Fear of Animals

Fear of domestic animals such as cats and dogs is the most common, and inconvenient, category - with rats and mice quite high on the hate list. Most others we can avoid by not attending zoos, circuses, animal parks or sanctuaries.

Visiting terrors

Fear of domestic animals makes life quite uncomfortable when friends, relatives and neighbours have pets of which you are phobic. Do you try to avoid visiting them? Or do you ask them to hide their precious little darlings? Or do you take a pill and go and brazen it out?

Your children

Pets are good for children - they can teach them lots about responsibility, about give-and-take, about sharing affection, about personal space, and even about love. But your dilemma is: what do you do when you are fearful of the kind of creature they want as a pet?

Your (prospective) partner

Just as we do not choose our partner's friends or relatives we do not choose their pets. And because they love them our partner expects us to love and get on great with his/her pets. 'Love me - love my dog' as the song suggests!

Phobia or rational fear?

Animals, especially rats and dogs, do pose a risk however slight this may be. So a degree of caution is worthwhile and people who do not have a phobia recognise this.

However to be unable to walk on the same pavement as an approaching dog or to be unable to be in the same room as a cat is not rational. Nor is it very good for one's self esteem.

Dissolving the phobic part of the fear and replacing this with normal concern for safety relieves you of the pressure of having to be constantly on your guard. And, curiously, most pets act more responsibly towards you when you do not have a fear of them - because they can smell your phobia, literally.

Seek out a competent therapist to assist you - or do it by yourself by checking out our pages on dissolving phobias.

Other related pages

Phobias

Deal with phobias

Desensitisation

Hierarchy of fears

Using Desensitisation

Caution!