Cat Phobia

I love cats , we had 2 at one time, one lived to be 19 years, the other 15 years, we were broken hearted when they died, now we feed an abandoned cat who visits, I buy him a box of cat food with my weekly order, and buy stuff for fleas and worms when he needs it. but when some people have a phobia or just dislike them so be it, everyone's different

Falling star I know just how you feel about spiders, I would run a mile, I keep a bottle of spider spray in my bedroom after one crawled over the bed, and I swear,,,,it chased me out the room.

Surely a phobia is irrational so no amount of saying how sweet and cuddly they are makes no difference to the sufferer.
My phobias are rats and pigs. Igo into a cold sweat even thinking about them. Fortunately in my day to day life I don't have to deal with either.(although as a teenager working in small zoo it was a different story).
You have my deepest sympathy Melandme.

It's like a sort of anxiety disorder, in that you're so fearful the cat might spring, bite or scratch. Difficult to explain, but you feel yourself drawing up your feet if he walks past the sofa. Even my dog stands guard over me and makes noises when the cat starts menacing.
In my defense the cat did come with a bad behaviour report having bitten the RSPCA vet who had to go to hospital. I've never been keen on cats, but now I'm very wary and scared.

eazybee I have faced my phobia, more than once, wriggling across a footpath almost under my feet. And I've chosen to stand and watch an enclosure of snakes at the zoo.

However I can't see the point of going through the stress of therapy at my age when the likelihood of confronting one is so low. Cats, on the other hand, are pretty ubiquitous and much more difficult to avoid.

I owned a boarding Cattery for some years. However I do understand the people who may be frightened of them. Because I’m a cat person and just totally ignore them, they come running for attention. I’m petrified of horses and they know it.

It’s not a phobia but I have a severe allergy. I can’t go near a cat .Or even, enter a room where a cat has been . Such a shame because a number of my friends own cats 😫

As there are over ten million cats in the UK I feel very sorry for you .
And having had a relative with a horror of them I used to watch the poor man blanch everytime one came near him . Cats loved to sit on his lap and enjoy doing their paddy pouring purring loudly.
I've removed them and back they'd go.
I love cats - they can be wicked imperious creatures .

I hate snakes and being told how lovely they are to touch doesn't help.
And I'm not keen on sharks either and am always nervous swimming in the sea .

Whereas I think some phobias are irrational, I think a phobia of snakes, spiders, cats, dogs, and sharks as said in the last comment, are not totally unreasonable and probably hard wired into us on a primal level because snakes and spiders can be poisonous, large cats and canines in the wild can kill, and some sharks can definitely kill.
So not so silly really.

Sadly at these flats pets are not allowed, so I do miss having them. Have had more cats than dogs, but like both. However living abroad and moving around, I havent had many dogs, as it would not be fair to have one and then have to leave them behind. With rabies in some countries, I had to be careful with my son about touching any dogs too, but didnt put him off them. But I say that you own a dog, but a cat owns you. Cats do as they please , not what you tell them to, whilst being lovely pets for me. When I had cancer and was having a rough time with chemotherapy my cat used to come and sit with me more than she usually did , and I found it quite comforting. She was a British Blue Exotic, so like a persian but a shorter coat with big owl like orange eyes, and she would sit solemnly looking at me when I was having a rough day. I totally understand the phobia situation, my mother couldnt cope with moths, despite being a very intelligent woman, had been a chemist in the wartime doing all sorts of quite dangerous things. Yet if she saw a moth, she just froze and cringed until I came to the rescue. Can cope with most things but for me I hate rats. Once living in Damascus they were digging something up and a rat came into my kitchen. I took my son and went to a hotel for the night, until I could be sure that they had dealt with it. Just shutting a door wasnt going to be enough for me. So that is life, and the important thing is to accept peoples worries and try and make things easier for them. Not tell them that the dog or the moth or the rat wont hurt them. That doesnt help at all . I would think that all of us in our lives at some time, find something that is hard to deal with

I understand phobias because I have a sp*der phobia which has got worse as I've got older. I haven't undergone therapy because I don't want to think about sp*ders and can't even type the word in full.

But cats - I just adore them! I have had cats all my life, they have all been sweet and affectionate and respond to kind and loving care. My latest little cat, Mia, had been mistreated and was absolutely terrified when I adopted her from the rescue centre. She hid under the spare bed, hissing and biting and swiping, but I spent a long time lying on the bedroom carpet talking quietly to her, on and off every day for a fortnight, and suddenly one morning she came out from under the bed and rubbed her face against mine. It was a special moment. In the 9 months I have had her, she has had nothing but love and kindness and is now the sweetest little girl you could ask for, and I love her.

