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Science Proves There’s Such A Thing As Dog People And Cat People

Mary Simpson
by Mary Simpson
Published:  March 20th, 2015
Some people prefer cats, others are drawn to dogs. A new study shows that it all boils down to specific personality traits.


You are competitive and constantly try to out-perform others. You believe in a social hierarchy, you like structure in your life and you tend to dominate. Think this is your horoscope? Your online dating profile? Nope to both. You are a dog owner.


Let’s try again. You are less dominant and tend to go with the flow. You lack that need to compete, prefer to fly solo and tend to be neurotic. Neurotic? Hang on a sec, that’s me we’re talking about now!


And yes, we share our homes with cats.


Related: Study Shows That Dogs Look Like Their Owners


Recent research by Australian researchers Beatrice Alba from Macquarie University and Nick Haslam from the University of Melbourne, show that the personalities of dog versus cat lovers really are different. I just knew it!


The two researchers posted online surveys that collected data from two samples with 506 participants in the first study and 528 participants in the second. The one-half hour session was completed primarily by Americans and results were consistent across the two samples, confirming many of the researchers’ predictions (and what I’ve always known)… dog people really are more bossy!


Existing data already supports these findings and suggests that your preference for dogs or cats extends to not only your general personality but also to your dating behavior and even political preferences. Okay, so having a cat influences my political decisions? Only if that cat was running for office – she’s totally get my vote!


Related: HABRI Proves Animals Provide Amazing Health Benefits


According to the study, the general pattern found in his research does indeed show dog owners tend to be more social, interactive, and dominant (think forceful, assertive, and self-assured) while cat owners were more introverted, self-contained, and trusting. And for pet parents of both, its “dogs rule and cats drool” as the canine trait of “interactive” appears to prevail.


Further research at the University of Texas not only supports these findings but expands further, claiming dog people are generally more extroverted, agreeable and conscientious than cat people. Meaning they show a tendency to self-discipline, to complete tasks as well as a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior. In comparison cat people are generally more neurotic, but are also more open than dog people. This translates into a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and varied experiences.


So we understand who gravitates towards Fido versus Fluffy, but why? Research suggests the relationship between a cat and her owner and a dog and his owner are likely related to the pet’s pre-domestication behaviours. In the wild, cats are solitary hunters and often active at night. In contrast, wild canines are more sociable pack animals that work in groups and are active between dawn and dusk. Fido has retained this need for social interaction to the degree that without a master and a family, he’s pretty unhappy. Fluffy, on the other hand, can often be invisible during the day, seeming only to appear in the evening and will only occasionally engage in social activities or play. Her interest is limited and will typically not last more than a few minutes while Fido could fetch a ball or play for hours at a time.


And if science doesn’t sway you, watch this video – it has nothing to do with science, but it’s a super funny bit about REAL cat people and dog people.

[Source: Psychology Today]

WOW
Mary Simpson
Mary Simpson

Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and a feline who prefers to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife

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A Dog is Adopted After 7 Years in Shelter After An Emotional Discovery

One pet shelter in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, has been the home of a darling rescue dog named Ella for 7 long years. But the long wait for a happy ending is finally over – as Ella was recently adopted, and under very special circumstances at that. The staff at  Bloomsburg Animal Resource Center have titled this “an extremely special adoption”, and advised readers that “they might want to grab a tissue real quick for this one”.Ella had been at the shelter for the last seven years, making her the center’s longest resident. But recently, things took a turn for the better, when Ella was spotted by Kaitlyn, a resident who quickly fell in love with the rescue pooch. When coming to the center, Kaitlyn said that her long-time furry friend, Jo, recently passed away, and now she was ready to meet a new dog.And as soon as the two met, the match was made. It was obvious that they were meant for each other. Ella quickly made everyone know that Kaitlyn was her “human”. Usually, it wasn’t so. Ella was a victim of abuse and had a long history of fear and aggression. It would take several visits for her to get relaxed around strangers. But with Kaitlyn, this was not the case. The bond was near-instant. “She immediately walked over to Kaitlyn with no hesitation, allowing her to give Ella scratches and pets right away,” the staff of the adoption center said.At the end of the adoption meeting, when Kaitlyn was about to leave, she suddenly noticed something that made her overwhelmingly emotional. What she spotted was the bandana that Ella was wearing around her neck. Her eyes welling with tears, Kaitlyn said to the staff that it was the exact bandana that belonged to her recently passed away dog, Jo. She said that after the passing, she donated all the bandanas to the center. “This bandana that Ella is wearing, it’s Jo’s. I donated them all here when he passed,” Kaitlyn said, quickly showing a picture of Jo wearing it. The symbolism and the connection were incredible. It was a sign that the two were meant to be together. When they realized what happened, the staff was moved to tears: “Out of the 20 dogs in our shelter right now, this bandana. This specific bandana. Jo’s bandana. It was on Ella.”Later, Kaitlyn said that the bandana is a sign: “I like to think of it as Jo’s stamp of approval.”And so it was, that after 7 long years of waiting, the kind and gentle Ella found her new forever home, and a human friend who would treat her right.“Every morning, Ella used to pop up off her bed and greet you at the door of her kennel right away,” the staff at the Animal Resource Center said. “We’ll miss that tomorrow, it’ll be such a bittersweet moment realizing that as we pause to reflect on a few of our favorites times with Ella — but my goodness the amount of pure happiness we will feel every day knowing Ella finally got what she deserved: ELLA GOT ADOPTED.”

