Heavy weight of the past
It should be understood that a street animal cannot have an ideal psyche. The same applies to pets who have been in a shelter. Unfortunately, the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. The staff does not always treat the students well. If you want to adopt a stray cat, be prepared to earn the purr's trust. Striped neighbors are more careful than dogs, so this will not be easy.
Fluffy beauties who previously lived with a cruel owner may be afraid of a certain category of people. For example, some cats only attack men. If there have been negative experiences with children in the past, the purr will begin to be wary of babies. The reaction may not only be related to the former owners. Sometimes animals' behavior changes after long-term “cooperation” with a veterinarian.
Domestic cats' fear of strangers
While it is quite possible to understand the behavior of a street cat who does not trust people, such antics of a domestic cat that arise suddenly can puzzle the owner. Actually, the character of domesticated animals is much more complex; sometimes it is not so easy to find out why a pet suddenly began to be afraid of visiting guests.
If your cat is acting too aggressively, it may be a sign of fear. However, it is not always the person who is guilty of such behavior. How can you find out why a purring pet is stressed, and why does it feel fear at the sight of a stranger?
Poor care
If the owner is used to solving all problems with his fist, then there is nothing surprising in the current situation. The behavior of a purr is difficult to condemn. She is simply forced to demonstrate her strength every day so as not to die. How does the baby know that you are not going to kill her?
In the natural environment, members of a flock are subject to strict selection. At best, weak animals receive scraps and slowly die. They simply don't have a chance to get ahead. If there is a shortage of food or water, the stragglers are disposed of first. This is why it is so important for animals to demonstrate strength.
Territorial infringement
Cats are quite territorial, and it is important for them to have their own, safe place. If your furry friend physically cannot hide from guests or children, at first he will be under prolonged stress, then you will observe passive-cowardly behavior and only then will you feel anger on yourself.
By the way, a pet may worry about the inviolability of its territory and is not afraid of people, but it may take out its anger on bipeds. For example, seeing a cat outside the window, your ward will get angry at him, but will scratch you or your child. There is only one reason - the cat does not feel safe. Correct this and the behavior will return to normal.
Behavior correction
Do we need to change anything at all? Many people think that there is no point in doing anything, just let the cat hide behind the sofa and sit there. If we exclude aggression from the purr, another problem remains - stress. After experiencing a shock, the pet may begin to mark its territory, tear up wallpaper or chew shoes. What happened will have a bad impact on your pet’s health. Now the answer is clear: you need to help the cat! How? Follow a few rules.
1. Train gradually! Try to invite guests once a week. At first, 1 person will be enough.
2. Don't force your cat to meet strangers. Everything must be on a voluntary basis.
3. If it becomes necessary to invite a group of people, take your pet to a separate room and close the doors. This will make her feel safer.
4. Buy an enclosed house for your pet so that he has his own personal territory. No one should disturb him there.
5. Organize either shelves or ladders. The cat must be able to climb up. The ideal option is a special tree with scratching posts.
Causes
There are several reasons why a cat is afraid of strangers. Perhaps she simply did not communicate with anyone else, since the owner is lonely and no one comes to visit him.
Therefore, any appearance of a stranger in the house causes a fit of fear that this “someone” may disrupt their idyll and take away the love and attention of the owner.
Also, the appearance of xenophobia may be based on the pet’s personal experience. It happens that a person, without knowing it, hurts a cat. First he strokes her, lulls her vigilance, and then suddenly grabs her by the skin and lifts her into the air. Often, strangers do this. Fearing the sharp claws of the animal, they come up with various tricks so as not to provoke an attack. For example, a veterinarian who wants to examine your pet before giving an injection. The cat does not understand that everything is being done only for the good, it experiences a painful sensation and remembers this unpleasant moment with the stranger. Animals have a good memory, and therefore they can treat all strangers with hatred for many months, and maybe years. Every domestic cat wants to be stroked and caressed, and not to be picked up by the scruff of the neck or to have its sides crushed.
Let's look through the eyes of a furry tenant at the harsh reality. Entering the room and looking around, the cat sees many people staring at it. These are cat lovers, and therefore, they like to look at the graceful person. However, from her point of view, this means a moderate, but threat. And when strangers begin to stretch out their huge hands towards you or wave them at their faces, this is regarded as an attack. At the same time, the animal’s pupils dilate. The cat instantly becomes aggressive and rushes at a dangerous enemy with its claws extended. He grabs the hand with his teeth and, in a state of panic, rushes away with lightning speed into a saving shelter.
Useful tips
Before purchasing a new pet, you should think about whether he can get along with the pet already living in the house, and also about how, if possible, to make friends between a cat and a cat in the shortest possible time. Since cats of different sexes get used to each other much faster than cats of the same sex, you should not forget that the character of each animal is individual.
