'aelurophobe' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ailuros,' meaning 'cat,' and 'phobos,' meaning 'fear.'

'ailuros' combined with 'phobos' in Greek to form 'ailurophobia,' which eventually became the modern English word 'aelurophobe.'

Initially, it meant 'fear of cats,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.