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| Blogs > myelin36 > Dirty Little Secrets |
What our Pets Say About Us
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What our Pets Say About Us Full disclosure: Historically, I grew up with dogs as pets, but now cats are more my style. This does not make me a crazy old cat lady. But I admit that I am wary and suspicious of people who don’t have pets or plants and do have all-white homes and force you to take your shoes off at the door, despite the fact that they were not raised in a culture where it’s traditional. It’s obvious that cats and dogs are different in many ways: Owning a is by nature a social experience, thanks to the need to walk them. A cute dog—especially a puppy—or one with an expressive face or impressive ears provides the engine for all manner of social interactions with young and old potential admirers. Impromptu friendships spring up in parks, at runs, and in elevators, not to mention on suburban streets and country lanes. Dogs are also a lot more work than cats, which says a lot. Does it mean that the person is by nature more accommodating, willing to work harder at relationships, and lives a more complicated life than a cat person? After all, like those who bring the mail, neither rain nor sleet nor heat nor gloom of night deters the owner. On the other hand, the cat person enters into a longer contract, since cats generally live longer than dogs (though nowhere near as long as parrots, which is a whole other story). Is the cat owner someone you can trust for the long-haul commitment and quiet evenings at home? It’s worth saying that cat “owner” may be a misnomer since cats tend to own their people; that, too, differentiates the cat person who may not have the control issues a person might, may be more self-sufficient, and might not need the external validation a person gets. Winston Churchill nailed it when he said, “Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.” So if you’re decidedly either a cat person or a person, you’ve definitely signed up for a different experience—but what does it say about you? Here’s what science has ferreted out: 1. people are more extraverted.  Yes, studies confirm our general cultural beliefs: One, conducted by Samuel D. Gosling and others, looked at the Big Five personality traits in self-identified cat and people. Their findings confirmed the results of other studies—that people were more extraverted and less neurotic than the cat ones. But this study also showed that the feline group was more open to experience than canine folk. 2. Cat people score higher in intelligence and are more intellectually curious.  That’s what a study of 600 college students by Denise Guastello and colleagues found, while also re-confirming earlier findings that lovers are more outgoing and lively. This suggests that you want your realtor to be a person for sure. But those preferring felines—while more introverted—are more sensitive and open-minded. Additionally, this study did not find them to be more neurotic. They also tend to be more non-conformist—perhaps echoing the independence for which cats are famous—and score higher on intelligence tests. (Does that mean my shift to the cat camp means I'm getting smarter? I hope so.) This study also found that the motives for having a pet were different for cat and aficionados—38% of lovers were looking for companionship, while 45.6% of cat lovers wanted affection. 3. The pet you identify with may reflect your view of the world. One survey, by Time, showed that liberals tended to prefer cats, while conservatives were more likely to be people. I wonder about this, given FDR’s Fala and the fact that both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had a cat and a living under the White House’s roof. But some research suggests this might be true: Working from the proposition that “people prefer pets that behave in a way that complements their own personalities,” researchers hypothesized that people preferred “having pets that are submissive to them” and that, therefore, this group should score higher on personality characteristics associated with dominance. They tested for Social Dominance Orientation (S D O ) interpersonal dominance, competitiveness, and narcissism. SDO is an ideological stance, a belief that there is a hierarchy in the world among people and groups, and that “inequality is natural and desirable.” What they found was that while people scored higher on SDO and competitiveness, they were actually neither more assertive nor narcissistic than cat folk. These findings imply that dogs are more popular with conservatives—and they note that 9 of the top 10 dog-owning states voted solidly Republican in the 2012 election, while 9 of the bottom 10 dog-owning states voted for President Obama. So, does your reveal your hidden “Red” side, despite your liberal leanings? Or, alternatively, does your kitty prove that there’s a certain shade of Blue coloring your political views? The jury is still out. Of course, then there are those who think the whole cat person/person debate is a sub rosa discussion of stereotypes. What say you? Does being a “cat person” or a “person” (or neither or both) reveal your true personality or do you think the research findings are a load of crap? |
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Dogs have owners. Cats have wait staff. I've had both dogs and cats. I've also had gerbils, a dwarf lop bunny, fish and a mated pair of sugar gliders. I think the studies and surveys may give some interesting and enlightening information on pet ownership, but I also believe the information is just that...information. It's not definitive proof that owning a pet makes you a particular type of person. Well, other than someone who wants the joy/responsibility of owning a pet. Pagan  Hmmmm....I know I left that wand around here somewhere!
