Who doesn’t like a fluffy, sweet, cuddly kitty cat? Ailurophobes don’t, that’s who, and I happen to be one. People understand a fear of snakes or a fear of spiders, neither of which happen to bother me. But tell them you’re a cat phobic and you can hear their jaw hit the floor, followed by disbelieving uncontrolled laughter.

I don’t know why this phobia kicked in. I was the kid that took in all sorts of wild strays in the neighborhood, cats among them. I just know that once it kicked in, it got much worse before it got better. Kittens don’t jolt this irrational fear into gear, but stray cats will definitely do it. Once I get to know certain cats, they don’t bother me at all.

Cat owners think that if they inform me they have a de-clawed cat it will make all the difference in my comfort level, which ranges from outright panic to calm and attentive. I’m sometimes even able to pet the lovable felines. What they don’t understand is it’s an IRRATIONAL fear. I don’t care if the cats have no claws (front or back) and no teeth—cats just simply freak me out. They’re sneaky, and when they sense my fear, they tease me mercilessly (almost as bad as their owners!)

What is Ailurophobia?

Ailurophobia is simply the fear of cats. Not a dislike, mind you, although fear of cats and a dislike of cats may coincide within the same individual.

Like most phobias, the sufferer of Ailurophobia may not even be able to tell you what it is about cats that causes them to break out into a cold sweat, their heart to beat rapidly, or that leaves them positively panicky in the presence of a cat. Cats may just simply freak them out. They seem sneaky and sadistic to the phobic.

Some ailurophobes may have had an activating event, like a cat attack, to put the fear into motion, but even with an initial event, the individual would already have a predisposition to anxiety which may or may not manifest into a phobia.

Cats are drawn to people who don’t like them mainly because they don’t make contact with the cat, avoiding eye contact, which puts the cat at ease. The more the ailurophobe ignores the cat; the more the lap looks comfortable, calming and inviting. So cats aren’t merely being mischievous and wicked by making a b-line for the ailurophobe, they just feel comforted. That isn’t true for all kitty cats—I have been helplessly terrorized by a rascally cat while the owner laughed hysterically at the cat’s new and apparently hilarious behavior, which only caused me to feel that much more vulnerable and ill at ease. I wasted no time in excusing myself from their home, never to return. (Seriously, it was that bad)

What can be done for Ailurophobes?

As with all phobias, desensitization seems to be the only cure. To overcome fear, one must walk through it. There doesn’t seem to be an exception here. The key is to take it one cat at time, one situation at a time. When becoming desensitized to being around cats, make sure you have an understanding and trusted friend or professional with you. Having someone to talk you through the anxiety, panic and fear will greatly aid in the desensitization process. Having someone tease you and aggravate you will only harden or exacerbate the phobia, causing the anxiety to increase.

Each time you are exposed to cats, and can calmly walk through the fear, it gets easier and easier. The phobia itself may never go away, but you won’t find it intolerable and unbearable to be around cats. Initial hesitation will fade into indifference or amicability instead of bounding into full blown panic and terror.

-Anne

Do you have any remedies for a phobia? Comment and tell us about it!

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