Are you a 'dog person' or a 'cat person'?
- Hannah Gt
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Answer below!
Dog person!
Cat Person!
Both <3
Why does this seemingly simple question spark such passionate debate among friends? Perhaps it reveals something deeper—a reflection of who we are at our core.
My personal preference for dogs likely stems from having West Highland Terriers in the family for over 20 years, combined with my ongoing struggle to understand cats. I can never quite tell if a cat wants affection or is about to swipe at me—they seem just as likely to purr as they are to scratch.
The popularity of this topic has even inspired extensive scientific research, which shows a strong correlation between our answer to this question and our own personality traits and attachment styles.
“Research suggests that our choice between cats and dogs can be influenced by a mix of psychological, social, and cultural factors, shaping our personality traits and social behaviors,”
says Patricia Dixon, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and author in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Various studies have found the following:
Dog People
less independent
extroverts
follow the rules
worry less
less open-minded
less intelligent
less sensitive
more masculine
Cat People
more independent
introverts
non-conformists
worry more
more open-minded
more intelligent
more sensitive
less masculine
Many of these traits found in dogs and cats have been explained by their hunting styles;
"In the wild, cats are usually solitary hunters and often are active mostly at night. In contrast, wild canines are usually sociable pack animals that work in groups and are active between dawn and dusk."
Taken with a pinch of salt, these so-called "facts" often read like horoscopes—just vague and specific enough to feel relatable to almost anyone.
But it was the following 3 insights listed in the articles below* that I found hilarious and fascinating:
Cat people are more likely to be atheists.
"Church-goers are less likely to own a cat than atheists - partly because some of the latter see cats as a "god substitute", according to research."
* https://news.sky.com/story/cat-lovers-less-likely-to-go-to-church-research-suggests-11902123
Dog people and cat people have a different sense of humor.
"Cat people enjoy sophisticated, ironic humor that’s built on clever wordplay. Dog people laugh at fart jokes and videos of people accidentally hurting themselves."
*https://thoughtcatalog.com/lorenzo-jensen-iii/2015/06/17-basic-differences-between-dog-people-and-cat-people/
Dog people tend to tolerate cats; cat people hate dogs.
"I asked people who own only cats, "If you had adequate living space, and there were no objections from other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?" More than two-thirds of the cat owners (68 percent) said that they would not accept a dog as a pet, while almost the same number of dog owners (70 percent) said that they would admit the cat into their household. This suggests that most people who own only a dog are potentially dog and cat owners, while most people who own only a cat are exclusively cat owners."
Do these parallels hold up with you??
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