I prefer cats to people in many instances.

A cat phobia is known as Ailurophobia, Felinophobia and/or Elurophobia.

I absolutely LOVE cats, both pet types and bigger ones like lions, jaguars, etc., always have and always will, and have had several pet ones over the years. I have a cat-themed purse and a matching handbag, jewellerty etc., and I have a Percy RoboKitten from RoboPets. I love everything about them and follow several on social media, but I totally understand that some people are terrified of them.

I'm absolutely scared stiff of any type of 8-legged beasties/webs, and I'm also terrified of Orchids, Venus Fly Traps and a few other plants/flowers. I was once invited to a friend's house. We'd only just met, and I had no idea she was a PhD professor of Floriculture. I walked to her livingroom and immediately literally ran out, shaking with fear when I spotted those 2 particular plants I'm scared of!

When I worked as a bus driver, a colleague tried to show me a photo on his phone of his pet ....8-legged things, huge, beginning with ''t''. He had several of them, and there's no way in a bazillion years I'd look at the photo! I want to die of natural causes, not a massive heart attack brought on by severe shock!

Sparklefizz, AWWWW! Mia sounds absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for rescuing her! Please give her kisses and cuddles and nose boops from me!

I know exactly what you're saying about spidoids! UGH!

Only a few weeks ago, I was in the kitchen at night, shoving some Spar Chicken nuggets in the microwave for 3 minutes. The microwave pinged. I was just about to open the door, and a huge thing was dangling from the bottom of the cupboard, above the microwave! I was absolutely hysterical! Out came the long-handled dustpan and brush, and at arm's length I whacked it into oblivion! I shouted at it, YOU ARE NOT HAVING MY CHONKY NIBBLES, YOU BEADY-EYED FREAK!

ROMILO

I don't understand the irrational logic behind some of these posts.
Saying I have a phobia of cats therefore all cats are manipulative mean and vicious is very odd.
If you have a phobia of cats, spiders, snakes ,mice or any other creature it is your problem not the fault of the creature concerned. If it is affecting your life in any detrimental way you need help.

Same here. I have a very bad phobia of spiders which is not exactly uncommon and I'm fine with everything else including mice, rats and snakes! But I couldn't hurt a spider and I know all the good they do for the planet. I realise the problem is mine not theirs.

Agree. That the go to for so many people with a fear of spiders, mice etc. is to kill them is horrible.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

My Ollie being sly and manipulative.

I have a phobia of dogs. My first thought going anywhere is, please don't let there be a dog there. Likewise dog owners always say that stupid phrase, "It just wants to be your friend." I don't care if it's the nicest dog in the world, I don't want to be it's friend. My life has become even more restricted in recent years because of this disgusting trend to allow dogs in cafés and pubs.

If youre phobic or if a person is allergic, i can understand.But astitchintime's ramblings about sly, viscious cats is just really asumptious and downright mean!- i'm not a dog person per sé but i would never be downright mean about them.In fact you sound a bit unhinged astitchintime.

Mrsquigley-😆

I'd say cats are crafty, but not sly.🙀😿

Why are people posting pictures of cats on this thread when Melandme has said they are phobic?

What a nasty thing to do.

sodapop, out of interest why do you have a cat if you are phobic?

Years ago I had two cats, one that was particularly friendly to everyone. I had a friend who said she hated cats and whenever she came I would offer to shut them out. However she would say it was OK so long as they didn’t jump on her. Naturally both cats saw this as a challenge and would go and sit next to her or at her feet. One day, to my surprise she reached out and stroked one and, of course he then saw that as an open invitation to nuzzle up to her purring. To cut a long story short, as time went on, over subsequent visits she would actively encourage him on to her lap and eventually she went on to have two cats of her own!
I generally like most cats but my SIL has a black cat that I would describe as the spawn of the devil. She will sit and stare at you with malicious intent and often will attack and claw for no reason whatsoever!

I love cats and dogs and most animals but I totally understand! I have a pathalogical fear of birds,dead or alive...and have done all my life and I'm 70 now...People always think it's funny! Why?? You cannot get away from them... I am terrified. I even rattle the window to get them out of my garden...I do the same with a cat....why? They kill birds! I don't think I will be changed now but it really does mean you can nevet ever fully relax especially at beach with seagulls!😵‍💫🥺😱😭. It's just horrible to have a phobia of something. I feel your pain! 🥰🥰

NotAGran55

Why are people posting pictures of cats on this thread when Melandme has said they are phobic?

What a nasty thing to do.

I am sorry. That was a thoughtless thing for me to do. I'll ask Admin to take my photo down.