What your choice of pet can reveal about your personality

The age-old debate between cats and dogs has taken an intriguing turn, thanks to recent academic research.

It appears that dog owners are coming out on top, with studies showing that they might possess distinct personality traits compared to their feline-loving counterparts.

A study from James Cook University (JCU) has found that dog owners are more likely to be more resilient and less neurotic than cat owners, and this may be down to inherent personality differences between the two groups.

Co-author of the study, psychology lecturer Dr Jessica Oliva said differences between dog owners and cat owners had been consistently observed.

“Dog ownership has been associated with reduced loneliness in people living alone during periods of prolonged isolation, such as during covid lockdowns, suggestive of higher levels of resilience in dog owners,” Olivia said.

“So our research investigated the predictive power of dog versus cat ownership on personality traits and resilience.”

The researchers surveyed 321 people who were dog or cat owners or neither and found that dog owners demonstrated higher levels of resilience and cat owners demonstrated higher levels of neuroticism, after controlling for age and gender.

Dr Olivia said there was also evidence to support the idea that genes guide ownership of a particular species.

“It may be that influences on ownership are linked with genetically-derived personality traits, so both the personality trait and propensity to own a particular animal are inherited,” she said.

“Simply put, people who are naturally predisposed to being resilient may like dogs more, rather than the dog causing people to be resilient.

“Though it’s also possible the responsibilities and potential challenges associated with owning a dog may also build resilience over time, or it may be a mix of the two.”

At the same time, Dr Olivia said it’s not possible to know if neuroticism drives people to own cats or whether owning cats causes people to become more neurotic.

Either way, whether you are for team dog or team cat, owning a pet can be an enriching experience and another recent study has found that owning a pet after 60 can enhance your overall well-being with research suggesting that engaging with animals can facilitate a more positive ageing experience.

According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) the “scientifically documented benefits of the human-animal bond include decreased blood pressure, reduced anxiety, and enhanced feelings of well-being.”

“Positive human-animal interaction appears to be related to changes in physiological variables both in humans and animals, particularly dogs,” they explained.