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Cat owners pass on personality traits to their pets, study suggest

Cats with behavioural problems may have picked up anxiety from their owners, a new study shows  - IGOR KOVALENKO 
Cats with behavioural problems may have picked up anxiety from their owners, a new study shows - IGOR KOVALENKO

If your cat is overweight or suffering from behavioural problems it might be worth looking in the mirror to find the reason.

New research carried out by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Lincoln has found a link between the personalities of cat owners and the behaviour and wellbeing of their pets.

The findings suggest that, just as a parent’s personality can affect the personality of a child, the same is true for a cat and their owner.

The research published in the journal PLOS ONE involved surveying more than 3,000 predominantly UK-based cat owners.

As part of the study, the researchers asked questions about owners’ personalities, as well as their cat’s behaviour, health and lifestyle.

Researchers found that owners who scored high for neuroticism - defined as individuals more likely to experience anxiety, fear, anger, depression and loneliness - were more likely to have pets with behavioural issues.

Such cats displayed more aggressive and anxious/fearful behavioural styles as well as more stress-related sickness, and were more likely to have an ongoing medical condition and be overweight.

On the flip side, the research also found that mentally well-adjusted owners had calmer, happier and healthier pets.

Well adjusted owners make for happier and healthier cats  - Credit: Slavek Ruta/REX/Shutterstock 
Well adjusted owners make for happier and healthier cats Credit: Slavek Ruta/REX/Shutterstock

Dr Lauren Finka, Postdoctoral researcher in animal welfare in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, and co-author of the study said: “Many owners consider their pets as a family member, forming close social bonds with them.

“It’s therefore very possible that pets could be affected by the way we interact with and manage them, and that both these factors are in turn influenced by our personality differences.

“The majority of owners want to provide the best care for their cats, and these results highlight an important relationship between our personalities and the wellbeing of our pets.

“Further research is needed to investigate the causal nature of this relationship – and to look at if, and how, owner personalities are directly influencing their cat’s behaviour and welfare.”

Previous studies have found that greater parental neuroticism scores are generally associated with less positive wellbeing outcomes for children, whilst agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness and extraversion are associated with more positive parenting styles and child welfare.

The new study suggests pets are equally absorbent when it comes to the moods of their owners.

Nottingham Trent University Associate Professor Mark Farnworth said: “More and more we are learning that the welfare of pets is driven by the underlying nature of the owner, and not simply by their conscious decisions and behaviours.”