Is it possible to determine whether someone is a cat person or a dog person simply by observing them? When considering the human-pet connection, does personality influence whether we choose to be cat or dog guardians?
According to the thoughtcatalog.com, there are some distinct differences between cat and dog guardians!
Personality Traits
- There are more dog people than cat people, with about six percent more households in the US owning dogs instead of cats.
- Dog people are known to be more outgoing and sociable than their cat-loving counterparts. (For me, this entirely depends on the day and my mood)
- Cat people are more intelligent than dog people. (Hold on a minute! I think I am fairly bright!)
- Lovers of cats tend to be more neurotic than dog people. (Guess I should have gotten a cat. I am bona fide OCD!!!)
- It has been said that cat people tend to live alone and in apartments, whereas dog people choose houses. (On the surface, that makes sense. Cats are often better pets to have for apartment living; many dogs need the great outdoors!)
- Dog people tend to choose a residence in rural areas, and cat people are drawn to the coasts. Cat people seem to prefer the city, and dog people tend to gravitate towards the country.(This makes sense, as dogs love to roam and run…. why not have a lot of land for them to enjoy that pleasure?)
- Politically, dog owners tend to lean towards the Republican end of the spectrum whereas cat people lean towards being Democrats.
- Those that consider themselves dog people are more obedient! (Oh, yes! I am not a rule-breaker! Just call me Sheldon Cooper…and you have to be pretty smart to know why I reference this name!).
- Cat lovers tend to be non-conformists.
- Cat people seem to be more open-minded than dog people. (Possibly!)
And, finally….cat people are more sensitive than dog people. I would amend this one since I believe any pet lover is much more sensitive than a non-pet lover!
Conclusion
Much has been written about the human-pet connection and the differences between those that prefer cats vs. dogs. While it is interesting to consider, the observations noted above are generalizations, with exceptions to all of them.
Just as we tend to gravitate toward people that share our personality traits and interests, the same can be said about the pets we choose.
Do you fit the “mold” of cat people documented above? Would you say you and your pet have similar personalities? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you!
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