Separating pets during mating season will not lead to anything good
Do not forget that both cats and cats are very sensitive creatures who always understand the attitude of their owners towards themselves, be it love or lack thereof. Having felt and sensed everything that the owner experiences in relation to them, pets begin to behave accordingly.
Let's get to the bottom of it
Fear of cats has several names: ailurophobia, gatophobia, galerophobia. Some psychiatrists and psychologists consider this phobia to be a type of mental illness, but in fact it can have good reasons.
Manifestations can be varied. For example, a person may be afraid of being bitten or attacked, of contracting some disease transmitted by these animals, or of the mystical powers that cats supposedly possess. But fear can also be completely groundless, unreasonable and incomprehensible. And then the person cannot understand the reasons and essence of fear, or even realizes that there is no serious danger, but still continues to be afraid.
How to solve a problem?
How to overcome the fear of cats? In fact, it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. And this is necessary to do in order to live a normal life, because there are so many cats around, and fear of them can impose many restrictions.
First of all, you should find out the reasons for the fear and the circumstances that gave rise to the development of the phobia. This may require long-term work with a psychologist or even several sessions of hypnosis. But having learned the essence of his fear, a person will be able to cope with it, realizing that unpleasant emotions are not justified and are associated only with subconscious perception or childhood experiences.
READ The cat yells at night for no reason, the cat constantly meows: what to do, how to stop your pet from screaming?
Communication with cats will also help overcome fear. At first it will be shocking, but it is important to act gradually and step by step, for example, first just look at the cats from afar, then be in the same room with them, then touch them, then stroke them. This kind of therapy can help you understand that animals are not as scary and dangerous as they seem.
The final stage of treatment may be the acquisition of a four-legged friend, but it is important to choose a friendly and calm breed, since a complex and aggressive one will only aggravate the situation and increase fear. In addition, patients are advised to thoroughly study the behavior and habits of representatives of the cat family, this will make it possible to understand that they can be dangerous only under certain circumstances (and they can be avoided).
What to do if the fear is not justified and the fight against it is unsuccessful? In severe cases, medications may be prescribed, especially if the phobia is a manifestation of some mental disorder.
Let the fear of cats recede, because these animals can be sweet, calm, kind and affectionate.
loading…
loading…
Manifestations
There are several options for the manifestation of fear of cats:
- Visual fear. It occurs when a cat appears in a person’s field of vision, even if not next to him, but somewhere far away. The rest of the time the phobia may not manifest itself in any way.
- Situational fear. It is associated with specific threatening situations in which the animal can attack and cause harm, for example, it is too close, is in a bad mood, has an uneasy temperament, or is preparing to attack. But people with this fear may feel more or less normal when they see cats. This variety is considered one of the most harmless and simple.
- Panic obsessive fear is the most complex and powerful. A person constantly thinks about cats and is afraid that they might suddenly attack him. He may have nightmares associated with these animals, and in severe cases, hallucinations occur. In general, ailurophobia does not leave the patient for a minute and prevents him and those around him from living.
Fear can manifest itself in different ways. So, some, having noticed the object of their fear, rush to retreat and prevent a danger or unpleasant situation, others fall into a stupor and cannot do anything, and still others literally faint. Symptoms such as increased sweating, increased heart rate, confusion, irregular breathing, dizziness, and so on may occur.
How does ailurophobia occur?
Ailurophobia most often occurs in three forms:
Absolutely any irritant associated with the presence of cats can provoke such reactions. Most often, ailurophobia is frightened by:
I recommend: Brit Premium cat food
In addition, if you ask the patient directly the reason why he is so afraid of cats, the answer you will hear is:
- The ability of an animal to scratch or bite, thereby causing irreparable injury to it;
- Infect with worms or other infections;
- Abnormal fear. The person does not know why he is afraid, but he is unable to control the phobia.
Wild and domesticated cats
Usually, when talking about wild cats, we mean animals born on the street. The four-legged animals stay in the nest for up to 1.5–2 months and do not see people or other animals. Afterwards they explore the world under the strict control of their mother. Naturally, the “two-legged giant” seems like a threat to the little kitten. The reaction is quite predictable - run for cover, and if caught, then scratch, hiss, bite and call for the mother.
Important! Even a 1-2 month old wild kitten is capable of causing serious scratches and bites, and if the mother comes to the cry of the baby, you will have a very hard time. Not only will the mother cat attack, but she will also chase you until you leave her territory.
Tamed cats are animals that lived in human company for some time, but suddenly began to be afraid of people. In addition to bites and scratches, you can receive gifts from a frightened animal in the form of piles and puddles, torn wallpaper or torn curtains. It is more difficult to correct the behavior of a domestic cat than a wild one. A kitten on the street can be accustomed to itself gradually, because the main reason for fear is mistrust. The domestic cat already knows people, but harbors a grudge (fear).
Important! Overly aggressive behavior also indicates fear, but the reason may not lie in fear of people.