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I definitively know that a person's relationship with animals is very revealing of their personality, commitment level, responsibility, aptitude for love/affection. But "dog" people should be subdivided into three categories: 1. Big work-animals that are out-doorsy, and never come into the house, and you don't cuddle with. 2. Tiny toy-dogs, that the person grooms meticulously and sometimes carries everywhere like a hand-bag. 3. Medium to small inside-dogs. You could maybe add the "freak" category of people who have huge dogs (like Great Danes) inside and cuddle with them, or have a dozen pitbulls adopted from shelters inside, and swear they are gentle and not potentially dangerous. There are a lot of generalizations I don't agree with. I have a doggie-door, and never walk my dogs. My cat is a fuckload more work than the dogs, and paws the door at 5am demanding to be fed and the litter box is disgusting. As for me ... I'm a small-to-medium dog person. I always need to have a pet/pets because I need things to take care of and keep me "on track" and behaving like a human being. If I only ever just have to think and live for myself, I kinda spiral into weird depressive habits and abnormal schedules (of sleeping all day or not sleeping for days). Except for the bird (cockatiel), all the animals I have were "acquired." I don't like cats, but a neighbor abandoned this cat that according to his tags, was over 20 years old, and had a huge cancerous lesion on his head, and skeletal, and declawed, and no shelter would take him, and I assumed he wouldn't live long. As soon as I started feeding him, he got better - and three years later, he's a complete pain in the ass. But has his loving moments, and is good with the dogs and birds. And I just feel sorry for him for being abandoned and nobody wanting him, so I want him to have some love in his last years. I have a black poodle and Bischon/Cavalier mix. - both bought by my mom on whims, who later decided she couldn't take care of them. I had a stray Chihuahua/Minpin mix that I found a new home for, when my boyfriend and I broke up, because all those animals were too much for me and my daughter alone. His new owners adore him. My ideal dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The best dog I ever owned, but I'll probably never have one again because I get suckered into taking whatever animal someone else abandoned - and I really don't want more than two animals in the house.
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Yes, I believe studies which seek to generalize are, in fact, a load of crap.  An individual's personality doesn't change because they have a pet. If they were patient, nurturing and considerate prior to owning a pet, that pet will only bring out those qualities. If someone is impatient, controlling and irresponsible, I'm not sure a pet will make a difference. Adding a four-legged friend to our lives will only expose our true nature rather than shape it. $0.02
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myelin36 wrote: "I am wary and suspicious of people who don’t have pets or plants and do have all-white homes and force you to take your shoes off at the door" I was with you until the last part. I used to not care but ... when you think about it, shoes should definitely come off. They're filthy! If that sounds like a bit much, I encourage you to take a look at the parking lot surface at your gas station or grocery store. It's covered with dirt, grease and just about any kind of waste people discard in public. So that filthy cocktail gets on your soles and then you want to track it around the house? You're cute and all, miss, but you need to lose your shoes at the door.
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I think you hit the nail on the head early on here. In addition to being genuinely loyal partners, dogs can be real babe magnets, second only to baby-brothers, as my step-son will attest!  Are You Ready for Some Football, on HNW Sleazy Motels Hot Jobs Erection Tester [post 3312759] My Private Blog – Tell me All your Secrets
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I have always enjoyed dogs mire than some cats....there are some cats I enjoy a lot more.... .Click Here To Read A Hot Erotic Story: When A Woman Meets A Stranger Part 1 of 4
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I await the day this sort of discussion becomes a nature vs. nurture debate. Are you genetically pre-disposed to scoop litter or put a baggie on your hand to grab a turd? Smart as a horse and hung like Einstein.
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myelin36 replies on 1/28/2015 7:32 pm: Okay, I get it. Pick apart my blog. But, even you have to admit that it's better than some of that fluff other bloggers are posting. At least mine makes you think with something other than your dick! Oh, I definitely wasn't trying to pick your blog apart. Perhaps I should've used more enthusiastic emoticons. And you're right, it made me think (with my brain) and was very well written.  I just don't agree with such studies. Anyone who's been to a dog park, vet's office or Petco knows that pet owners come in all shapes, sizes and political stripes. And I'm sure you know other pet owners with whom you have nothing in common, right? I remember once I was waiting to pick up my pooch from a boarding kennel when another owner came in with his dog. Unfortunately, his dog got a bit excited and the owner responded by yelling, yanking his leash and grabbing him quite roughly. Everyone in the lobby was appalled and the look of disappointment on the kennel owner's face said it all. But I would've loved to kick the living shit out of that guy because that was unacceptable and wrong. My point is, I had nothing in common with that person even though we're both dog owners. And studies that suggest commonalities are perhaps looking at demographics more than personality traits. (And, yeah, I was just joking about the shoe thing, too. leave those heels on!  )
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Ah but what would our pets actually say about us if only they could talk?  Would it be scary, embarrassing, intriguing, laughable  or most likely a mix of all the above. Oh the secrets they could tell  . Would they be able to blackmail you? Imagine a pets viewpoint version of Americas Funniest Videos.Do you think the Dogs or the Cats would have the best videos and what might they be?  Vive La Difference
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I admit that I'm a huge dog fan, myself, to start. I've owned dogs a good chunk of my life, but not recently, due to my travel schedule. I volunteer at the local SPCA as a dog behavioralist and trainer, working to address issues that might hinder a dog's adoption. I prefer larger dogs and, when given the choice, I'll lean toward the smarter breeds. I'll work with an aggressive 100lb German Shepherd before an unruly hound any day of the week. My most recent dog (when I was still married) was a rescue border collie that I didn't want. But I spent several hours per week training her until she knew well over two dozen commands and over a dozen hand signals. In a general, broad brush sense, I think the study has some merit. But as others alluded to, there is a wide variety of dog owners out there. I would think my personality profile to be quite different than the dog lover who enjoys having a toy something or other as decoration. The study is spot on that the dog owner desires submission from his or her charge. By definition, a dog must recognize who the alpha dog of the pack is. Finally, I certainly appreciate that your blog offers material that requires thought to process. One can only read so many posts about how women are bitches and guys are crude, insecure assholes who send unwanted dick pics.
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