Well, it's interesting to read studies on dog people and cat people and their different personality traits - but I think the truth is more to do with what animals we are brought up with and that we naturally gravitate towards what we know and experienced during our early years. We are also probably influenced by the likes and dislikes of our parents and peers.
My first pet was a cat when I was about 4 or 5, with whom I formed a very strong bond with throughout my childhood. My best friend had a dog and a cat and I liked the dog, her cat ignored me. In fact, strange dogs always seemed very friendly while most cats, other than my own, showed very little interest in me. I moved to Ireland when I was 11, with my family, and we quickly acquired a lovely dog and we subsequently kept further dogs and cats throughout my teenage years until I left home.
I didn't take on a pet as an adult until I had bought my first home in my late twenties and, living alone and working full time, the most obvious pet was a cat - cats can be left alone for long periods and they are very easy to look after compared to a dog who would need company and twice daily walks (plus dogs are more expensive to feed). Cats make very little mess (just some occasional dirty pawprints) whereas dogs roll around in muck and then jump on the sofas
Cats really are the ideal pet for single full time workers and they also look so beautiful and graceful so appeal to a lot of women. Owning a dog is a huge commitment and not really fair on the dog if the owner is out of the house for most of the day. So the choice of a pet can be attributed more to practical reasons than because of personality traits.
I really do love dogs and cats but I admit that the most devastating losses for me was my first pet, my cat, who was killed by a train when I was 12 and, later, more recently my 16 year old cat Tabitha. I did grieve when my childhood dogs died but I was able to move on a lot more easily. I'm not sure if that means I am more of a cat person because I know I've always enjoyed a great relationship with my dogs too. Dogs seem to love me - I think they recognise that I love animals. I became a vegetarian in my twenties.
Cats are independent, they enjoy their own company, they can be introverted, anti-social and moody and it is easy to label people who own cats as having similar traits. Dogs are gregarious and social creatures but it doesn't always follow that dog owners are the same, though owning a dog gets people out of the house on a regular basis and allows for meeting fellow dog walkers in local parks etc. I certainly don't agree that dog people are more conscientious
I think owning any pet implies a sense of responsibility and commitment to that pet. I would describe myself as conscientious and I don't particularly rebel against convention or tradition (unless the convention is wrong or unfair 
).
Interesting theories but I don't think these studies are particularly robust and certainly aren't supported by my own experiences of cat and dog owners..
My first pet was a cat when I was about 4 or 5, with whom I formed a very strong bond with throughout my childhood. My best friend had a dog and a cat and I liked the dog, her cat ignored me. In fact, strange dogs always seemed very friendly while most cats, other than my own, showed very little interest in me. I moved to Ireland when I was 11, with my family, and we quickly acquired a lovely dog and we subsequently kept further dogs and cats throughout my teenage years until I left home.
I didn't take on a pet as an adult until I had bought my first home in my late twenties and, living alone and working full time, the most obvious pet was a cat - cats can be left alone for long periods and they are very easy to look after compared to a dog who would need company and twice daily walks (plus dogs are more expensive to feed). Cats make very little mess (just some occasional dirty pawprints) whereas dogs roll around in muck and then jump on the sofas
Cats really are the ideal pet for single full time workers and they also look so beautiful and graceful so appeal to a lot of women. Owning a dog is a huge commitment and not really fair on the dog if the owner is out of the house for most of the day. So the choice of a pet can be attributed more to practical reasons than because of personality traits.I really do love dogs and cats but I admit that the most devastating losses for me was my first pet, my cat, who was killed by a train when I was 12 and, later, more recently my 16 year old cat Tabitha. I did grieve when my childhood dogs died but I was able to move on a lot more easily. I'm not sure if that means I am more of a cat person because I know I've always enjoyed a great relationship with my dogs too. Dogs seem to love me - I think they recognise that I love animals. I became a vegetarian in my twenties.
Cats are independent, they enjoy their own company, they can be introverted, anti-social and moody and it is easy to label people who own cats as having similar traits. Dogs are gregarious and social creatures but it doesn't always follow that dog owners are the same, though owning a dog gets people out of the house on a regular basis and allows for meeting fellow dog walkers in local parks etc. I certainly don't agree that dog people are more conscientious
I think owning any pet implies a sense of responsibility and commitment to that pet. I would describe myself as conscientious and I don't particularly rebel against convention or tradition (unless the convention is wrong or unfair ). Interesting theories but I don't think these studies are particularly robust and certainly aren't supported by my own experiences of cat and dog owners..
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I have thought about it - why I really hate dogs. The things that jump to mind are - the smell, the open, toothy mouths, slavering tongues, yukky horrible brown eyes (most of 'em), many are terribly ugly, they are noisy, they 'can' be dangerous.....and I've never been keen on the 'popular' choice. 
