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Feline Fear of People (view source)

Revision as of 10:21, 23 June 2014

187 bytes removed ,  10:21, 23 June 2014
→‎Treatment
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A treatment programme will include a combination of:
 
A treatment programme will include a combination of:
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* Owner education
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* Client education
 
* Provision of avoidance and escape opportunities
 
* Provision of avoidance and escape opportunities
 
* Controlled exposure (desensitisation and counterconditioning)
 
* Controlled exposure (desensitisation and counterconditioning)
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* Pheromones
 
* Pheromones
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Essential steps in reducing fearfulness of people are a mixture of the techniques used for [[Feline Fear of Other Species Except Humans#Treatment|treating fear of other species]] and [[Feline Fear of Inanimate Objects#Treatment|fear of inanimate objects]]. The process described for the treatment of fear of people will be considered from the perspective of treating a cat with a severe general fear of people. Less severe cases might require fewer steps and could then go on to the kind of handling techniques described in the sections discussing [[Feline Aggression Associated with Human Interaction|aggression related to handling and human interaction]]. 
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Facial and flank pheromones are used by cats to mark their core territory; an area in which cats do not expect to encounter hostility from conspecifics. Behavioural therapy involving controlled exposure is best performed in an environment where the cat already feels secure, such as within its core territory. It is possible that the use of synthetic analogue of F3 (Feliway) may be used to enhance this effect. However, the limit of this effect has been shown in a study
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If the cat has already shown different levels of fear according to the appearance of the people it has encountered, then a list should be made of the features of appearance the cat tolerates least. Typically, animals least like tall people wearing dark clothing, hats or hoods, because these make them seem more threatening. This enables therapy to start with people who dress and behave in the ways that the cat is most likely to accept. A good starting point is to start with female volunteers sitting down and wearing light coloured casual clothing. Cats that show signs of fear when they hear unfamiliar voices may be desensitised to these noises using recordings or radio programmes.
 
The benefit of using '''desensitisation''' and '''counterconditioning''' procedures for cats with a fear of people is that, with some co-operation, we can control many aspects of the person’s behaviour whilst in the presence of the cat. The cat can be desensitised or habituated to a variety of different human appearances using different clothes and other paraphernalia such as walking sticks, hats and glasses. This means that only a relatively small number of volunteers is needed.  
 
The benefit of using '''desensitisation''' and '''counterconditioning''' procedures for cats with a fear of people is that, with some co-operation, we can control many aspects of the person’s behaviour whilst in the presence of the cat. The cat can be desensitised or habituated to a variety of different human appearances using different clothes and other paraphernalia such as walking sticks, hats and glasses. This means that only a relatively small number of volunteers is needed.  
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If the cat has already shown different levels of fear according to the appearance of the people it has encountered, then a list should be made of the features of appearance the cat tolerates least. Typically, animals least like tall people wearing dark clothing, hats or hoods, because these make them seem more threatening. This enables therapy to start with people who dress and behave in the ways that the cat is most likely to accept. A good starting point is to start with female volunteers sitting down and wearing light coloured casual clothing. Cats that show signs of fear when they hear unfamiliar voices may be desensitised to these noises using recordings or radio programmes.
      
Desensitisation to the presence of a person will be most rapid if that person can remain as still as possible without watching the cat at all. This effectively makes the person inanimate and without any intention towards the cat.   
 
Desensitisation to the presence of a person will be most rapid if that person can remain as still as possible without watching the cat at all. This effectively makes the person inanimate and without any intention towards the cat.   
Jon Bowen
694

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