Asking for female only.

[Bibliophile]

So the reason that it is unreasonable is because it's for my cat?

What if it were for my child?

But it's not.  It's for a cat.  Cats don't care if it's a male or female touching their bits. 

Frankly, I have all male doctors - it just worked out that way.  My pediatrician when I was little was also male.  My dentist is female and I go to her because she is awesome and I love her staff. 

[cb140]

I see this as being every bit as requesting a male assistant in a gaming shop or electronics store. It's sexist.

You see someone who has to open her up and touch her insides as someone selling me electronics?

It not that operating on a cat is the same as selling someone electronics. What is the same is the utter irrelevance of gender in both cases.

As others have said, it would be different if the cat was going to be awake, and was a cat that was freaked out by one gender or the other (our female cat loves men, doesn't like women). I think it would be different, as a bit more of a stretch, if it was a human (either yourself or, say, your child). But I'm afraid I think it would be extremely rude, and insulting, to say that a male vet is not an appropriate person to operate on your cat. To me, that would both be excessively anthropomorphising the cat (which I know we are all guilty of from time to time) and also someone implying something distasteful about the male vet! 

I'm glad the situation was resolved easily. In future, another's have suggested, I think it would be best to ask for the female vet by name, rather than imply that the male vet was somehow inappropriate.

[Namárië]

Whether it's about cats or kids, I don't really see the relevance of gender. My doctor as a kid was a really great man.

My cats see a female vet, but that's because they like her and are about 30% less likely to swat at her. That's more about her manner than her gender, as well.

[WillyNilly]

So the reason that it is unreasonable is because it's for my cat?

What if it were for my child?

I think it would depend on the type of surgery.  Podiatrist (foot Dr) unreasonable.  Gynecologist/urologist (dealing with genitals) perhaps ok... but even then its a bit of a stretch since aren't children always supervised with Drs?

What is the objection exactly?  Is it that you don't think genders should touch other genders as a general rule?  Is it religious?  Moral?  Due to trauma?  (You don't really have to answer those questions - posed more to show you how its coming across as this is a very unusual and extreme request.)

[HonorH]

So the reason that it is unreasonable is because it's for my cat?

What if it were for my child?

I had a male pediatrician when I was little. After I hit puberty and started getting more private about my body, I went to a female doctor until I needed a specialist. The best specialist happened to be male, so I went to him.

I'm assuming your cat doesn't care one way or the other, though.

[SiotehCat]

Why would you need/desire a female vet in this case?

Because my cat is a female.

She is very small and very female.

If my male cat needed the surgery, I don't think I would care one way or the other.

As opposed to the only somewhat female cats some people have?

I wanted to say very dainty/petite. I was trying to respond too quickly. I didn't meant to call her female twice.

[Lovie]

I wanted to add that this vet has probably perform this operation on anything from ferrets to large dogs.. Delicacy will not be an issue for him if you're concerned about a large man operating on a small cat .

[Red1979]

I think this is pretty offensive and sexist.

I'd think a responsible owner would prefer a vet with the best qualifications, not whoever is available that is of a preferred gender.

[2littlemonkeys]

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't put that much thought into the gender of my child's surgeon.  Only their qualifications.   

[WillyNilly]

Why would you need/desire a female vet in this case?

Because my cat is a female.

She is very small and very female.

If my male cat needed the surgery, I don't think I would care one way or the other.

As opposed to the only somewhat female cats some people have?

I wanted to say very dainty/petite. I was trying to respond too quickly. I didn't meant to call her female twice.

So if the male vet was a very dainty, petite, dare I even say somewhat effeminate man, would that make it ok?  What if the female vet was large and masculine?

[Bibliophile]

Why would you need/desire a female vet in this case?

Because my cat is a female.

She is very small and very female.

If my male cat needed the surgery, I don't think I would care one way or the other.

As opposed to the only somewhat female cats some people have?

I wanted to say very dainty/petite. I was trying to respond too quickly. I didn't meant to call her female twice.

So?  Are you honestly trying to say that you don't think male surgeons can be good because their hands are big?  That's what it sounds like. 

[HonorH]

I wanted to add that this vet has probably perform this operation on anything from ferrets to large dogs.. Delicacy will not be an issue for him if you're concerned about a large man operating on a small cat .

This, exactly.

[CluelessBride]

So the reason that it is unreasonable is because it's for my cat?

What if it were for my child?

But it's not, you clearly said it was a cat.....

Even for your child, I think you are better off asking for Dr. F who happens to be female than saying "Well, I'm okay with any surgeon as long as they are female".  Because the first takes (or could take) into account all sorts of factors: skill, specialty, number of times performing this operation, rate of negative outcomes, gut feel, and overall comfortableness with the doctor (including gender).  But the second says, "I don't care if the surgeon is barely qualified to operate, has a 90% complication rate for a surgery where the standard rate is 5% and has horrible bedside manner.  As long as they don't have a Y chromosome, they can operate on my cat (or child)!"

[Wonderflonium]

So the reason that it is unreasonable is because it's for my cat?

No. The reason it's unreasonable is because we are talking about surgery here.

The reason that it's nearly unbelievable is that it's for your cat.

[Zilla]

What's wrong with simply saying, "I need to make an appointment for Cat, and can you please make it with one of the female ones please?"


Simple does it.  You don't have to explain anything.  If they ask, "Oh I just prefer female vets."


After all you did call and found out she was a female doctor, how did you ask?


And as for appearing rude, nuts or sexist, them simply request Dr. Jones whom you already know is a female.