Your Personality Can Influence Your Cat

March 1, 2022

The relationship between a pet and their owner is a special bond much like that of a parent and child. And whether we mean to or not, we pass on to our pets (and children) our most dominant traits.

In a peer-reviewed study published in the scientific journal PLOS One in 2019, researchers found a correlation between the pet owner’s personality and their cat’s behaviour:

“Owner interactions with companion animals may provide valuable insight into the wider phenomenon of familial interactions, as owners usually adopt the role of primary caregiver and potentially surrogate parent.”

The study (Owner personality and the wellbeing of their cats share parallels with the parent-child relationship) is part of continuing research into the age-old subject of Nature versus Nurture:

“Human personality may substantially affect the nature of care provided to dependants. This link has been well researched in parents and children; however, relatively little is known about this dynamic with regards to human relationships with non-human animals.”

The online study surveyed more than 3330 cat owners to examine their personality and the health, behaviour and management of their cats. Owner personality was measured using the Big Five Inventory (BFI): Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Neuroticism and Openness.

It further explored the relationship between owner personality and the lifestyles and living environment of their cats. In addition, it explored owner personality as it related to reported cat behaviour and wellbeing. Owners also provided information concerning the physical health, breed type, management and behavioural styles of their cats.

The researchers were able to identify relationships between owner personalities through a range of factors that could have welfare implications for the wider companion animal population, specifically cats.

The results of the study reported these findings:

Higher owner Extroversion was associated with a higher number of outdoor cats
Higher owner Agreeableness was associated with a higher level of pet satisfaction
Higher owner Agreeableness was associated with a higher number of healthy weight cats Higher owner Conscientiousness was associated with more gregarious behavioural styles

Conversely, owners who reported higher levels of Neuroticism were associated with an increased likelihood of having cats with behavioural problems, such as being more aggressive, anxious, fearful and less sociable. These cats were more often than not, overweight, indoor, non-pedigree cats with stress-related sickness behaviours and other ongoing medical conditions. No wonder their owners were stressed-out!

What this study tells us is that the relationship between a pet owner’s personality and the care received by a dependent, such as a cat, may extend beyond the human family to animal-owner relationships.

The researchers are optimistic these findings will have significant implications for the choice of management, behaviour and potentially, the broader wellbeing of companion animals.