According to a study by Carroll University in Wisconsin, it seems that those who live with a dog are more predisposed to happiness, but did you know that those who prefer cats are more intelligent?
Researchers tested the IQ of 600 college students, owners of cats and of dogs, who were asked to answer questions on their character and to state whether they preferred dogs or cats. Sixty per cent of the responders preferred dogs, 11% cats, and the remaining 29% expressed no preference.
Dog lovers said they preferred the company of dogs in terms of how valuable their company is, while cat people said they preferred cats because of the way they display their love for their owners. When tested for IQ, cat owners got higher scores.
The survey also highlighted the differences in character among those with different pet preferences. Feline lovers tend to be more introvert, sensitive, creative, non-conforming and, as mentioned above, smart; dog people are usually extroverts, more active, sociable and law-abiding (a bit like Toto himself!).
Ça va sans dire: it’s not the pets themselves that enhance some of our characteristics, but the other way around. We choose cats or dogs according to who we are and to the emotional needs we want a pet to fulfil. Psychologists remark that these differences are caused by differences in personality, lifestyle, physical activities and hobbies we all have.
For instance, dog lovers normally enjoy being outdoors and talking to other people as they walk their pets, while cat people are usually attracted by the independence displayed by their felines, and often love staying at home curled with a book, hopefully in the company of their cat friends.
Are you more of a cat person or a dog person? Tell us what you think!