Cat Owners Tend to Be More Intelligent, According to a New Study

About 68% of families in the USA have a pet, according to statistics. 36.5% of them own a dog, while 30.4% of households own a cat. It seems dogs are maintaining their position as man’s best friend, however, it turns out that owning a cat could indicate many interesting facts about their owners.

Bright Side looked carefully at the latest study about pet owners (cats, in particular) and is eager to share with you its unexpectedly interesting results.

Our pets are a reflection of our lifestyle.

Besides cats’ amazing abilities in helping humans to lower stress, to overcome difficulties, and to cope with loss, having a fluffy feline friend says a lot about your character and personality in general.

Surprisingly, people tend to opt for those pets who compliment their lifestyle and match their habits. And a recent study from 3 big universities (University of Florida, Carroll University, and Marquette University) explains why.

It’s research based.

It was Samuel D. Gosling from the University of Texas at Austin who first came up with the idea to compare dog owners with their pets. He managed to outline some common traits between humans and their best friends, but cat people were not there on his list.

Next, Denise D. Guastello, an Associate Professor at Carroll College together with Andrea D. Guastello and Stephen J. Guastello held a big and one-of-a-kind study that compared the personalities of dog and cat people. The main idea was to understand the relationship between human personalities and their preferences for a pet species.

The differences between dog and cat people

About 600 undergraduate students were involved in the study where 16 psychological factors of theirs were assessed by psychologists. Those factors included reasoning, warmth, emotional stability, liveliness, dominance, etc.

Based on the answers the participants gave, the study showed that the students who had a dog were more outgoing and extroverted while those who owned a cat were more sensitive and creative.

There is another trait that the researchers spotted in cat owners — despite their sensitivity, these people are always able to stand up for their interests and their point of view.

It’s all about intelligence.

Perhaps, the most interesting trait that was spotted is intelligence. This paper declares that cat people scored higher on reasoning (i.e., general intelligence) than dog people. Surprise!!!

Love is the key.

All in all, whether you are a cat person, a dog person, or a fish person, it’s the connection with your pet that matters the most. These fluffy guys are always there beside you whether you are a nerd or an outgoing and open-minded person.

Do you have a dog or a cat? Can you confirm the results of this study? We would be glad to hear from you in the comments!

Preview photo credit ASSOCIATED PRESS/East News, depositphotos.com

Source : BrightSide