Amazon Took Some Heat with 2023 Super Bowl Ad

Rescues and dog experts alike felt solution to separation anxiety was a total fumble. Can they recover this year?

Neutering Rottweilers May Shorten Their Lifespan, Study Finds

Increased lifespan is often cited as one of the main benefits of neutering a dog. But is that true? A recently published study found neutered Rottweilers may have a shorter lifespan than their intact counterparts. Neutering is a commonly performed surgical procedure that prevents unwanted puppies, controls the pet population, and eliminates certain health problems in dogs. It offers significant health benefits, such as reduced risk of pyometra and mammary tumors in female dogs. However, in recent years, concerns have been raised about the possible side effects of neutering. A recent study aimed to shed some light on this topic by comparing the lifespans of neutered and intact male and female Rottweilers. Scientists analyzed available clinical records of 3,085 intact and 4,100 neutered Rottweilers from July 1994 to June 2021. These records were collected by VetCompass Australia. The analysis provided surprising results. Scientists discovered that Rottweilers that were neutered before one year of age had a shortened lifespan of one-and-a-half years in males and one year in females when compared to intact Rottweilers. The analysis showed similar results for dogs neutered before the age of four-and-a-half years. “Most other studies have found that neutering dogs increases their longevity but ours is the first that went against that,” said Dr. Caroline Joone, the study’s lead author and senior lecturer at James Cook University in theriogeneology. “It was a bit of a shock when that wasn’t what we found,” Dr. Joone added. “We were fortunate with the data we had because we could determine when a dog was desexed and when they died.” Despite the study’s findings Dr. Joone strongly encourages owners to neuter their four-legged companions to prevent unwanted litters, as well as, serious health issues. “There are serious consequences for not neutering a dog, such as the risk of life-threatening uterus infection known as pyometra, mammary tumors, and unwanted puppies,” Dr. Joone explained. At this time, it’s unclear whether there is an ideal age to neuter a Rottweiler that doesn’t influence their lifespan. The study also highlighted several factors that could affect the lifespan of any dog, including nutrition, exercise, health care, genetic predispositions, and environmental factors. These factors may be reduced by screening for genetic health conditions. Selecting healthy breeding pairs may also help reduce the occurrence of hereditary disorders and support longevity. Let’s not forget that overweight dogs have a shorter life span than lean dogs. “There’s a strong suspicion that the reduced lifespan is more to do with weight issues than the neutering itself, so I would encourage owners to go ahead and neuter their dog but make sure you keep it at a good, healthy weight.”Dr. Joone explained that a balanced diet and regular exercise are essential for maintaining a healthy weight in neutered dogs.Do these findings apply to all neutered dogs or just Rottweilers? Scientists aren’t sure yet but plan to extend their research to other popular breeds, such as golden retrievers and greyhounds, to determine whether these results are widely applicable. The role of weight gain post-neutering and other underlying causes of reduced lifespan in neutered dogs are worth investigating further. Additionally, this study also showed that the time of neutering a dog may affect its lifespan. Dogs are often neutered between six months and one year of age, but mounting evidence has suggested that this may not be the best time to neuter a dog. Based on this analysis, neutering Rottweilers early, especially before the age of one, reduces lifespan, highlighting the importance of determining the optimal neutering age. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Plumber's Hilarious Cat Rescue Mishap Goes Viral

It’s every cat parent’s worst nightmare—your cat escaping while work is being done at the house. Luckily for Winchester plumber Scott McKendry and his client, a recent alleged escape attempt had a happy ending. However, a Ring doorbell video of the plumber’s attempt to retrieve the cat has gone viral and inspired more than a few laughs! When arriving to work at a client’s house, McKendry was given strict instructions not to let the cat, Bertie, outside under any circumstances. You can imagine the fear and concern when he walked outside and discovered the cat casually strolling down the road. He quickly acted, catching the escapee and attempting to bring him back indoors. Unfortunately, the cat was less than enthusiastic about this plan. Unable to juggle both the unimpressed cat and the door handle, the plumber is forced to ask for help. It appears that all is well, with the cat safely home, when, in a hilarious turn of events, the door is opened to reveal Bertie already inside. That’s right! The entire ordeal centered around a completely different cat – Bertie’s doppelganger.

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