What makes someone a cat person?

People often refer to themselves as cat person or dog person, as well as meaning that they prefer this animal to the other, it implies that they identify with certain characteristics associated with their preferred pet, dogs are loyal, cats are smart, dogs can be trained to help people, cats cannot and so on. 

The social psychologist Samuel D Gosling of the University of Texas studied the personality traits of so-called “dog people” and “cat people”. He found that cat people tend to score higher on neuroticism and openness to experiences, whereas dog people are more extroverted, agreeable and conscientious. Cat people tend to also be more sensitive, creative and curious, but more prone to anxiety and stress. Whereas dog people, on the other hand, are more sociable, cooperative and reliable, but also more conventional and conformist.

But why do these personality traits match with our preference for cats or dogs? And what else makes someone a cat person? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

First Broadcast: 7/11/2023

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