Dogs or cats? What your preference says about you

[chloe]

By Ed Yeates
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Do you prefer a cat or a dog; and whichever you pick, what does that say about you? A research team at the University of Texas at Austin recently pulled off an interesting study that matches personality types with a choice of pets.


Are you outgoing and gregarious?

• Do you like to hang out with others, or do you savor your own space and prefer being independent?
• Are you even a bit unorthodox?

Researchers at UT Austin used their own Internet based Personality Project to find out whether personality traits of more than 4,000 participants matched up with their animals. "I think the study is fascinating," says Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.


The study shows dog people score high on extroversion. They're outgoing and social.

"Pet parents and dogs mimic each other, and they tend to like what each other likes," says dog owner Barbara Hughes.

Barbara's dog has his own room in the house. She's painted portraits of a long line of dogs she and her husband have raised over the years.

But what about cats?
The study finds that while dog people are extroverts, cat folks tend to be a bit nontraditional. They're often creative and philosophical. They may cherish their own space.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10825765

[KarlMarx]

I definitely prefer cats.... they are a lot quieter

I have two neighbors with dogs... one dog was raised in a dog pound and has "issues"... whenever he sees me, he barks (even if I don't know he's there).. in fact he barks at me if he sees me through a window... the dog is definitely not friendly and frankly, I don't want to say anything to my neighbor because he keeps him tied up.

The second dog barks incessantly, he's a Jack Russell terrier mix, and high strung... he will bark at anyone that he sees... even his owner's 10 and 12 year old kids....Yesterday, I was working from home and he barked non stop for over 6 hours... I was ready to shoot the crittter...

Except for rare instances, cats don't make noise and annoy the entire neighborhood, they don't attack people and they don't crap on other people's lawns...

When I was married, we had two cats, both female.. both fixed and strictly indoor cats.. one lived to be 17 years old and the other one died 6 weeks shy of her 20th birthday. I don't think our neighbors even knew we had pets unless they saw them sitting in a window.

[SassyLady]

My dog thinks he's a cat. He's standoffish and aloof. He hides his poo under bushes so no one steps in it. He never barks unless it's a sharp yap to tell me someone is here. He doesn't bark at other dogs or people walking by. He's a mini schnauzer so he's always clean and well groomed. He has killed gophers, rats, squirrels and a couple of the neighbor's chickens. Some of them end up on my front porch.

When you call him he will stand there and just look at you as if he's deciding whether it's worth his time to walk over and see what you want.

So - I have the best of both worlds.......a dog who acts like a cat!!!

[Abbey Marie]

My dog thinks he's a cat. He's standoffish and aloof. He hides his poo under bushes so no one steps in it. He never barks unless it's a sharp yap to tell me someone is here. He doesn't bark at other dogs or people walking by. He's a mini schnauzer so he's always clean and well groomed. He has killed gophers, rats, squirrels and a couple of the neighbor's chickens. Some of them end up on my front porch.

When you call him he will stand there and just look at you as if he's deciding whether it's worth his time to walk over and see what you want.

So - I have the best of both worlds.......a dog who acts like a cat!!!

It sure sounds like he's a cat in dog's clothing, MKP.

I like dogs, but I am a cat person. I haven't lived without a cat since I was 9 years old. My home would seem so odd without one.

I think many dog breeds are different enough that you can't really generalize about dog owners. Perhaps they should be divided into the people who love dogs who are all over them with affection, and people who love more sedate and dignified types of dogs?

[SassyLady]

I love cats!!! Had cats until I married hubby .... has a severe allergic reaction to cats.....thankfully he isn't allergic to my schnauzer or we might never married! Haha!!!

[krisy]

I am a big fan of cats,but dogs are definitely my favorite. I love the loyalty. Their is nothing on earth more loyal. We have two dogs,4 cats,and 4 mice(those are my daughters...she loves animals too!). My dogs are with me wherever I go in the house. Dodger(my australian shep) even sneeks in the bathroom behind me when I go in to take a shower. What else but a dog will greet you at the door like you have been gone for 10 days when it was only ten minutes?!

I have great kitties too tho. Our oldest is 16 and we love her sooo much.