Is it normal that i find cats to be intimidating?

I find them quite intimidating, I was walking down the street today and I got extremely scared of them to a point where I clenched my fists almost like I was going to punch it.

Sometimes if one walks near me I step back because I feel scared by them. I can't bring myself to stop being scared by them or to know how to stop. It's like they're meant to be intimidating.

Is my fear normal?

Voting Results
37% Normal
Based on 19 votes (7 yes)
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Comments ( 14 )
  • Holzman_67

    When I was a kid my parents were viewing a home open and I went and sat on a couch, startling a cat that had been hiding beneath it. It reached out and with both its claws scratched down the back of both my legs. The incident left me with deep shock and I felt unease around cats right up through my 20s and my family never kept cats; we were always dog people.

    Then one day I was living with a mate and he had a street cat that used to come visit, he would feed it and sometimes it would stay the night. At first it was terrified of me - it would see me, it’s eyes would go wide and it’d piss bolt out of the room. Then one night it surprised me when out of the blue it jumped up into my lap and started kneading up against me.

    Just this earned trust broke so many barriers and to this day I still miss and think about that cat and how it completely won my heart. I think maybe you confront the fear in order to move past it, stroke a cat sometime

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    • Somenormie

      So you think I'll get over my fear of them sometime?

      That might be possible for me to overcome it I never really stroked one in reality but I could try doing it.

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  • RoseIsabella

    I've always loved cats! 💓

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    • Somenormie

      Is it worth it to even consider getting one?

      Even if I did I will often shy away from one if it gets closer to me.

      People I know in real life often either look down on me for it or they'd think I'm just some loon.

      I was once told I will grow out of my fear probably it might take me months, weeks or even a year.

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      • RoseIsabella

        Oh yes, a thousand times YES!!! Having a good feline companion is one most important things to me in my life. The only things more important than my cat are my parents, and my sister.

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  • LloydAsher

    Unless you are a mouse or are afraid of you cat eating you after you die you should be fine.

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    • Somenormie

      I feel afraid of it because I have this thought where they might try to attack me so that's why I clench my fists when I'm intimidated by them.

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  • ItAintNormalBro

    Cats jump on me. Idk why.

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  • bbrown95

    Some people are scared of certain animals (or even all animals), so I'd say it isn't abnormal.

    In my experience, most cats tend to be on the more skittish side and run off if a strange human approaches them or makes sudden movements/loud noises. Even my own cats take a lot of time to warm up to the people I invite in my house (one will usually stay in hiding the entire time). As a cat lover who has been around tons of them, I've never had one attack me unprovoked. The worst I've ever dealt with was when I was holding one and something scared it, causing it to flail and scratch, but if they have the chance to run, they'll usually do that instead.

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  • Tommythecaty

    Domestic cats, no, don’t be stupid.

    I saw a full grown tiger up close, intimidating isn’t even the word lol. Surprised me how much bigger it was compared to the lions.

    Always loved that story “the ghost and the darkness“ as a child, true story. Basically there were these two defective lions, without a pack, that would kill all these people, dragging them out of the camp at night. They were working on a railroad I think. And when they found this lair it was filled with body parts the lions kept instead of eating. They have the bodies of the lions in a museum, one named “the ghost” and the other “the darkness”

    Hence the story name.

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  • Vvaas

    cats will rarely ever attempt to attack someone, even ferals unless something is wrong with it like rabies. you'd have a much higher chance of being attacked by a dog as they're much more unpredictable and likely to show aggression. cats aggressive or wary of humans are typically skittish and prefer to avoid confrontations with humans at all costs compared to a dog.

    if you're scared of cats in the streets just try to avoid them, usually they'll mostly avoid you unless they're friendly and use to humans. if they get too close ignore them and walk past them or just gently try to shoo it away with your foot, the worst attack you'll receive is it rubbing against your leg lol

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  • Outside cats are actually quite dangerous. You're doing well to avoid them, but as predators they will answer your violent body language (fist clenching)

    You should look at their feet instead of their eyes and walk around them. Cross the street if you got to. If they approach you then you need to run, fast

    Make sure to carry cans of wet food so you can distract them if you need to!

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    • Somenormie

      By outside do you mean like ferals, strays etc?

      Also what kinds of wet food?

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      • Main thing you wanna look out for is outward aggression. Most cats will run away from you if they're surviving and some will let you pet them if they want affection or help

        My cat really likes the blue wilderness brand. He scarfed it down after I got him some off brand stuff

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