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==Treatment==
==Treatment==
The most important first step is to determine the owner's expectations and what might actually be achievable. Treatment is likely to involve a significant level of compromise by the owners, as it is unlikely that attempting to completely resolve a fear of people will be either successful or in the interest of the cat. Owners have to accept that avoidance is normal in cats and that that cat a fearful cat is unlikely to become highly sociable.
The most important first step is to determine the owner's expectations and what might actually be achievable. Treatment is likely to involve a significant level of compromise by the owners, as it is unlikely that attempting to completely resolve a fear of people will be either successful or in the interest of the cat. Owners have to accept that avoidance is normal in cats and that that cat a fearful cat is unlikely to become highly sociable.
A treatment programme will include a combination of:
* Owner education
* Provision of avoidance and escape opportunities
* Controlled exposure (desensitisation and counterconditioning)
* Psychoactive medication
* Pheromones
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]].
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]].