I have phobia with cats!

The best way to deal with a phobia of any kind is to slowly expose oneself to the object that causes the phobic reaction. Read about them. Look at a picture of one for as long as you are comfortable doing so. Eventually, when you are comfortable, reach out to pet one that is near. The cat may sniff your hand and then bump with the head or it may run off or it may bat at your hand. These are all normal reactions and depend on the cat's personality. It takes time and patience to get over a phobia. Though expecting to get to a point of owning a cat might be a bit optimistic but not impossible.

If you are an average sized adult, you are about 12 times the size an adult cat. It can't do more than give an annoying scratch. Unfortunately, a phobia is about *irrational* fear and just knowing that it can't hurt you doesn't do much about the phobia. You could just decide to go thought life with a "I'll leave them alone if they leave me alone" attitude and never really have to get rid of the phobia (it's not like it'll cause you many problems). However, if you want to get rid of the phobia, the best way is to *slowly* become desensitized. The most important thing is to take it slowly. the last thing you wnat to do is trigger your phobia because that'll just plant it deeper. Being on a group that talks about cats is a start. Looking at pictures of cats would be a next step. Start with kittens because they are the most harmless. Go to the library and check out some books about cats, mostly ones that talk about their habits and the care and feeding of them. The more you know in your rational mind, the less leverage the phobia has on your irrational mind. The next step is being around cats, If you have a pet store or animal shelter near you, let them know that you have a phobia of cats and would like to see some of theirs to help get rid of it. If the owners are animal lovers, they should be glad to help. Just hang out near the cage and watch them. Again, start with kittens. Once you feel up to it (and take it slow), have the owner hold a kitten so you can touch it and pet it. Once you start touching it, you'll realize just how fragile it is under all that fur. Work your way up to the point where you can ask the owner to place a kitten in your hands. Then move on to adult cats but make sure that the owner of the store introduces you to the gentle ones. Some of the adult cats that end up in stores or shelters have been abused and have psychological issues themselves. You don't want to have to deal with a cat's issues while your are dealing with yours (plus some of the damaged cats can be pretty violent). At about this point, make friends with people who have cats (if you've spent this much time at a pet store or shelter you've probably met them already). Visit them and just learn how to be around a cat in a relaxed, social setting. At this point, if you wish, you might try adopting a cat. I would go for an adult cat that you have already dealt with because it will have a known personality. A kitten is cute but you never really know what you'll get when it matures since you don't have experience raising a cat. I hope this helped.

One really excellent way of getting rid of any kind of phobia is a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique. It's a simply learned (and free) system which involves tapping on various acupuncture points. You can learn it and apply it to yourself in just a few minutes and, once learned, you will find many more ways in which it can be helpful. You may like to read this account first and then use the links on the page to learn more about the technique and download the Getting Started Guide. http://www.emofree.com/a/?3252/Fear/fear-sarahcatphobia.htm

okay it is a process, I am a counsellor and you don't usually get away from phobias in one session, start by talking about them, read about them look at pictures of them, when you feel comfortable with that, go see some baby kittens, touch them, hold them, when you are comfortable with that then take a baby kitten in your home, but continue to pet them and hold them. Let them smell around your house, then keep one over night, if you are comfortable with that get yourself a little kitten and grow up with it.

felines have the habit of pouncing things that move.. regardless of what they are. the kitty that jumped you when you were little.. prolly just thought of you as a plaything, and wasnt attempting to be malicious. mabe thatll help you put this into better perspectives.. maybe not. but with my own daughter when she is irrationally afraid of something.. i will take her by the hand and force her to do whatever it is she is fearing so that she can learn by experience that there isnt anything to be afraid of.. this dispells the fear, and shes fine after that. knowing mommy loves her and wouldnt ever allow anything to harm her gives her security to brave whatever it is. as an adult.. you are aware that yer fear of a tiny housecat less than an 1/8 of yer size is rather irrational. force yerself.. youll see there isnt any need for the fear..and might make a friend in a furry critter in the process

