan is for when *your* life changes, since it sounds like you are a student.
Are you planning to go to college? Dorms will not allow a chinchilla and many apartments don't allow them either, so if your mom is not into the chinchilla scene, who will care for the chin when you leave home?

A friend of mine from college had a chinchilla while she was in high school. When she came to college, she left the chin in the care of a friend of hers (I guess her parents didn't want to be the ones to care for him) Within her first semester, her chinchilla died. I don't know the full story, but based on what she said, the friend was not caring for him properly. :-(
Finding a person willing to take over your chin is one thing, making sure that person is a *competent* chin care-giver is a bit more difficult, going by my friend's experience :-(

Keep us posted on what your thoughts are, and what else your mom says. *hugs*

I agree with the others. It took me my WHOLE LIFE to get a pet haha. I got my chin when I was 13. I never had a pet before and I jumped right to a chinchilla. My mom thought i'd loose interest in my chin, but NOPE I love her to death and back! I like to remind my mom about what she said about me "losing interest" xD Definitely don't forget vet bills. It eats up money fast. Today I just found out my chin has a sever eye infection costing hundreds of dollars. I'm prepared to give her, her medication though! And as I am home-schooled it's easier with the medicine and such. Keep us updated!

chiaismypet said:

I agree with the others. It took me my WHOLE LIFE to get a pet haha. I got my chin when I was 13. I never had a pet before and I jumped right to a chinchilla. My mom thought i'd loose interest in my chin, but NOPE I love her to death and back! I like to remind my mom about what she said about me "losing interest" xD Definitely don't forget vet bills. It eats up money fast. Today I just found out my chin has a sever eye infection costing hundreds of dollars. I'm prepared to give her, her medication though! And as I am home-schooled it's easier with the medicine and such. Keep us updated!

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Not to hijack the thread, but I think the OP would really benefit from hearing what your long-term plan is for caring for your chin! If you are 14, that means the chin will likely still be alive (at least I certainly hope so!) when you are moving out of your parents' house and changing living situations. Is the chin going with you?
And... so sorry about your chin's eye infection, poor little thing! Are your parents paying the vet bills, or are you on your own for it?

Haha, ok. The story is quite long, so here goes. All my life I adored animals. I've always wanted a job to do with animals. Keep in mind my mom is allergic to furry animals so it was hard to even have a pet.
One day I randomly asked my parents if I could have a turtle. I couldn't really think of to many animals without fur I'd be able to have at the time. To my surprise they said yes. I researched a ton about them. Till I realized it wasn't the right pet for me.
I didn't want to tell my parents because I thought there would be no hope in me having a pet if I do. But, I didn't want to take in an animal I knew I could not give the best home too. After explaining to my parents they saw how serious I was about not only having a pet, but making sure it has a good home. It took me a while to actually find out about chinchillas as I had no clue they even existed.

When I was researching about hypo allergenic animals I came across them. It did seem like a lot of work, but the more I found out about them the more I realized they fit perfectly into my life. I took a look on craigslist and saw the chinchilla I have today. I read a lot on this very forum and learned tons. Don't get me wrong I had my fair share of mistakes, but I realized those mistakes and fixed them. After a long long time of dreaming about a pet I have one.

As for the future I am planning on going into animal rehabilitation or Marine Bio. And yes, my chin will go where ever I go. I WILL find the time to care for her. I don't know what will happen in my life, but I will try my very BEST to keep this little critter with me. If worst comes to worst and I can't keep her one day. I'll make sure she has the very best home.

My parents are paying the bills, but i'm helping. I was saving up for a FN cage for her, but I think her health is more important. If my parents need help i'm going to use the money for that. If they don't I'll probably use it for her food, dust, chews. Because I don't want to ask them for money when they're paying hundreds already. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions. :heart:

I'll tell you my story as well, as I am a teenager and I hope this could possibly help you. It's long lol
So like chiaismypet I have loved animals all my life. Me and my sister got 2 fish when I was 5 or 6 just by asking for them and we got bored and they died. We weren't allowed another pet. When I was 8 I started asking for a hamster and my parents said do your research and we will consider. So I did a lot of research and came across the fact they were nocturnal. Me being a child that went to bed at 7pm and woke up at 7am for school, that wasn't very practical. I had done all this hard work and my parents were weakening so I didn't know what I could do. Then they found out about the nocturnal thing and suggested gerbils. I researched them again, and got 3 for my ninth birthday called Rio theo and leo. So I got my gerbils by proving responsibility by gathering information and presenting it to my parents (I couldn't do many chores since I was 8) anyway June 2014 my only remaining gerbil dies and I'm left devastated. I ask for another pet and am told by my parents that I couldn't have another pet for about a year because they wanted a break. I was so upset. I settled with loan/lease horses (I ride) until finally I decided to ask for a rabbit. We had guinea pigs for my sister the previous year and ended up giving them away as she couldn't care for them. So they said no. I begged but I realised there was no hope. I went back to hamsters and both parents agreed I could get one for my birthday. Until they remembered they were nocturnal and we are back to square 1. I suggest jokingly about a chinchilla as we had heard all these tales about how hard to care for they are and my parents take me seriously. I make a presentation about chinchillas (leaving out the fact they are nocturnal...) and do a lot of chores round the house until they decide I can have one. Luckily there is a breeder a few streets away from me and I reserved a chin there. I got him a few weeks later. In December, I realised my chinchilla was lonely and had to persuade my parents to get him a friend. They said no way. I messaged the breeder asking about intros and she said since your chin is still young the intros would be easy. She offered me a chin for £40 (previous chin was £70) and my parents started relenting but since it was not a present, I had to earn the money myself. I did chores for 5 weeks and sold things until I raised the money (chores DO NOT pay well at my house) finally I was allowed to get another chinchilla. So yeah. That's my pet story.
Do chores, sell stuff to get money, make power points and be nice to your parents. Don't stop doing this straight away afterwards though because it makes them annoyed and are likely not to give you anything like this in the future.