Ailurophobia (Fear of Cats)
Ailurophobia is a fear of cats. People with this specific phobia feel anxious when they think about a cat, see a cat or image of a cat, or hear a cat.
Many people with cat phobia have had negative experiences with cats. You can overcome the phobia of cats with exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, and other treatments.
What is Ailurophobia?
People with ailurophobia (eye-lure-o-PHO-bia) have a fear of cats. Someone with an ailurophobia may have extreme anxiety or fear when seeing or thinking about cats.
They may avoid visiting friends who have cats or stay away from co-workers who talk about their cats. In some cases, people may stop leaving their house to avoid the chance of seeing cats outside.
The word ailurophobia comes from “ailouros,” the Greek word for cat. Phobia means fear.
What are other names for Ailurophobia?
Ailurophobia is also known by other names. People may call this phobia:
- Aelurophobia
- Elurophobia
- Felinophobia
- Galeophobia
- Gatophobia
What is a phobia?
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder. They involve excessive fear of an event or situation that won’t necessarily cause harm in reality.
Ailurophobia is a specific phobia disorder. A specific phobia occurs when something particular (in this case, cats) leads to a fearful reaction.
How common is Ailurophobia?
Fear of animals is one of the most common phobias, along with fear of heights. About 9% of American adults and almost 20% of teenagers have a specific phobia disorder at some point during their lifetime. These disorders affect about twice as many women as men.
What does a person with an ailurophobia fear?
Someone with ailurophobia may be afraid of:
- Being attacked or jumped on by a cat.
- Coming across cats in public places, like outside, or private spaces, like a friend’s house.
- Finding or touching cat fur.
- Having evil spells cast on them by a cat.
- Seeing pictures of cats in books, magazines, or online.
- Watching or hearing cats in TV shows or movies.
Symptoms and Causes
Who is at risk for an ailurophobia?
You’re more likely to develop ailurophobia or another specific phobia disorder if you already have:
- Another phobia
- Anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Substance use disorder
What other phobias are associated with ailurophobia?
Other phobias linked to ailurophobia include:
- Agrizoophobia, fear of wild animals
- Zoophobia, fear of animals
What are the causes of ailurophobia?
Possible causes of ailurophobia include:
Past traumatic events: People who have had a traumatic experience related to cats may develop an ailurophobia. For instance, a cat may have attacked you or someone you know.
Negative stories about cats: Some people see cats as carriers of evil. Stories of cats during the Middle Ages and the Salem Witch Trial linked cats to witches and the devil.
Family history: Your risk of ailurophobia increases if you have a close relative or parent with a phobic disorder or anxiety disorder.
Modeling: Seeing a person with an ailurophobia or listening to someone talk about their fear of cats can cause you to have the same phobia.
What are ailurophobia triggers?
Anything related to cats may bring on ailurophobia. Ailurophobia triggers include seeing or thinking about cats:
- In public spaces, such as walking along the street
- At someone’s house
- In TV shows or movies
What are ailurophobia symptoms?
Ailurophobia symptoms can range from mild to extreme. The most common symptoms are extreme anxiety when thinking about or seeing a cat.
Emotional symptoms include:
- Excessive thinking about how to avoid cats.
- Extreme anxiety when you hear cat sounds, such as purring, hissing, or meowing.
- Fear of places where you may see a cat.
Physical symptoms of ailurophobia include:
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Intense sweating (hyperhidrosis)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Panic attacks
- Rapid breathing and heart rate
- A strong feeling of terror
- Tense muscles, trembling or shaking
- Analysis and Tests
How is ailurophobia analyzed?
Assuming ailurophobia impacts your life, your medical services supplier might recommend that you see emotional well-being proficient like an analyst. An analyst might analyze you after getting some information about your side effects.
You might have a particular phobic issue if you phobia of felines:
- Happens when you ponder or see felines.
- Drives you to skip circumstances, for example, heading outside or to a companion’s home.
- Brings about fast acting, for example, fleeing, on the off chance that you see a feline.
- Makes you pass up get-togethers.
- Influences your capacity to appreciate life.
- Triggers indications of uneasiness or phobia that don’t match the real risk.
- Endures something like a half year.
- The executives and Treatment
What are ailurophobia medicines?
Openness treatment is one of the principal medicines for ailurophobia. During openness treatment, an emotional wellness proficient acquaints you with circumstances and pictures that might trigger your manifestations.
They slowly assist you with dealing with your reaction. Upwards of 9 out of 10 individuals with explicit fears see their side effects work on in the wake of getting this kind of psychotherapy (talk treatment).
During openness treatment, you:
- Learn breathing and unwinding procedures to use previously and during an openness.
- View pictures or recordings of felines.
- Work on holding a toy feline.
- Bit by bit progress to being almost a feline in a transporter.
- At last, contact a feline while having support from an advisor, family, or companions.
What are other ailurophobia arrangements?
Different procedures to conquer ailurophobia include:
Intellectual social treatment (CBT): CBT assists you with changing how you see and react to circumstances and articles that trigger manifestations. Numerous medical services suppliers use CBT alongside openness treatment.
Hypnotherapy: Providers utilize directed unwinding strategies and centered regard for assisting with adjusting your impression of felines. Suppliers can likewise utilize hypnotherapy to track down the fundamental reason for your feline tension.
Prescriptions: Drugs that assistance with actual side effects of uneasiness, like beta-blockers or antianxiety meds, may lessen ailurophobia indications.
Suppliers frequently endorse these drugs for circumstances where individuals might experience a feline.
Yoga and reflection: A steady yoga practice can assist you with unwinding and reducing your feelings of anxiety. Reflection can assist you with zeroing in on your breathing to lessen fits of anxiety.
What are the entanglements of ailurophobia?
Serious ailurophobia can affect your satisfaction. You probably shouldn’t visit companions at their homes or take strolls outside.
Simply the possibility of running into a feline when you take off from your home can cause outrageous uneasiness. You might need to quit going out by any stretch of the imagination.
Certain individuals with an ailurophobia have fits of anxiety. These assaults can prompt chest torment or a dashing pulse.
Persevering stresses over fits of anxiety can bring about a frenzy issue. This condition might require long haul utilization of hostile to nervousness prescriptions.
When would it be a good idea for me to call the specialist?
You should call your medical care supplier assuming you have:
- Fits of anxiety.
- Tireless nervousness that creates issues with day-to-day existence or dozing.
What inquiries would it be a good idea for me to pose to my PCP?
You might need to ask your medical care supplier:
- How long will I want treatment?
- What is causing this fear?
- What is the best treatment for me?
A note from Clinic
Fears, for example, ailurophobia can affect your satisfaction. You might try not to sit in front of the TV or films, decrease time enjoyed with loved ones, or not have any desire to take off from your home.
Medical services suppliers can assist you with conquering your phobia of felines. Converse with your supplier about medicines like openness treatment, intellectual conduct treatment, or hypnotherapy. These medicines can assist you with resting easy thinking about being around felines.