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When referring to fears or phobias, we should especially mention the cat phobia or ailurophobia, that this is an irrational fear of cats. It is usually associated with the ignorance of the species and all the myths that are associated with it. But does this impact our cat? Can it affect him?
At PeritoAnimal we will answer your question: do cats notice when we are afraid? Many people don't even want to get close to them and when they try to do so, they are so afraid that they give up. Let's see some techniques to improve this situation for both the feline and the human, thus improving the relationship between them!
What does ailurophobia mean?
It's the extreme and irrational fear of cats. the word comes from the greek ailouros (cat) and phobos (fear). It is very common in people who do not know the species or who do not like animals very much, and in the latter case they are usually afraid not only of this species.
As most phobias are created by the subconscious as a defense mechanism, it is not very easy to control as it is a psychological problem. There are several causes that can cause this problem:
- Bad childhood experiences. The memories are recorded in the subconscious, arising in the presence of the animal. He may also have observed his parents' fear of this species and adopted the behavior as his own.
- Not being interested in meeting cats, which reveals itself in mild fear or contempt, as he has never had contact with cats and prefers to ignore them.
- Bad luck. There are people who believe in false myths that cats bring bad luck or are related to witchcraft or the devil.
Symptoms in humans
When there is this phobia or fear of cats, we have a series of actions that we sometimes take without noticing, but cats notice. We have different degrees of fear, some being very mild, people who neither touch nor caress, simply pass by and ignore, or at the other extreme we have those who say "please close your cat, I'm very scared".
In the case of a person suffering from very scared about cats, has a series of symptoms that are caused by the presence of these animals:
- Palpitations
- shivering or shaking
- Nasal allergy or cough
- Nausea and indisposition
- choking sensation
These can be some of the most visible reactions in people to the presence of a cat, much like a panic attack. They must be handled by psychologists to be able to overcome the phobia. But, interestingly, in cases of milder fear, it is common to observe that the feline gets closer to these people. What brings them closer to people who are afraid of them or resist their touch?
cats smell fear
We've all heard that both cats and dogs feel fear. Is it a myth or reality? IT'S A reality, especially considering they are predators and need to get their food to survive.
When we are afraid of something, we sweat and as a general rule this sweat is cold. The hands and the back of the neck sweat and following this strange sweat, we release the famous adrenaline, which our "hunters" can recognize from miles away. It is something we cannot control, the way a cat senses the presence of a mouse or when a lion senses the presence of a deer.
However, it's not exactly the adrenaline that releases the smell, it's the pheromones that the body releases in a stressful situation. Here we must also emphasize that pheromones are usually detected by individuals of the same species, so the cat does not always notice a different smell. So what makes the cat quickly detect fear in people?
actually they are the attitudes who denounce us. When we have full confidence in the animal we try to make eye contact to touch or play with it, but when we are afraid we look down and try to ignore it. When the cat does not make eye contact with us, it interprets as a sign of friendship and get closer. That's how we explain why they approach people who fear them and don't want them around. It is part of the body language of cats, we perform without realizing it and the cat interprets in a positive way.
The look of cats is part of their body language, both with their own species and with other species. When cats face other cats they usually maintain eye contact, just as when they are hunting prey. In documentaries, we see lions staring at the "future prey" and crawling towards it.
When we make very strong eye contact with a cat, especially when it doesn't know us, it is likely to hide or ignore us, as it interprets us as a threat. On the other hand, if we try to ignore it, the more it will come closer since we pose no danger to him.
