Cat people and dog people

The terms cat people and dog people refer to a person's domesticated pet animal preference. Through research completed at research institutions, it was found that there were differences in character and behaviour between those who prefer cats and those who prefer dogs. It was also found that some people base a significant portion of their identity around their affinity for either cats or dogs. This builds on the perceived dichotomy between cats and dogs as pets in society.^[1][2] In some cases, the two terms refer to people's self-identification, regardless of what pets they actually own, if any.^[3]

A rubbish bin in Bristol asking people to vote on whether they prefer cats or dogs by placing their rubbish in their preferred slot

Research

Research has shown a link between some personality traits and the type of domesticated animal owned. A 2010 study at the University of Texas found that those who identified as "dog people" tended to be more social and outgoing, whereas "cat people" tended to be more neurotic and "open", meaning creative, philosophical, or nontraditional.^[4] In a 2014 study at Carroll University, Wisconsin, by Denise Guastello, of the 600 people surveyed those who said they were dog lovers were found to be more energetic and outgoing, and tended to follow rules closely. On the other hand, cat lovers were more introverted, open-minded and sensitive. Cat people also tended to be non-conformists, as well as scoring higher on intelligence tests than dog lovers.^[5] Guastello, a professor of psychology, stated the reasons behind these personality differences stem from the pet owners themselves and the particular environment they prefer.^[5] This is supported by the study completed by the psychology department at the University of Texas as it stated that the two species have "real and perceived differences" meaning that they display their own personalities that would be best suited to particular people.^[4]

In the US, red states have the highest rate of dog ownership, while residents of blue states are more likely to keep a cat as a pet.^[6]

See also

• Cat lady, a usually derogatory depiction of a female cat person

References

1. "Dog People vs. Cat People: What Pet Preference Says About You". ABC News. March 9, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
2. Alli B. "10 Signs You Are A Crazy Cat Person (And Proud Of It!)". The Animal Rescue Site Blog.
3. Landau, Elizabeth (January 13, 2010). "How are dog people and cat people different?". CNN. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
4. Gosling Samuel D., Sandy Carson J., Potter Jeff (2010). "Personalities of Self-Identified "Dog People" and "Cat People"". Anthrozoös. 23 (3): 213–222. doi:10.2752/175303710X12750451258850. S2CID 51860248.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. "Cat People Are Smarter Than Dog People, New Study Shows". HuffPost. May 29, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
6. Blake, Aaron (July 28, 2014). "What our cats and dogs say about our politics". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2023.

Further reading

• Gosling Samuel D., Sandy Carson J., Potter Jeff (2010). "Personalities of Self-Identified "Dog People" and "Cat People"". Anthrozoös. 23 (3): 213–222. doi:10.2752/175303710X12750451258850. S2CID 51860248.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Perrine, Rose M; Osbourne, Hannah L (2015). "Personality Characteristics of Dog and Cat Persons". Anthrozoös. 11: 33–40. doi:10.1080/08927936.1998.11425085.
• Parsons, Christine E.; LeBeau, Richard T.; Kringelbach, Morten L.; Young, Katherine S. (2019-08-21). "Pawsitively sad: pet-owners are more sensitive to negative emotion in animal distress vocalizations". Royal Society Open Science. 6 (8). Royal Society: 181555. Bibcode:2019RSOS....681555P. doi:10.1098/rsos.181555. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 6731714. PMID 31598218.
• Alba, Beatrice; Haslam, Nick (2015-04-28). "Dog People and Cat People Differ on Dominance-Related Traits" (PDF). Anthrozoös. 28 (1). Bloomsbury Publishing: 37–44. doi:10.2752/089279315X14129350721858. S2CID 145750577. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
• Woodward, Lucinda E.; Bauer, Amy L. (2007). "People and Their Pets: A Relational Perspective on Interpersonal Complementarity and Attachment in Companion Animal Owners". Society and Animals. 15 (2). Animals & Society Institute: 169–189. doi:10.1163/156853007X187117. Retrieved 2020-02-09.