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Feline Fear Overview (view source)

Revision as of 13:24, 20 June 2014

1,379 bytes removed ,  13:24, 20 June 2014
→‎Signs of Fear
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* Threat/aggression directed towards stimulus
 
* Threat/aggression directed towards stimulus
 
* There may be urination or defecation (with an apparent loss of control)
 
* There may be urination or defecation (with an apparent loss of control)
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When frightened, animals engage in Species Specific Defence Reactions (SSDRs), known as "The Four Fs".
 
When frightened, animals engage in Species Specific Defence Reactions (SSDRs), known as "The Four Fs".
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Somatic signs of fear may also be evident, including tachycardia (bradycardia in chronic situations), pupillary dilatation, tachypnoea, piloerection, inappetence and vomiting.
 
Somatic signs of fear may also be evident, including tachycardia (bradycardia in chronic situations), pupillary dilatation, tachypnoea, piloerection, inappetence and vomiting.
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Normal fear and phobia are different from one another both behaviourally and clinically. Normal fear protects the individual without interfering with normal behaviour that is important for survival and self-maintenance. Normal fear only has temporary effects whilst the object of fear is present or perceived to be a threat. A normally fearful animal will naturally habituate to any static stimulus that is presented at relatively low intensity. For example, a cat might initially show fear of a carrier bag, but as the fear subsides then this turns to approach and investigation. Ultimately the bag is accepted as non-threatening. This process of habituation will be slower if the object is moving and slower still if it shows signs of intent [i.e. if it is animate]. Movement delays habituation because the threat posed by the object is constantly changing. Although definitions of phobia are controversial, one definition is that phobic fear limits or interferes with normal behaviour and persists after the object of fear has gone away. Phobic fear does not naturally lessen with the kind of exposure to a stimulus that would otherwise produce habituation. The treatment of phobic fear and normal fear are intrinsically similar, although the duration of treatment of phobia is likely to be longer and there is a greater possibility of the need for psychoactive drug therapy.
      
==Potential Causes of Problematic Fear==
 
==Potential Causes of Problematic Fear==
Jon Bowen
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