What are the differences between cat owners and dog owners?

Only one of them has to walk their pet on a leash.

Well, they say people who don’t like have cats as pets, don’t like that cats tend to be aloof and cannot be controlled. Supposedly this explains why men prefer dogs and women lean towards owning cats. I have no idea if this really means anything or not. People who own both probably just love animals in general.

I have owned both—at the same time. I don’t think there is a personality associated with cat or dog ownership.

Cat owners can be rather weird.

I’m only kidding. :)

cat people more likely to be loners/dog people more social & family oriented
cat people democrat / dog people republicans
cat people arty creative professions /dog people doctors lawyers engineers businessmen
cat people keep irregular hours dog people stick to a traditional schedule
cat people more likely to live in condos/apartments while dog people more likely in house

Dog people are more likely to see a small child knocked over by a good tail swing.

Cat people are more susceptible to manipulation.

I’m a cat…um…minder, but I have learned a couple of things recently that have given me paws:

First, apparently cats have a special purr that they use when they’re trying to get you to do something. It has an overtone that people find mildly irritating, and so they tend to take notice of it and do the cat’s bidding. (you think I’m kidding).

Second, cats host a very common parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, that can be transmitted to humans (about a quarter of cat owners have antibodis that indicate past infection). T. gondii has a talent for making its way to the brains of its non-feline hosts and rewiring them. Rats, for instance, get infected by eating cat poop, and the parasite rewires the rat’s amygdala (which is the brain’s fear center) to erase the rat’s fear of cats. In fact, it becomes sexually attracted to cats. This, unfortunately for the rat, often leads to the rat being eaten by a cat, which is exactly what the parasite wants! evil, eh?.

There is considerable reason to think that T. gondii in humans may cause schizophrenia, less risk aversion (amygdala tweaking again), and and here’s a creepy thought may make us love cats even more. That’s right…T. gondii may be behind the crazy cat lady syndrome.

Excuse me, I have an irresistible urge to go feed my cats.

Where do geese fit into this spectrum?

People that keep geese are rather eccentric and tend towards bohemian lifestyles. lol

I have had both cats and dogs, but, prefer cats.
True, I am artsy and creative and appreciate the elegance and class of cats over the bumbling and sloppy constitution of dogs, but not a democrat, live on 5 acres not a condo and keep pretty regular hours.

Guess I just messed up the curve on @anartists theory. ;-)

I simply don’t want the work of a dog anymore and I don’t want to stress out my happy little Walden pond scene of geese and cats and lizards and frogs.

Dog owners know that saying “no, stop that.” will eventually have SOME small effect. Cat owners know it’s just not worth wasting the energy.

Dog owners think they are superior and that cats are cold, unfeeling, selfish creatures who never acknowledge anyone else and are so stupid they cannot learn their own name.

Cat owners like having a face that isn’t covered with spit.

I really don’t know ..lol. I have had dogs and cats all my life. I prefer dogs though. My partner is more of a cat person. I think both species are unique and have their own little quirks.
Our main personality differences are:
Myself – shy, quiet, socially awkward, creative, intuitive/perceptive, resourceful, slow and monotone (movement, speech, etc), with a child-like curious and fun side.
Partner – outgoing, excellent in social situations, fast (movement, speech), cheerful and approachable.

Here’s an interesting link on the subject of cat vs dog people.

For the record, each of our 4 cats know their names and have their own personalities. Although, I bet they’d eat us if they were bigger than us ..after swatting us around of course :P

I’m convinced that cat people are better at physical intimacy. Just my own, weird, little personal theory. No basis in science, just something I decided based on my own experiences and observations.
Personally, I’ve had dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, snakes, fish, and then some. What about people that just like pets? I really am a cat person at heart, though.

I don’t know about the psychological implications, and I’m almost certain that there are no political affiliations involved. I think it comes down to a few things. For example, I’m a not a cat person because of an allergy to cats. I’ve had it all my life and while I think they’re cute and cuddly, cats= feeling terrible. Were I not allergic to them I’d probably still be a dog person, mainly because I grew in a dog loving family. No cats, never. I grew up in this household and my father grew up in a dog only household because his mother (my granny) grew up in a dog only household because HER mother believed that cats could steal your breath. Get all that?

This is interesting. @anartist – I find that the opposite is true for each of your examples except the last one (regarding apartments).

The cat people I know are more social; the dog people I know have been more solitary or asocial, which is the reason they were looking for a friend in a dog in the first place.

The cat people I know (including very close friends) have been Republican and even homophobic (in two different cases, weirdly). There is one exception I know of – she is liberal and loves cats but doesn’t keep one because she is allergic.

Re: art and creativity: I am thinking of the interest some writers had for dogs, viz. Rilke and Kafka, and of Goya’s The Dog. David Foster Wallace preferred dogs, et cetera…. But this obviously isn’t evidence for anything. I know a lot of cat people with artistic pretensions, but to me they’ve always seemed to be hacks or poseurs without genuine talent. Maybe cats appeal to their sensibilities because they convey a calculated quirkiness. (These people also like Wes Anderson movies.)

I’m not sure about hours or daily schedule or sleep or things like that. But I am a dog owner and am more or less nocturnal half of the week, which I’d say is pretty irregular. I have no evidence otherwise, though.

This thread would indicate some cat owners also have a chip on their shoulder.

If I had to pick, I would pick cats. Fortunately, I’ve mostly had both. Dogs are more fun to take camping, cats have indoor bathrooms. I do love a cat talking to me, purring on my lap, and twining around my legs in the kitchen and bathroom.

Wouldn’t care to speculate, way too much generalisation required. All I know is i’ll never be a cat owner, hate the evil little fuckers….....furry felines :¬)

Dog owners like the alpha role. Cat owners like the challenge dealing with capricious behavior.

@mattbrowne

Soooo, you’re saying that dog people are control freaks and cat people enjoy being masochists. haha
Sounds like the typical dysfunctional relationship dynamics of most of people.

Well, I’ll take a capricious cat over a capricious man any day of the week. lol

Don’t take this to seriously ;-)

@mattbrowne

Nah, just being humorous. ;-)

Dog owners like to feel needed. I am not quite sure what motivates people to like cats (and we have had one for a long time…).

@absalom intriguing how our experiences differ.
How do you handle the regular schedule of walking and feeding your dog when you shift to nocturnal sched?
My assumption about cats and apartments is because it is easier to keep a cat in an apartment [without a yard] than a dog.

@anartist Only when they don’t get outside. Lemme tell you, I have 3 cats, and those stinkers try to make a break for it every chance they get ;)