Hi Eliza! First of all, can I just say a few things?
It's really nice to see more homeschooled children. I plan to homeschool/unschool my own. You definitely seem way ahead of your peers (and also many adults lol)...I would have never guessed that you were only 11-12 years old had you not told us. It's really refreshing. It's also really interesting to me to see someone just like myself when I was 12.
Congratulations, you're slowly learning how dumb people mess things up for everyone else, and you're also learning how powerful one person's opinion can be. The truth is, people getting bored of pets isn't only limited to children. Children are just more likely to get bored of a pet. One reason: people objectify animals, and they teach their children to do the same. Another reason for that is most children are not mature enough to take care of themselves, let alone another living being. (Duh.) I would imagine this exempts responsible preteens such as yourself. And then there are preteens (and teens) who are never taught to take responsibility for anything. So don't worry...the books aren't referring to you. It's just too bad that your parents can't see that.
Let's look at your parents' point of view. "They are rats." Well, that's kind of redundant. Obviously, rabbits aren't rats. Next. "They smell." Yes. Any pet will create odors. Humans also create odors (worse than rabbits). That is why you litter train them and clean up after them. Simple solution. I never notice any odors from my rabbit himself, and since he is litter trained, I never have to smell his pee, either (unless I refuse to clean his box). The only complaint I have about rabbits is they are MESSY and destructive. That is definitely something to consider. There WILL be hay (and probably rabbit turds) everywhere, unless you diligently sweep/vacuum it up all day. Personally, I am okay with living with a few strands of dry grass here and there, and their "poopies" are dry and odorless as well.
"I will end up taking care of it." Well, point out to your parents that you take responsibility for a lot of things (give them specific examples like you have given us), and that having a rabbit would be no different. In fact, you are probably going to be more inclined to care for a rabbit consistently rather than do a chore consistently, since it is a living being who will demand your attention. The key is to compromise with your parents. Tell them, "I want to compromise, so we can all get what we want." Agree to be the sole caregiver of the rabbit, which includes, but is not limited to, financial expenses, cleaning up after the rabbit, fixing or replacing anything it destroys, ensuring it is happy, feeding it, etc. And if you, for whatever reason, fail to do this, then your parents get to take "custody" of your rabbit and do with it what they please. This could be just not allowing you to see your rabbit for a certain period of time, or they could possibly rehome it, depending on the situation...if the rabbit isn't getting proper care that is a good reason for rehoming.
It actually surprises me that your parents aren't willing to let you have a pet, especially being that they are homeschoolers. Personally, as a parent, I'd be snatching up the opportunity to teach my children how to compromise and also how to be responsible for something. That is exactly what my parents always did with me, and I actually have had my parents rehome a pet (it was my first bunny...
) because it wasn't getting taken care of well enough. In my defense, no agreement was made ahead of time, no research was done on how to properly care for a rabbit (the internet was in its infancy then), and my parents didn't really bother to teach me, either. I was 10 years old, and they kind of just let me wing it. Not the best situation. But I did learn from it.
Then when I was 12, I really wanted a rabbit again. So my mom told me I could get one if I did my chores without being told for a certain length of time (a week or two?), if I paid for it myself, and if I took care of it myself. At the time, I was making money (3 bucks an hour yeah!) babysitting my little twin brothers, who were toddlers. I also had other pets (like hamsters and fish) which I took care of by myself. Well, I did have a little help from a friend to buy the rabbit and a cage, but I was able to feed and care for her by myself otherwise (I could have saved up...but there was a certain one I wanted!). I also didn't fail that time. I had that little doe until the day she passed. I also had her son (from an accidental litter which I've never regretted having the experience of) until the day he passed, too.
I hope you are planning to let your parents read this thread. As a fellow parent, I'd be interested in hearing what they'd have to say. Maybe they do have a good reason for not wanting a rabbit in the house (like I said, they can be quite destructive, and if you have more than one unaltered bunny, they will spray urine). But if they do, they should stop being wishy-washy with all the "it's a rat" remarks and just tell you what their deal is.
Personally, I like medium sized breeds. I love mini lops and mini rexes, because they seem to be pretty laid back in general, and I like laid back bunnies. All the mini lops I've known have been big, lazy sweethearts, and all the mini rexes I've known have always been fun and personable. I have had dwarfs and dwarf mixes, but they were a little too shy for me, and the larger breeds I avoid simply because they are more work.
I'd like to share a few pictures of my old bunnies later; right now I'm having issues with posting them. =P