A Check-Up From The Neck Up: 'Dog People' vs. 'Cat People'

by Malcolm Riordan

Would you call yourself a "dog person" or a "cat person?"  Maybe you would say both . . . or neither? In any case, most of us harbor a suspicion that an exclusive preference for dogs or cats reflects some underlying personality difference in the people who would emphatically declare themselves to be either a dog person or a cat person. 

Dog people may be baffled by the cat fancier, as cats are not openly affectionate or cooperative, seem aloof and plainly opportunistic even towards their owners.  Similarly, cat people see dogs as desperate sell-outs for any attention at all, shameless beggars that are accepting of or blind to the failings and transgressions of their humans. 

Dogs are unselfconsciously sociable and verily slobber with eagerness to please.  Cats are more  inner, curious, and cleverly independent.  Isn't it curious that the admirers of a specific domestic pet species seem to resemble the admired?

Until quite recently it has remained unproven in psychology that the exclusive devotion to one or the other of these pet species comes with different personality types.   Two recent studies, both by psychologists, have verified this, demonstrating that our suspicions are true!

In correlating pet owner personality differences with the preference for owning only cats or only dogs, the results showed that dog people were generally about 15% more extroverted—a tendency toward being gregarious, enthusiastic, positive and energetic.  Along with that, dog people were 13% more agreeable (defined in the study as trusting, altruistic, kindly, affectionate and sociable).

Dog people tended 11% more to show self-discipline, to complete tasks, and to aim for achievement. This trait is associated with a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior.

In comparison cat people were about 12% more neurotic (easily stressed, anxious, or easily worried). They were also 11% more open than dog people—the openness trait involves a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity and variety of experience. Cat people are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs while dog people tended to have more conventional and traditional interests.

Cat owners are relatively low in the dominance trait, tending to come across as being more timid, bashful, shy, and non-aggressive. Cat owners appeared to be fairly trusting, often described as obliging, modest, straightforward, and as being "good sports."

While these differences are not expressed with huge numbers, they are seen as being significant tendencies.  Human personality psychologist and researcher Sam Gosling of the University of Texas at Austin concluded "There is a widely held cultural belief that the pet species with which a person has the strongest affinity says something about the individual's personality, and this research suggests there are significant differences on major personality traits between dog people and cat people."

The general pattern that comes out of the recent studies is that dog owners are more social, interactive and accepting. Cat owners are more introverted, self-contained and less sociable.  The stereotype lives!

Perhaps one of the most telling differences between dog and cat owners is illustrated in a single comparison. Stanley Coren, Ph.D., professor and psychology researcher at the University of British Columbia, said "We asked people who owned only cats ‘If you had adequate space and no objections from other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?'" Their answers are compared to what was said when people who owned only dogs were asked the same question about a kitten.  68% said that would not accept a dog as a pet, while almost the same number of dog owners—70%—said that they would admit a kitten into their home. This suggests that most people who own only dogs are potentially dog and cat owners, while most people who own only a cat are exclusively cat  owners."

To me, it's all great fun to run with the stereotypes for amusement, while still recognizing that the spectrum of dog and cat ownership is wide and everyone's situation is unique.  The findings of these studies are interesting and appeal to our preconceptions.  Why wouldn't it be true that the personality tendencies of cat people and of dog people demonstrate significant leanings towards their respective stereotype?

I found it interesting that in getting their data to show as statistically significant, these researchers did not analyze people that declared themselves emphatically as being dog or cat people. Rather, the design analyzed differences based on people who owned cats exclusively and people who owned dogs exclusively.  This necessary distinction was due to the observation that people who owned both cats and dogs were very similar to the group who owned dogs exclusively. 

A few related statistics:

For the 4,500 people studied by the University of Texas at Austin, the results broke out this way:  46%  were self identified dog people, 12% were cat people, 28% said they were both, 15% said they were neither.
A separate AP poll showed 74% said they like dogs a lot / 41% said they liked cats a lot.
15% of adults polled by AP said they disliked cats a lot / 2% said they disliked dogs a lot.
Cat owners are 33% more likely to live alone than dog owners.
Cat owners are twice more likely as dog owners to live in an apartment or a flat.
A single woman is the most likely individual to have a cat.
More likely for dog owners: being married, living in a house and having children in the home.

Sources:
Christina Villa, Oakland Mental Health Examiner
Stanley Coren, Psychology Today  
Salynn Boyles, WebMD Pet Health News

Woods Rafter Cat image on banner by Malcolm Riordan.
All pet pictures are owner submitted photos from the HSUS Spay Day 2011 Photo Contest.