Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school unique vet experiences with amost 4 yr old..advice

It would be better if the vet was willing to explain what she was doing if she could talk and point out what she was doing while she was doing it. If your child can hold a conversation about it with the vet then I would have more trust in the situation. Make sure the vet says "you have to have medicine. Don't ever try this because you have to have the right medicine and it's a special medicine for animals". I was going to say then your kid would have more thoughtful things to say while they were play acting it then the other mothers wouldn't mind. Then I thought I could be wrong and it might make your kid "the weird kid".

The vet was very good at pointing out things and actually explaining some of the reason the cats were behaving as they were. He also used anatomically correct terms for the procedure....I think DD 3 almost 4 has a better understanding of the reproductive system than many young teens. She has been quite interested in anatomy from a young age and knows the digestive system, the immune system, she use to be able to tell you how cuts heal, (not sure if she still knows this have not heard about it for awhile) the different blood cells found in blood etc. Then we went to the anatomy of a mosquito and recently it has been spiders....Now we wrap all the food into spider silk until it becomes liquid so we can drink it.... I think I preferred eating Parmesan cheese antibodies....

Well I try to base my answer on what my kids have shown me rather than on beliefs about kids in general. I just let my fixing to turn five year old ride his bike with me to the grocery store for fun, down a side street, crossing three busy streets (get off and push). I was nervous after we started but he took it seriously, listened well, and was glad he did it. With the details you've shared I would decide yes in your shoes (making sure to tell them about the special medicine so they know not to try it alone). Part 2, I don't know what the other mothers will say. Friends, family, and strangers alike have reacted weird to anything from my toddler or baby eating whole vegetables to climbing on the playground equipment when they're small. I'm sure they would say something about letting them watch a medical operation too. I don't know what to do about that except shrug it off. It might be better to address their concerns with stories like you've shared here, if they're interested in them.

So interesting the different responses and reasons behind them. Thank-you to everyone, definitely has given me a lot to think about. She seems fine so far from what she has seen. Has quite a few interesting words.... I think I will play it by ear, if the opportunity arises...judge by the mood of everyone involved, myself included. What is really clear from everyone's response is the atmosphere in which it is occurring. I think the first set of cats happened in a really okay way under the circumstances.. There was a lot of concern for the cats. They were held in arms till they fell asleep and put in boxes together after surgery till they came to with constant surveillance by two kids and the rest of the people involved.

LaTexican- My older DD was very coordinated and listened well. I would take her on her bike places most others would not. I also put her in the front seat of a two person kayak at age 5. She learned in a pool how to get out if the kayak flipped. We went out in the ocean and went camping along remote shores. It was awesome and beautiful and did not break my back...At four she could hike four miles up on her own. We would do overnights out in the wilderness. I came to appreciate Barbies. I tried to keep them out of our lives, but it became impossible. Well they float, you can tie them onto a kayak and have something to play with in the water with little drag. Also if you lose them they are pretty easy to replace..they also clean up really easy. At the time they had a hiking/camping Barbie... however her feet were still shaped for high heels....

Wow! Reading through all the replies, I can see all the different points of view. Personally, I think it sounds fascinating and I can easily imagine that my biology-loving dd would have wanted to see this, even at age 4.

Is this something you could talk with her about? Does she have the maturity to understand why you might not want to include her this time? Can you prepare her in advance for what she will see, hear, smell, etc?

Just a quick update on this thread.. The female cat was never located... My little one has not shown any adverse affects by seeing the neutering. She has never tried to do it to the live cat. She has played on her stuffed cat. She currently says she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.... She did get to be involved in the dissecting of a seal. This also has increased her level of interest in biology kind of things.