I am not sure if writers about cats refer to ‘feline agoraphobia’. I have just thought about when writing about a beautiful, ginger Maine Coon (MC) who was let out into the garden (backyard) for the first time after a lifetime ‘locked up’ as a full-time indoor cat as they must be. MC can only be let out under supervision and ideally on a harness and leash. Even letting them out into the backyard as we see here carries some danger for the cat as they might make a dash for freedom. Note: in some places and under some circumstances I am sure it is safe to allow a MC outside unsupervised. It does happen.
The definition of agoraphobia is: ‘extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving one’s own home, or of being in places from which escape is difficult’.
It fits the bill nicely. The Maine Coon that we see is called Foxie. He does not suffer from feline agoraphobia as he only pauses at the boundary of his indoor home life and the exciting exterior. But I have seen cats stop at that point and not proceed. The outside world is unknown to them and they have been indoctrinated into believing that it is too dangerous to venture in to.
Feline agoraphobia is normally not true human agoraphobia as the human variety prevents them going out while full-time indoor cats don’t normally have the opportunity to go out. The mental condition is never expressed or manifested.
There is another difference. A full-time indoor cat’s reluctance to go out is rational! It’s rational because they don’t know the outside and in the interests of self-preservation, they have to be cautious even to the point of staying put.
For the human, agoraphobia is irrational as they know what it is like outside but have a mental block preventing them from enjoying it.
I guess on that statement (provided it is correct), there is no such thing as feline agoraphobia!
