The old adage ‘fighting like cats and dogs’ would have us believe that the two species are irreconcilably different.
Not only are cats and dogs perfectly capable of getting along, the perceived divide between these furry friends might be better attributed to their owners.
A recent survey of 329 people found distinct differences between the personalities of cat and dog owners when faced with stressful or isolating circumstances.
James Cook University psychologists Jessica Oliva and Leah Michelle Baines looked at how well pet ownership could predict the ‘Big Five‘ personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, as well as personal resilience, in pet owners.
“Dog ownership has been associated with reduced loneliness in people living alone during periods of prolonged isolation, such as during covid lockdowns,” says Oliva.
“So, our research investigated the predictive power of dog versus cat ownership on personality traits and resilience.”
Baines’s and Oliva’s findings suggests dog owners are more inclined to show resilience in stressful circumstances while cat owners tend to be more neurotic.
“The higher resilience of dog owners may be why they were found to be less lonely than non-dog owners during lockdown,” says Oliva.
While that’s not exactly a glowing report for cat owners, it doesn’t explain why there’s a difference between cat and dog owner personalities.
Is there something about owning a dog that somehow builds resilience? Are cats simply so neurotic that it rubs off on their owners, or is it the other way around?
It’s a commonly held belief that pet choice reveals a lot about a person’s character, with some people even letting pet preference influence who they’re willing to date. These perceptions might not always be fair, but science seems to back up the notion that ‘cat-people’ and ‘dog-people’ have relatively consistent differences.
Owning a cat or dog is unlikely to make drastic differences to personality traits. Rather, most people just choose a pet that’s suited to the personality they already have.
“Simply put, people who are naturally predisposed to being resilient may like dogs more, rather than the dog causing people to be resilient,” says Oliva.
A Mexican study found that the perceived emotional cost of a relationship with cats was lower, making them easier pets to keep. On the other hand, the high-cost relationships with dogs led to greater emotional closeness.
Perhaps if you’re a little high-strung or tend to feel stressed and highly self-aware, an independent and relatively self-sufficient pet like a cat might be for you.
On the other hand, if you enjoy dealing with challenges, taking on responsibilities, and emotionally investing in others, then you might be inclined to provide the attention and care needed to raise a dog.
That said, there are a lot of factors that come into a person’s pet choice that don’t necessarily reflect their personality. Oliva’s study also indicated lifestyle habits, living situations, and affinity for that particular kind of pet also drove people’s decisions. It might even be that our pet preferences are ingrained in our genes.
“Interestingly, there is evidence to support the idea that genes guide ownership of a particular species. It may be that influences on ownership are linked with genetically-derived personality traits, so both the personality trait and propensity to own a particular animal are inherited,” says Oliva.
Whatever factors might influence it, pet ownership should always be carefully considered.
“The decision to acquire a pet at any time should always be well thought out, with a commitment to care for the animal for the duration of its lifetime and with the animal’s welfare at the forefront of the decision,” says Oliva.
While there might be something to be said for ‘rising to the occasion’ with pet ownership, caring for an animal won’t necessarily change your personality, or help your mental health. You might want to become more resilient or less neurotic, but the best pet is always the pet that’s best suited to you.
The findings are reported in Anthrozoös.
