Cats Irk me....

Before you start thinking I'm an animal hater of some kind. Let me clear this. I do like animals but I'm just intimidated by their close proximity.It is one of those phobia's I have had since childhood. As a child I would walk an extra mile or an extra block to avoid running into stray dogs. Used to dodge behind people to hide from a cow. U can well imagine how I would have walked in a place...where there used to be this buffalo shed(which is now replaced by a multi story building)on my route to the bus stand. I needed to walk to the bus stand every other day.So to avoid the buffalo shed I would cross the road, get to the other side and then crossback again past the buffalo stand. The whole exercise would take me an extra 10 mins, which I didnt seem to mind back then.
Over the years I have been able to overcome some of the fear I have for animals.Thanks to people around me who keep assuring me it is them and not us who are really scared. My daughters have helped reassure me that not everything that moves willbite/bark at the first instance. What brought back all those memories is the fact thatI notice far too many stray cats frequenting my backyard these days. Since they are straythere is no control over their movements. Some of these cats are really huge/plump cats.They look like some mini tigers to me. What irks me most is their running all the way finding a spot to dig up do their job, cover it up and run back...right under my nose.
Some things never change....same way some phobia's take years to go.