Do you prefer dogs or cats? The answer says a lot about you

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 Do you prefer dogs or cats? The answer says a lot about you


When it comes to pets, are you a dog lover or a cat lover? The answer to this millennial question could reveal interesting aspects of your personality. Several research studies have focused on deciphering the personality traits that distinguish each group. For example, from a demographic perspective, there are notable differences between people who prefer dogs or cats.

Do you prefer dogs or cats? The answer says a lot about you



Dogs or cats?

Mikel Delgado, a researcher and animal behaviorist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, conducted a study in 2015 where she analyzed the personality of those who preferred one species or the other. She also took into account people who confessed to having no preference or simply disliked dogs and cats.

Under the term "Big 5", Delgado encompassed the personality metrics employed by his research. These are agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, extroversion and neuroticism. In this context, the latter trait is defined as nervousness or sensitivity. According to the study, these metrics are found in all cultures around the world and are an effective way of understanding human personality.

The research found that those who chose cats tended to exhibit greater openness and neuroticism. Meanwhile, those who preferred dogs identified themselves as extroverted and friendly. These results are consistent with previous studies on the same topic.

For example, prior to Delgado's work, it was known that those who prefer dogs are more dominant in social interactions. In addition, they tend to be narcissistic. Another study found that individuals who prefer cats are more likely to be female. However, it is important to keep in mind that this kind of research is not fail-safe.


Don't generalize.

"Most of us do research on tight budgets, and these are survey-based studies," Delgado points out. Generally, participants in those surveys are compensated for their participation. And these are balanced populations that are of particular interest to the research.

In that sense, the scientist points out that "people willing to answer a survey, especially when it is extensive, about their pets stick to a certain demographic group". Moreover, according to Delgado, it is likely that their attachment to their animals is much greater than that of an average owner.

 Methodological biases.

In these kinds of studies, a large percentage of participants are female, often accounting for 85-90% of all respondents. And consistent with pet-owning demographics in the United States, they are also white. Thus, it is much more likely that the information gathered through these surveys provides a picture limited to that specific population. So it cannot encompass what all pet owners think or feel.

As if that were not enough, the industry that makes money from pets provides funding for this kind of research. Consequently, intervening and influencing the work being done. For example, some research may associate personality traits with certain kinds of animals and suggest that owning a pet is attractive.

Although indirectly, it supports the sale of animals and pet products. On the other hand, it is difficult for research focused on how an owner benefits or harms an animal's welfare to receive funding.

Dogs and cats are very different animals.

Attempting to classify people according to their likes and dislikes of dogs or cats is only part of a complex issue. Worse, in doing so, "we treat cats and dogs as if they are equivalent in some way," Delgado says. "And these are very different animals."

The domestication of dogs and cats did not occur in the same way. It catered to different times and natural behaviors that are more or less compatible with human needs. Like humans, these animals are very different from each other. What works for one owner and his cat may not work for another human with another cat.

All of these factors, compounded by previous experiences with other pets and even the influence of the Internet on pet culture, determine a person's response when asked whether they prefer cats or dogs. In addition, Delgado emphasizes that what differentiates people who like pets from those who don't has never been studied. Apparently, this is a much more fundamental and complex difference.

Perhaps, the question to solve is not whether you are more compatible with dogs or cats. It's whether you have the ability to own a pet and adjust your kindness, conscientiousness, openness and any other traits to build a relationship with your new friend.

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