My dad is afraid of rodents..I need help.

[Amber]

I found out that my dad is terrified? of rodents. (my mom told me)

How could I help him? I'd like to get him to not be afraid, so he can learn to like all rodents, and can actually enjoy them.

[Dogz]

Well, that may be tough. My mom is afraid of rodents, and my dad is NOT fond of them either. I know I wouldn't be able to talk them into liking them.

[guster girl]

My mother hates rodents in general. I managed to get her to adore my guinea pig, Angus. She cried right along with me when he died. They're good to introduce to people, because they're not as rodent-like as some others. :) Introduce your dad to a rodent or rodents that are good pets already, though. Ya know? Like don't just take him to the pet store. My mother wouldn't hold my rats, Gwynnie (RB rat) and Luli, but, she liked them enough to touch them and to not be grossed out by them. Is he really afraid or does he just not like them? I mean, some people are just mostly grossed out by the tails. Like rats, mice, gerbils....

[Dogz]

Good point, guster girl. Maybe if you introduced your dad to a 'tail-less rodent' it might help instead of introducing him to a rat right away. It actually might be the tail with my mom, also.

Good Luck.

[Karen]

I agree that with some people it's the tails that bother them, for others it's the claws - and too many horror movies over the course of a lifetime. Don't ask you dad to hold one, you hold a calm one and ask your dad to pet him or her. Bring up in conversation neat things they do. Just saturate him with niceties about them. He might never grow to adore them, but at least you can help him be less afraid.

[Amber]

Well, it could be the tails. But when I had my RB mouse Lewis, my dad acutally held him. But he never held any of my hamsters before. Kinda strange.

He used to have gerbles as a kid. Maybe somthing happened that gave him a bad expirence?