Meanings
plural ailurophobias · alternative aelurophobia · alternative ailourophobia · alternative elurophobia
- uncountableusuallyAn irrational fear or hatred of cats or other felines.
Ailourophobia†, (Katiphobia, or Gatophobia,) is a typical monomania. The fear of cats in certain monopsychoneurotic and psychopathic persons dates back to the beginning of the life of the feline.
1906, Charles H. Hughes, “Psychoencephalonasthenia or Cerebrasthenia Simplex, and Psychoencephalonasthenia or Cerebrasthenia Insaniens”, in The Alienist and Neurologist, volume 27, St. Louis, Mo.: Henry L. Hughes, page 1661 more example
Whatever the cause there are many recorded instances of persons suffering from ailurophobia exhibiting symptoms of distress in rooms which apparently contained no cats; later cats would be discovered, hidden behind curtains or in closets.
1920, Carl Can Vechten, The Tiger In The House, pages 62–63Synonyms: felinophobia, gatophobia, galeophobia · Antonyms: ailurophilia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn irrational fear or hatred of cats or other felines.
Origin
First recorded in 1905. From ailuro- (“cat”) + -phobia (“fear, hatred”), both from Ancient Greek.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian айлурофобия
- айлурофобия (ajlurofobija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Catalan aelurofòbia, ailurofòbia
- aelurofòbiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- ailurofòbiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Chinese Mandarin 貓恐怖 /猫恐怖, 恐貓症 /恐猫症
- 貓恐怖 /猫恐怖 (māo kǒngbù)irrational fear or hatred for cats
- 恐貓症 /恐猫症 (kǒng māo zhèng)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Danish ailurofobi
- ailurofobiirrational fear or hatred for cats
Dutch ailurofobie
- ailurofobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
Estonian kassikartus, ailurofoobia
- kassikartusirrational fear or hatred for cats
- ailurofoobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- galeofoobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Finnish ailurofobia, kissakammo
- ailurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- kissakammoirrational fear or hatred for cats
French ailurophobie, ailourophobie
- ailurophobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
- ailourophobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
- galéphobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
German Ailurophobie, Aelurophobie
- Ailurophobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
- Aelurophobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
Greek αιλουροφοβία
- αιλουροφοβία (ailourofovía)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Italian ailurofobia, elurofobia
- ailurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- elurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Japanese 猫恐怖症
- 猫恐怖症 (neko kyōfushō)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Norwegian ailurofobi
- ailurofobiirrational fear or hatred for cats
Persian گُربههراسی
- گُربههراسی (gorbe-harâsi)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Polish ailurofobia, gatofobia
- ailurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- gatofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- felinofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- galeofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Portuguese elurofobia, ailurofobia
- elurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- ailurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- galeofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- gatofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- catufobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Romanian ailurofobie
- ailurofobieirrational fear or hatred for cats
Russian айлурофо́бия, галеофо́бия
- айлурофо́бия (ajlurofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
- галеофо́бия (galeofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
- гатофо́бия (gatofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Spanish elurofobia, ailurofobia
- elurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
- ailurofobiairrational fear or hatred for cats
Swedish ailurofobi
- ailurofobiirrational fear or hatred for cats
Tamil பூனையச்சம்
- பூனையச்சம் (pūṉaiyaccam)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Thai อาการกลัวแมว
- อาการกลัวแมว (aa-gaa-rók-luua mɛɛo)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Turkish ailurofobi, kedi korkusu
- ailurofobiirrational fear or hatred for cats
- kedi korkusuirrational fear or hatred for cats
Ukrainian айлурофо́бія, галеофо́бія
- айлурофо́бія (ajlurofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
- галеофо́бія (haleofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
- гатофо́бія (hatofóbija)irrational fear or hatred for cats
Cite this entry
ailurophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailurophobia
“ailurophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailurophobia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ailurophobia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailurophobia.
Source: ailurophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.