Ailurophobia
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Ailurophobia | |
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Specialty | Psychology |
Ailurophobia (/aɪˌlʊərəˈfoʊbiə/)[1] is the persistent and excessive fear of cats.[2] Like other specific phobias, the exact cause of ailurophobia is unknown, and potential treatment generally involves therapy.[3][4] The name comes from the Greek words αἴλουρος (ailouros), 'cat', and φόβος (phóbos), 'fear'. Other names for ailurophobia include: felinophobia,[5] elurophobia,[5] gatophobia,[4] and cat phobia.[5] A person with this phobia is known as an ailurophobe.[6]
Description
Ailurophobia is relatively uncommon compared to other
Causes
Though the exact cause of ailurophobia is unknown, ailurophobes often trace their fear back to early childhood. This is a trend observed in many other specific phobias, especially those involving animals. One theory is that a singular traumatic incident, like being attacked by a cat or witnessing a cat attack someone else, can trigger the development of this phobia. Other theories as to the cause of ailurophobia include exposure to someone else's ailurophobia, or being inundated with troubling information about the danger of cats.[9]
Another explanation could be that humans are somewhat preconditioned to fear felines because the ancestors of
Treatment
It is widely believed that one of the best treatments for animal phobia is exposure therapy.[4] Exposure therapy is conducted by systematically exposing a patient to stimuli that are increasingly fear-inducing while only progressing when the patient is comfortable with the prior stimulus. For example, one ailurophobic patient underwent exposure therapy for her fear by being exposed to fur-like fabric, pictures of cats, a toy cat, and finally a friendly live kitten, which the patient subsequently adopted; as the kitten grew and remained friendly, the patient was able to be less afraid of full-grown cats.[8] This method is used to help patients with both ailurophobia and cynophobia.[8]
There are no medications designed to treat ailurophobia.
See also
- List of phobias
- Stephen Bouquet, the "Brighton Cat Killer"
References
- ^ "Definition of ailurophobia | Dictionary.com". dictionary.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- S2CID 30238029.
- ^ Barnhill, John W. (April 2020). "Specific Phobic Disorders". Merck Manuals – Professional Version. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ OCLC 895030322..
- ^ ISBN 9781560000655.
- ^ "Recognizing Ailurophobia Symptoms". Health Daily Advice. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- OCLC 785781539.
- ^ PMID 13824737.
- OCLC 324995635.
- ^ Piegl, Linda; Bothma, Bianca (20 December 2011). "Dinofelis – hominid hunter or misunderstood feline?". maropeng.co.za.
- S2CID 205144078.
Further reading
- Crawford, Nelson Antrim (1934). "Cats Holy and Profane". Psychoanalytic Review. 21: 168–179. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
- Kenrick, Douglas T. (2013). "Our Natural Fear of Cats". Psychology Today. Retrieved 31 May 2021.