Dog People vs Cat People

cat and dog in paper side torn hole isolatedThe verdict from science is in! (And who are we to dispute science?) Yes, Virginia, there really is a difference between those who identify themselves as “dog people” and those who claim to be “cat people.”

But what, exactly, are those differences? And are they really on separate sides of this conundrum?

The results of a recent study on this question might surprise you. The new study indicates that the two sides do have different personalities (LiveScience.com).

Dog owners, the study found, are likely to be: more energetic, outgoing, and self-confident. They also tend to follow rules closely. Cat people tend to be non-conformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow the rules. The feline-inclined also tend to be more introverted, more open-minded, more sensitive, and neurotic, and are 30 percent more likely to live alone.

But, before you dog-lovers think you’re something extra special (compared to those who prefer cats), the study also concluded that the average cat owner is also smarter and more sensitive than the average dog owner!

Hmmmm. We were doing okay with this study until then. Smarter? More sensitive than the average dog owner? (Bet it makes you want to sic your dog on those researchers, doesn’t it?)

The results are based on a survey of 600 college students, 60 percent of whom characterized themselves as dog people, and 11 percent as cat people. The other respondents professed love for both, or neither.

Researchers suspect that the personality differences stem from people choosing pets based on the type of experiences they expect the animals to provide. “It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they’re going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog,” says Carroll University researcher Denise Guastello. People who prefer to be indoors, and are cautious of others, are more likely to choose a cat.

As for me . . . having had both cats and dogs in equal measure, and loving them both, should I consider myself an enthusiastic, outdoors-ie, energetic, self-confident kind of person, or should I run back inside and hold my kitty-cat while reading a book titled “Dogs drool, Cats rule?”

I picked that book over all the others because I’m smart and sensitive.  Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it because my dog says, “I’ve got to go out, NOW!  (See below):

 

 

 

 

dog dancing

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