I barely remember that experience of yours, maybe that happened when you were in QC with mom. Anyway, sorry to hear that. But now that you are already grown-up and is now a mother, I guess you can easily throw away that phobia. Ow, I remember when we are kids, I brought a kitten in the house. But late grandpa Mac always gets angry with me with the cat, why? Because the cat always poohs inside the house. So what we did, Kuya Bot and I brought the kitten somewhere far from the house so it cannot get back home again. Poor little kitten.

but i love cats

I don't have phobia with cats. Only I don't get use to it with animals around me like cats and dogs. I just don't dare to close with them. Maybe because my parents not allow me to touch those animal when i was grew up in my own country. My son, 2 years old, he is dare to touch cat and dog.

Hi Kat, Maybe when you handle a little kitten you might feel different, I know when things like that happens to you when you were a cjild, it is always with you because I was bitten by a german shepherd dog when I was a child and I was so scared of dogs but my friedns have dogs so and I soon learned how to trust them and even cuddled a german shepherd which is twce the size of me and now I just love dogs, I have also have two beautifull cats. Tamara

How are you with pictures, books or movies of cats? You could start reading books about cats and looking at pictures and movies to desensitize yourself to cats. Once you aren't stressed by those things start looking at live cats from really far away. I mean far way, like across the street. When you can do that without being afraid or stressed keep slowly looking at cats from a closer distance until being near a cat doesn't cause any fear or stress. Any time you are really stressed go back one step until you conquer your fear.

I think it's great that you want to get over your phobia! My husband has a friend who got attacked by a cat when he was 15 and since then he "hates" cats too - he doesn't really hate them he's just deathly afraid of them. He's a big man over 6 feet tall but he panics whenever he's in a room with a cat. He can stand at a distance from them, we have four cats so he's gotten used to them being here but he won't go near them. Except one night he came into our house, and one of our cats was near the door and he actually reached out and patted him on the head. I was completely shocked! I don't think he's ever done it again since, but I think just the constant exposure and realizing that THESE cats don't mean him any harm is what did it. So I think you can get over your fear too. Somebody had a good suggestion about looking at pictures of cats first, then maybe try to visit some friend's who have cats so you can be around them but at a safe distance?

U may need to see a therapist or a hypnotist.. I know it's hard to remember to when you were 5, but was the cat the jumped on you a kitten? because sometimes a young cat can be so playful they will just pounce to play. not realizing you were so little and may have not been trying to Hurt you intentionally- hell I have never known a cat myself that has intentionally tried to hurt anyone. I think in most likely hood it was just trying to play with you. or something on your clotes that caught it attention. My young cats do that all the time -trying to grab the string hanging from my sweatshirt to bat at.. BUt I know when it is an irrational fear - how hard it is to get rid of.. I have a fear of spiders.. and I can look at them if they aren't moving but if they are.. I run the other way. lol

You may need professional help with this. It is understandable that you would fear cats after an experience like that, you poor thing! I adore cats, I always have abd I have two and I can assure you that they are not all aggressive. I have found female cats affectionate and passive more so than males (I have one of each). If you would like to ever own one check out the web for the more passive breeds. Do you know anyone who has a cat? Perhaps you could visit theirs and slowly get used to being near a cat and working your way up to actually touching or holding one. It may work as long as you are patient with your self. Good luck with this, I hope you will learn to love felines as much as I do!

I really love cats. But my uncle really afraid and feel disgusted when he see a cat. I don't know his story.

hypnosis helps people overcome their fears. some people, including celebrities, have gone to hypnotists to stop smoking or drinking. you can also buy a dvd or cd at a store for hypnosis and do it yourself. i have a hypnosis tape that helped me cure my insomnia.

you do not like cats only because that a cat even scatched your chest ,but i feel cats are a kind of friendly animal ,there are a cat in my family ,my parents and me ,including my relatives all like it ,because it is lovely and funny ,it often make all of my family full of laugh .

i hate cats as well.Infact I am allergic to cats.Their fur causes me to get a wheeze!so i stay away from cats as much as possible.

i think you want to maintain a cat this may change your phobia