https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:59:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1138857 Tue, 08 Oct 2013 17:09:38 +0000 skibobrown 1138857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the reassurances ladies! It sounds like I probably shouldn't push it and that she will eventually get over her fear. I will continue to try to show her how sweet and loving our pet rabbit and the neighbor's cat can be. I have no idea where this fear came from, but clearly it is here to stay for the time being. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137565 Tue, 08 Oct 2013 07:49:22 +0000 Rubies 1137565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is two and loves animals in the form of pictures and toys but in real life, she is TERRIFIED! Even at the zoo - she doesn't understand the concept of cages and windows - real life animals freak her out. I am very sensitive to protecting this fear from a childhood experience that I had (long story short: I was three and we were hiking and the trail was littered with slugs and worms and I freaked out but my father made me walk through them thinking I'd overcome my fear. Instead, I had nightmares on and off for years and I STILL have panic attacks when it rains and the worms come out). </p> <p>So anyway, I would still introduce your bunny and the neighbour's cat to your toddler but still be wary that her fear is real. Poor thing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137563 Tue, 08 Oct 2013 07:44:52 +0000 irene 1137563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skibobrown: My son is in that phase! While I don't think it is THAT extreme he is afraid of animals and only wants to be held in a patting zoo. He is still interested though, just not up close. We have a cat- he is OK with patting him, it is only at certain times and we MUST BE present. Soemtimes he would cry if he found himself alone with the cat. </p> <p>For him I think his problem is with the sudden movements made by animals because he was surprisingly ok with a pony ride (the ponies were so still when they weren't walking in circles.... so I guess their movement is predictable and not scary?) - maybe that's what your daughter is experiencing - the fear of unpredictable movements?</p> <p>I took LO to pet's mart and he seems to be ok. He's scared but he is OK because he knows the animals (birds, hamster, dog hotel) are behind glass. He is less OK when they are behind bars (cats). Can you take your daughter to a pets mart and see if she is still crying murder?</p> <p>Otherwise I am afraid we all have to wait it out..... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137505 Tue, 08 Oct 2013 06:07:37 +0000 Lozza 1137505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd actually rather have a toddler who was afraid of animals than one who wanted to walk up and hug strange animals all the time. Having owned a dog with aggression issues before who could get really unnerved by small children, I think there's really no reason a kid needs to much personal interaction with animals before the age of four or five, when they can understand and follow instructions.<br /> If she's freaked out just by being around animals, I feel like at this point I'd probably work on making her feel secure around them, which will probably involve making her feel like she's in a safe spot where they can't reach her. I wouldn't force the issue, I'd work on teaching her that it's fun to watch animals from whatever distance she needs to be comfortable, and that there's no pressure to interact with them. Maybe do some zoo or petting zoo visits where you reassure her that you're only there to look at the animals and that they won't get near her or touch her if she doesn't want, and work on getting her to enjoy watching animals before you try interaction? That way, she can feel like she's the one in control of the interaction, whereas if an animal actually comes up to her in person, at this age she's not at all in control of what the animal does or does to her (even if it's just sniffing or being totally friendly). I would imagine that once she's older (and has more of a size differential with animals, and can move more quickly, etc.) she would feel more confident in her ability to control the interaction and direct it into a comfortable experience for her, which she can't do at this point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137440 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:43:18 +0000 Freckles 1137440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh yeah, forget the petting zoo. She didn't even want to come near the animals! Seems like you're doing all the right things, but you'll probably just have to keep trying until he realizes that the rabbit is friendly and not a scary monster.</p> <p><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/behavior/fear-of-dogs.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/behavior/fear-of-dogs.aspx</a><br /> <a href="http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-childhood-fear-of-animals" rel="nofollow">http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-childhood-fear-of-animals</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137438 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:32:28 +0000 skibobrown 1137438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what we're dealing with, but it seems to be *all* animals. Same age too. Hopefully this is just a stage. Even when I get on the ground with her, and pet the animal, and show her everything is just fine she still freaks out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137430 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:19:34 +0000 brownie 1137430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son loves animals and always has but the pet rats at his babysitters set him crazy!!!! He grew out of it by being near them but not on him. And we would play with them to show him there weren't any issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137419 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:00:22 +0000 Freckles 1137419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can only give you my sympathy. LO is almost 18 months and is terrified of dogs. She only likes them when they are FAAAR away. She used to be okay with them, but freaks out when they come close to her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-terrified-of-animals-#post-1137375 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:04:29 +0000 skibobrown 1137375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Help! Our toddler has developed a huge irrational fear of animals recently. She used to love them, but now she screams any time an animal comes within 10 feet of her. Every time I let our pet rabbit out she screams bloody murder, climbs up into my arms as quickly as possible, cries, and says "bunny" while shaking her head "no" over and over. She is doing the same thing with our neighbor's cat too, who is the sweetest cat on the face of the planet and just wants our daughter to pet him and love him. It's gotten to the point where she becomes hysterical every time I let our bunny out of his cage and every time the neighbors cat walks into our yard. I've been trying to socialize her around animals, but I think it's backfiring and making things worse. </p> <p>So what would you do? Should I keep trying to introduce her to animals? Just keep her away from animals and hope she grows out of this phase? FWIW, I can't get rid of our pet rabbit -- I've had him for more than a decade, so I'm kind of at a loss for how to proceed so we can all live together happily under one roof! </p>