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 Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:05 am
We're all cat lovers here, and I'm sure we all know people who prefer dogs, and maybe even a few who just don't care for pets at all.
Have you noticed any trends in personality traits, lifestyles etc among cat lovers vs dog lovers vs non-pet people?
Are cat people more independent? Do dog people feel the need to be in control? Are people who don't like animals less empathetic?
What kind of generalizations would you make about these groups? Have you noticed similarities, or does liking cats/dogs/not liking pets seem to be pretty unrelated to the rest of a person's personality?
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:29 am
there's probably a lot of variability in the personalities of cat lovers and dog lovers and non-pet people, but i did notice some general trends.
cat lovers i've met tend to be quiet, reserved, and engage in introspective tasks like writing. think of richard gere's character in "runaway bride." he has this very pretty cat named italics xD. this is very much like my personality as well. and i have one co-worker who loves cats and does not like dogs, and she has this personality as well. it's kind of hard for us to get to know each other better because we're both so reserved, i think xD. and i have a classmate in graduate school who loves cats, and she admits that she sometimes seeks quiet time and personal space for herself whenever she's been around people too much.
dog lovers i've met tend to be more extroverted, more active, and enjoy interacting with people. i have a co-worker who fits these descriptions to a tee, and he owns a dog. according to him, the whole purpose of having a pet is to have someone to run around with and interact with a lot... so he doesn't really see the sense in having cats who are really... catlike. you know, cats who mind their own business.
i think the lifestyle of a dog owner really suits only particular people... i looked after a good friend's dog for a few days, and it was exhausting having to take him for walks, play with him, and just give him a lot of tlc. my cats' definition of getting tlc is to sleep near me while i am working. well, mitts is a little more doglike. he demands to be scritched for several minutes each day.
people who like both cats and dogs are harder to read. i think there's definitely more variability among them. the ones i know are quiet but active. very fascinating, actually. but i suppose people who like both dogs and cats are just hard-core animal lovers in general.
people who don't have pets have their reasons, i suppose. some are close-minded, some admitted to me that they don't like sharing their living space with a nonhuman animal, some have lifestyles that cannot support a pet. there's a lot of variability among them as well.
again, these are just generalizations based on the people i know. your mileage may vary ^_~.
oi, walls of text gonk heart .
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:26 pm
 i'm definitely more of a dog person than a cat person... just so happens i can only have cats though, not that i don't like cats. i'm certainly not extroverted or social but i am very active. i prefer the company of dogs to people and find they make much, much better work out partners. dogs never let you slack off!
my dad hates cats because he thinks they're demasculating. i wouldn't think of him much as an animal person though. he cares about animals but just doesn't want to care for them. a lot of the people i know who don't want pets just don't want them for that reason.
i don't think animal choice relates to personality all that much but there might be some links. they say serial killers usually own cats xd .... ninja
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:18 pm
I personally have both Cats and Dogs.
I have dogs because the companionship and responsibility. The dogs will let me know when something is wrong (put of food, out of water, need to go outside) so I have to pay attention to them more and not drift into my own little mental world. They will be by my side no matter what happens, they will never judge and abandon me for little mistakes. They keep me active and running around to play with them
I have my cats on the other hand, because their independence. They go where they want, they do what they want. They don't bother me when they don't want to be bothered. They only come around when they want attention (or extra warmth from my blankets or lap). The cats allow me down time from activities and let me relax without giving me a damn ball to throw every few minutes. Plus they are temperamental and unpredictable which adds a bit of fun to the home life.
Such as right now, my cat is acting like she wants me to pet her belly. I know not to do this, because it's a trap, she wants to tear my hand apart, I haven't figured out why yet, but she does.
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