ARP 378 Gatophobia or Fear of Cats

We all have that thing that gets under our skin. The thing we can't stand and won't abide in any form. That at best is an irritation. But for some of us, it can be a problem if it impacts the quality of life.

Those four-legged poof balls called cats can be a problem for people with a phobia about cats. In this episode, what it is, the symptoms and treatment resources.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

The Cleveland Clinic has a page on ailurophobia, another name for the fear of cats.

If you want to go learn about the phobias and treatment options, there is a HelpGuide.org page on Phobias and Irrational Fears.

Psychology Today has a directory of mental health providers. You can search by city or zip code.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) In this episode, a look at cat phobia.
Welcome to the Anxiety Road podcast.
This is the involuntary journey
finding treatment options and resources
for people that have an anxiety condition or disorder.
This podcast is treatment agnostic.
My name is Gena Haskett.

(00:21):
You can call it gataphobia or galeophobia,
but cat phobia is an anxiety disorder.
It's characterized by an intense and persistent fear of cats.
This can be activated by seeing a cat in person,
seeing an image of a cat,
or hearing the sound that sends a response to your brain.

(00:42):
The brain interprets it as danger,
and the person has a body response.
Some of the symptoms can include avoidance techniques,
immediately looking away or removing yourself from the cat's presence.
There's an increase in your heart rate,
changes in breathing patterns,
and you might have tense muscles or stiffness.

(01:04):
Some of the causes can include...
You might have met up with an aggressive cat as a child,
so you probably had a traumatic experience.
It can be genetic. You can inherit fears.
You might be modeling behavior of a parent or a grandparent
or another relative.
And there are some people who have anxiety in the family genetic line.

(01:29):
It's part of your family history.
It probably goes so far back you just don't know.
So what can you do about it?
Well, you do have options.
Option one, do nothing.
If you know you have a fear of cats,
you know that there are cat mamas and cat daddies

(01:50):
that post photos on social media.
There's Caturday someday, someplace on the Internet.
So there's cats of Mastodon, cats on Blue Sky,
cats of Spoutable.
In real life, there are calendars from co-workers
or cat food commercials.
So finding other places to be or experience things

(02:14):
or perhaps maybe focus your attention
might be all that you need to do.
I mean, this doesn't have to be...
If you can cope with that,
then you probably don't need treatment.
It is an inconvenience to you.
But option two,
gauge how much this fear is impacting your life
and your mobility.

(02:36):
Maybe there's a neighbor's cat in the backyard
mewing to get your attention and it drives you crazy.
Or you really can't tolerate all of the photos
of the cats and the kittens
and it just really irritates you.
Don't diminish your fears.
If it's impacting your life and your well-being,

(02:56):
that needs to be handled.
Maybe earplugs will solve the problem.
Maybe getting off of social media would solve the problem.
If you have a real-life situation where there's a cat
and you really can't stand that cat's presence,
then you might decide that you might need help from a therapist.

(03:18):
There could be desensitizing techniques that you could use.
Option three, introspection.
Is this the only phobia that you have?
Are there other things that make you feel irritated or anxious?
It's a real possibility that you have another phobia
or an anxiety condition

(03:39):
and maybe that needs to be addressed
and will help to take the irritation off the cat one.
But it could also just be a cat phobia.
As usual, I do have some resources for you.
The Cleveland Clinic has a page on allurophobia,
which is another name for the fear of cats.

(04:01):
Treatment options can include exposure therapy,
cognitive behavioral therapy, and possible medication.
If you want to go a bit deeper
and learn about what is a phobia and some of your treatment options,
there is a helpguide.org page on phobias and irrational fears.
And Psychology Today has a directory of mental health providers.

(04:25):
You can search by city or zip code.
Well, that's all I have for you at the moment.
I'll catch you next time on the Anxiety Road.
You can visit anxietyroadpodcast.com for links and other information resources.

(04:45):
You can listen, download, or subscribe to the podcast
via any of the free podcasting apps,
such as Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Ganna, Pandora,
or on the web at listennotes.com.
Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only
and do not constitute endorsements.

(05:08):
Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider
with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.
This podcast is intended for information and education purposes only,
and nothing in the program is intended to be a substitute
for professional psychological, psychiatric,
or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.