Should You Get A Cat Or A Dog? Take The Quiz To Find Out!
Some people just like pets in general and may own both a dog and a cat. Others are very firmly in the "dogs only" or "cats only" camp.
If you prefer one or the other have you ever thought about why?
Did you know that there are distinct personality differences among those who show a strong preference for dogs over those who show a strong preference for cats?
Take the quiz to find out what kind of pet person you really are.
Before Taking the Quiz: A Word About Pet Ownership
Pets are living breathing beings. They have feelings and they have needs.
They can be a lot of fun and a great comfort, but they are also work.
They may have accidents in the house. They may have behavior issues that need correction. They may need medical care. They may need special medicine.
Getting a pet is not a partial commitment. It should not be something you have until you move or until you have a baby. Pets are for life.
If you are not willing to make a lifetime commitment to this animal which will likely be 10+ years then please don't get a pet.
Okay, now let's take the quiz. Don't scroll down until you have completed it!
Find Out If You Are A Dog Or A Cat Person
view quiz statisticsWhat kind of pet person are you?
Now scroll down to read about the general personality traits of cat owners vs. dog owners.
Generalities About Cat People
While there is not a hard and fast rule about what kind of pet you prefer or don't want, research has proven that there are some general, common traits that cat people possess. In general cat people tend to have the following traits(again this is average only--there are always outliers because people are rarely all one way or all another):
- Less organized/messy
- Tend to lean more liberal politically
- Tend towards introversion
- Tend to be less nationalistic
- Do not emphasize respect for authority figures
Part of the reason that these types of people prefer cats to dogs may be found in the very nature of cats themselves.
Cats tend to be more aloof, are not trainable (at least on the level that dogs are) and are autonomous and individualistic. On a certain level, since cat people tend to be more liberal, there is a higher tolerance for this type of behavior.
They may even seek that kind of pet as it matches their own personality.
A CNN article notes that cat people also tend to be a bit more "neurotic....and nontraditional" which lends itself to a more liberal view of the world.
With these generalities in mind, let's take a look at dog people.
Generalities About Dog People
Again there is not hard and fast rule because people tend to be a mixed bag of ideologies and experiences. But in researching the types of people that tend to prefer dogs over cats, there were some general trends that seemed to emerge.
Dog people tend to have the following traits:
- Organized and neat
- Tend to lean more conservative politically
- Tend towards extroversion
- Tend to be more patriotic
- Value respect for authority and authority figures.
Here, again, the personality of dogs in general helps to clue you in as to why this type of person prefers a dog. Dogs are more ready to learn and accept training, commands and reprimands.
Dogs are taken out for walks and usually invite attention from a variety of people that want to pet or interact with the dog, making them a nice way for an extrovert to make friends.
Dogs are generally more submissive and have less of a perceived attitude than a cat, making them the perfect pet for someone who values order and people and animals knowing their place.
There Are No Rules. Get What Is Right For You.
It may help to have a general idea about your personality and your lifestyle when you are trying to find the pet that is right for you.
Think about your schedule, your home and your time commitments. All those should be considered when picking the right kind of pet.
Or, if you just like animals in general get both! It's only a myth that dogs and cats can't be friends.
References and Research
- Coren, Stanley, PhD. "Do politics matter when it comes to loving dogs and cats?" June 25, 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201306/do-politics-matter-when-it-comes-loving-cats-or-dogs
- Landau, Elizabeth. "How Are Dog and Cat People Different?" January 13, 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/13/cat.dog.personality/
- Wilson, Chris and Jonathan Haidt. "It's True: Liberals Like Cats More Than Conservatives." February 18, 2014. http://time.com/8293/its-true-liberals-like-cats-more-than-conservatives-do/
