Mean streak?

[i61164]

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My daughter put one of our cats in her dresser drawers and closed it. We didn't know where the cat was and once we realized she was missing we mounted a huge search for about an hour. Meanwhile, my daughter (age 4) did not tell us where the cat was although now we know that she knew all along. She has locked the cat in closets/rooms before and I can see how she could get mad at the cat and want to punish it, but the difference is that this time my wife and I couldn't figure out where the cat was for a long time and we were getting really worried. I am afraid that my daughter is taking this behavior too far. Help if you can!

Thanks.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

My daughter put one of our cats in her dresser drawers and closed it. We didn't know where the cat was and once we realized she was missing we mounted a huge search for about an hour. Meanwhile, my daughter (age 4) did not tell us where the cat was although now we know that she knew all along. She has locked the cat in closets/rooms before and I can see how she could get mad at the cat and want to punish it, but the difference is that this time my wife and I couldn't figure out where the cat was for a long time and we were getting really worried. I am afraid that my daughter is taking this behavior too far. Help if you can!

Thanks.

When I did Peds, I was SURE that every temp my kids spiked was meningitis.
When you're in psych, you start seeing every tantrum as borderline PD, and every fight as antisocial PD.

Unless this is a continuous pattern of cruelty which extends to other animals and kids, I'd just make her apologize to the cat and take away a hour of TV or something else she enjoys (to make the punishment fit the crime.)