Five Animal Phobias

Among the most common phobias, a fear of a specific animal can seriously infringe upon the life of an individual. As children, we are often scared of animals because we suspect they are liable to attack us. Even the most docile of the breed can be a worry to us, but as we grow older we usually come to the realization that next door’s spaniel, for example, is no more likely to attack us than a rabbit would be. Phobias by their nature are, however, irrational, and if you are scared of something, it’s not just something you can get over simply by logic.

Ailurophobia is the fear of cats. To many people this may seem a bizarre one. As cats are most commonly compared with dogs in keeping with their standing as domestic pets, people will often wonder why someone who likes dogs is actually scared of cats. They are generally smaller than dogs, they do not bark loudly and aggressively, and they are naturally reluctant to place themselves in the personal space of someone they don’t know.

However, this reticence can be seen by some people as something to back up their fear – a sign that the cat is less social and therefore potentially more dangerous. Someone who has had an early negative experience with a cat may be more likely to suffer.

Cynophobia, the fear of dogs, may seem more logical. After all, as mentioned, dogs are somewhat more likely to draw attention. They are often large, they are louder than cats and they are also less likely to distance themselves from humans. Because of the way they carry themselves and the shape of their bodies, they are considered to be more threatening than cats.

However, this does not make them more aggressive, and dogs vary every bit as much as humans – so next door’s golden labrador is no more likely to bite you than your aunt’s shih tzu. Someone with prominent cynophobia may well not make this distinction, of course.

Equinophobia, or Hippophobia is the fear of horses. This, again, is understandable. Horses are larger than humans and there are many ways in which they could harm someone if they were so inclined. Some people develop the fear after falling from a horse or being bitten at an early age. Some people develop the fear without such experiences, and even having never seen a horse in real life. Whether logical or illogical, the fear of horses is understandable – and also treatable.

Entemophobia and Arachnophobia are often grouped together, and although in a strictly scientific sense insects and arachnids are not animals, they fit in the bracket of creatures that are not human. There are, again, perfectly good reasons why a human may be scared of insects (they may well sting) and spiders (some may bite and some have toxic venom). As many people again have a fear of one or both because of their appearance and their size, which makes them easier to miss until they are right up close. At this time the old advice that “they are more scared of you than you are of them” is unhelpful and may well be inaccurate in many cases.

Exposure therapy has been proven effective in many cases of animal-related phobias, but can be difficult to implement in severe cases. Nonetheless, there is treatment out there for those looking to conquer their fears

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