I came across a post on Reddit where a girl was complaining that her boyfriend felt uneasy about staying overnight at her place because he felt bad about leaving his cat alone. She went on to question whether this was a sign that he (or his cat, or both) had an unhealthy attachment. I wonder if she was expecting comments offering her support or a “Your boyfriend has serious issues”—because she was sorely disappointed. Among the many, many pro-boyfriend and pro-cat comments, several women offered to take her boyfriend off her hands since she didn’t seem to appreciate how sweet, caring, and sensitive he is.

There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that cat owners and dog owners have different personalities. Cat owners are supposedly sensitive, emotional, and lazy—as a cat owner, I would say yes, yes, and no. Dog owners, on the other hand, are supposedly friendlier and more health conscious, i.e., walking a dog = physical activity.

Being who I am (a researcher) and what I do (research), I only use anecdotal evidence as a springboard for scientific research. Here are some studies I dug up on the differences between cat owners and dog owners, and the benefits of pet ownership in general:

  • People who own pets are less likely to worry and to be lonely because pets are great sources of emotional support. Pet owners are more likely to be confident, conscientious, and in better physical shape (McConnell, Brown, Shoda, Stayton, & Martin, 2011).
  • When you’re feeling down, who do you turn to? Turns out that some dog owners actually prefer to turn to their dogs for comfort—more than their family or friends (Kurdek, 2009).
  • Dog owners are more outgoing, conscientious, and friendly, and less anxious. Cat owners are more open-minded (Gosling, Sandy, & Potter, 2010).
  • In a study conducted by Guastello, Guastello, and Guastello (2017), cat owners scored higher on an intelligence test than dog owners.

If you can’t decide between getting a cat or a dog, here are my suggestions. All tongue-in-cheek, of course:

  • If you would honestly describe yourself as lazy and/or low maintenance, don’t get a dog.
  • If you’ve got a thick skin and are not offended by other people’s indifference, get a cat. Although I think it’s important to point out that even animals have personalities. Some cats can be very affectionate; some dogs can be indifferent or unfriendly.
  • If it bothers you to have someone staring at you while you eat with an irresistible “can-I-have-some-too” face…don’t get a dog OR a cat. Mind you, dogs will beg until you give in. Cats will just take what they want. So if you admire someone who takes initiative, get a cat.
cat 1
dog 1


Insightfully yours,

Queen D

References

Gosling, S. D., Sandy, C. J., & Potter, J. (2010). Personalities of Self-Identified “Dog People” and “Cat People”. Anthrozoos, 23(3), 213-222.

Guastello, A. D., Guastello, D. D., & Guastello, S. J. (2017). Personality differences between dog people and cat people. Human–Animal Interaction Bulletin5(1), 41–57.

Kurdek, L. A. (2009). Pet dogs as attachment figures for adult owners. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(4), 439-446. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014979

McConnell, A. R., Brown, C. M., Shoda, T. M., Stayton, L. E., & Martin, C. E. (2011). Friends with benefits: On the positive consequences of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(6), 1239-1252. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0024506