Dog People Vs Cat People

Are you a cat person or a dog person? The sight of our beloved pets waiting for us after a long and stressful day of work, wagging their tails might be very relieving and just the thing that we need to unwind and relax. Turns out that there’s more to our love for our furry little friends than just wanting to have them as pets.

A study conducted by the University of Texas centred around the relationship between people’s preference for dogs or cats and their five major personality traits. Here are 5 remarkable differences in the personalities of cat and dog people that set them apart.

1. Dog people tend to be more persistent and careful in their work than cat people.

The trait that discusses this statement is called conscientiousness. It shows how focused and organized you are in accomplishing tasks.

Dog people inclined more towards being conscientious than cat people, who are more likely to question and analyze the situations and people around them before obeying the orders that they are given right away.

2. Cat people are more likely to worry and stress over possible negative outcomes than dog people.

How stable you are in managing your emotions is characterized by the trait called neuroticism.  Cat people were found to be 12% more neurotic than dog people. This is due to their vivid thought patterns as a result of which, they tend to get anxious about potential problems in the future. Dog people are likely to be more placid and generally relaxed and less anxious.

3. Dog people find it generally easier to trust others than cat people.

Just like their canine friends, dog people tend to easily trust others and are sometimes too credulous for their own good. While cat people are more calculating and prefer to evaluate someone’s motives before letting their guard down, dog people are more on the warm side of the scale. This goes hand in hand with their sociability too.

4. Dog people tend to be more outgoing and sociable while cat people tend to keep to themselves.

Assessed by the experimenter Samuel Gosling under the concept of extraversion, preferring dogs over cats was also linked to more sociability. Cynophiles were found to be 15% more extroverted than their opposites who would like to enjoy some alone time.

5.  Cat people are more open to new experiences than dog people.

Thanks to their curiosity and tendency to think through things, cat people are 11% more open to trying out new things than dog people. They are generally nonconformists and enjoy gaining new experiences which makes them more creative and artistic than a dog person.

An interesting point to note is that almost 46% of the people who took this survey identify themselves as dog people whereas only 12% identify themselves as cat lovers. Please bear in mind that your personality doesn’t always impact your choice of a pet. There may be a considerable number of cat people who are extroverted while dog people who aren’t.

Now that you know the similarities between your pet and you, try to think about appreciating the bond you share by going for a walk with your dog or chilling at home with your cat!

The references used are listed below:

Differences That Set Cat and Dog People Apart: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/canine-corner/201705/the-differences-set-cat-people-and-dog-people-apart

Just How Different Are Cat People and Dog People?https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201604/just-how-different-are-cat-people-and-dog-people

The Truth About Pets and Personality: https://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-truth-about-cat-people-and-dog-people