Scientists claim that almost everyone suffers from some kind of phobia. While some people fear enclosed spaces, the dark, or insects, others experience a phobia associated with animals.
Alectorophobia
This unusual fear is associated with chickens and chicks. However, a person isn't necessarily afraid of contact with poultry. Even a video or photograph of a rooster can terrify them. Some people with alektorophobia can't bear to look at chicken eggs, feathers, or meat. This mental disorder affects both adults and children.
This phobia may stem from childhood trauma associated with chickens. It may also stem from frightening stories told by adults, who use these horror stories to discourage children from the chicken coop. Some people fear poultry out of fear of contracting a communicable disease.
Doraphobia
This type of zoophobia is associated with the fear of touching animal fur. People who experience this fear aren't afraid of animals per se. They fear touching their fur, which they believe could trigger excessive hair growth.
Doraphobes cannot stand the sight of furry cats or dogs. They also experience horror at the sight of a person wearing fur. This phobia usually arises from an animal attack. However, sometimes it appears without apparent cause, and the sufferer cannot explain why they are afraid of the smell and sight of fur.
Lutraphobia
At first glance, animals like otters seem downright adorable. But some people believe otherwise. They fear that this mammal will attack them as soon as they enter open water. This phobia causes them to avoid rivers and lakes even in areas where otters have never been found.
Some lutraphobes fear not only the animal's appearance and potential aggression, but also the scent emitted by its skin. This phobia usually develops after an unfortunate encounter with an otter. Despite its harmless appearance, this predator can display aggression, albeit in self-defense.
Ailurophobia
Most people associate cats with affectionate and cuddly pets that can fill a home with warmth and comfort. But for those with ailurophobia, just one glance at a furry animal is enough to send them into a panic. Some sufferers fear cats' unpredictable behavior, while others fear contracting an infection from them. Some individuals with this disorder experience a fear exclusively of black cats, citing omens and superstitions.
Ailurophobia develops as a result of unfortunate interactions with this animal or emotional instability. That is, a person may develop a terrifying fear of cats simply because someone tells them a scary story about this pet.
Mottephobia
Many people are afraid of insects, but few experience terror at the sight of butterflies. Mottephobia most often develops in children, who have been taught that these insects are dangerous. However, there are many cases where the fear persists into adulthood. Mottephobes believe that butterflies will attack them, crawl, flutter their wings, and even bite them.
This phobia often develops as a result of childhood psychological trauma or unexpected exposure to a large number of these insects. Some sufferers admit to developing a fear of butterflies after visiting zooterrariums or insect museums.
Pteronophobia
This relatively rare phobia is most common in women, who experience an inexplicable fear at the sight of feathers. This fear doesn't necessarily require direct contact with the bird; even a simple feather pillow can trigger panic.
Pteronophobes cannot explain the cause of this fear, as they understand that feathers themselves are harmless. But upon seeing the source of their terror, they experience a panic attack, accompanied by choking and vomiting.
Pteranophobia typically originates in childhood. The fear can arise from something as harmless as being tickled by feathers. However, this phobia is usually a consequence of ornithophobia—the fear of birds.
