Phobia Of Cats: What It Is And How To Act
While for most people cats are nice and friendly animals, for others they are a threat. If being around a feline you feel panic, you may be suffering from cat phobia.
Ailurophobia is an extreme fear of having contact with cats. However, like any phobia, it is an irrational fear. The terror you feel is greater than the damage they can do.
It is very common that this problem stems from a bad experience with cats. There are also many cases that have to do with a fear transmitted by someone else. Cat phobia is most often acquired in childhood. Therefore, hardly anyone is aware of this trauma. Fortunately, it’s an imbalance that can be overcome.
Causes of cat phobia
While not the most common, a feline may have bitten or scratched you in the past, or perhaps you’ve had another unpleasant experience that was associated in some way with cats. In any case, fear is a healthy sign that human beings are activated to protect themselves.
Cat phobia can also be associated with negative superstitions. For some people, the cat has a meaning of bad luck. Likewise, devilish or supernatural powers were attributed to him. There is also the myth that the cat has seven lives and is therefore a magical being. However, these representations are culturally created legends.
Many believe that this phobia arises out of ignorance. Like dogs, cats are harmless animals. Therefore, they can live with anyone without any problem. In addition, felines are very playful, affectionate and friendly with children and adults. They are also experts in hunting rodents.
cat phobia symptoms
There are some characteristic symptoms of ailurophobia or cat phobia. Although they are reflected in a physical way, they correspond to a psychological imbalance. This does not mean that this is a mental disorder, but simply that the body and mind reflect a rejection out of fear.
Someone who has this type of phobia experiences anxiety, nervousness, or panic when they encounter a cat. It even presents sweating, agitation, shortness of breath and nausea. Sometimes cases of urticaria or other associated diseases arise.
Some people experience the feeling of being paralyzed. Symptoms appear even when thinking and watching pictures or videos of felines. Likewise, they are afraid to pass places where there are cats, and they also refuse to visit relatives and friends who have these pets. Although they know it’s a disproportionate fear, they have a hard time controlling it.
Ideas on how to act to overcome the problem
The first thing you must do is have an open and positive attitude. That is, look critically at the negative ideas and beliefs you have about cats. It is also necessary for you to try to identify the source of your fear. You could make a list of possible causes that wake you up.
Once you have identified the root of your phobia, it will be easier to deal with it. Avoiding cats is not the solution. There is no other way to overcome cat phobia than to face it in the real world. But don’t be alarmed, because, as with any process, you must go at your own pace.
You could start, for example, reading and seeing pictures of cats. So afterwards, it would be good to try to get close to the cats and observe them from afar. Make a daily or weekly routine in which you gradually come into contact with the cats.
When you’re around a cat, try doing slow breathing exercises. Subtract the power of fear and think that nothing bad will happen. Just get carried away by the situation, of course.
Other Alternatives to Overcome Fear of Cats
Initially you can help yourself by learning meditation and relaxation techniques. These are effective tools to reduce your fear. However, if you think it is impossible to move forward, it is better to consult an expert.
Fortunately, there are a wide variety of treatments and therapeutic methods that serve to help overcome this phobia. In any case, your will plays an important role in this process. It is necessary that you have disposition, perseverance and conviction to reach the final result.
You’ll see favorable results and, why not, you might even come to like cats. If not, you will gradually learn to live with these animals, with a lot of patience and tolerance. In this way, you will manage your fear to lead a freer and less limited life.
