Although we may whine and whinge about the temperamental nature of our cats, it turns out their personalities may say more about us than it does them.
New research conducted by the Nottingham Trent University and the University of Lincoln has discovered a link between the personalities of cat owners, and the behaviour of their pets. The study surveyed more than 3000 cat owners in the UK.
The researchers published their findings a journal called Plos One and explained that similar to the way a parent’s personality can affect the personality of a child, the personality of a cat owner influences the personality of their cat.
In fact, the research even went so far as to say that if you experienced feeling of anxiety, anger, depression, loneliness and fear, then it’s more likely that your cat will have behavioural issues. The research discovered that cats owned by such individuals displayed more aggression, anxiety and stress-related sickness, and were more likely to have an ongoing medical condition or be overweight.
The researchers also found that extroverted cat owners were more likely to have an animal that enjoyed being outside, while people who had agreeable personalities had well-behaved felines.
However, the good news is that if you are generally a happy, go-lucky person, then your cat is likely to be healthier, well-behaved, calm and happy too!
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