Definition of Ailurophobia

Ailurophobia is a type of specific phobia. It is a persistent, irrational fear of cats. It comes from the Greek ailouros (cat) and phobos (fear). People who suffer from Ailurophobia often not only fear physical contact, such as bites and scratches, but the perceived supernatural nature of cats as well as those depicted in the literary works as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat."