Although more people in the world own cats, if you ask people you’ll generally find that dogs reign supreme. We understand their appeal, but we also understand that dogs aren’t for everyone. Preferring cats is something you should never have to explain, defend, or justify. Although dog people like to tease the cat lovers of the world, we are thick-skinned—just like our feline friends!
Whatever your preferences may be, many people have unfairly labeled cat owners as “reclusive” or “introverted” and even “anti-social” as compared to those who are dedicated dog people. Thankfully now cat people can have a new and much more favorable connotation attached: highly intelligent!
It’s true! According to a study on the subject among 600 participants, it’s been shown that cat owners, and those who are drawn to the feline kind in general, are reported to have a higher IQ.
To conduct their research of cat and dog preferences, the researchers at Carrol University in Wisconsin analyzed 600 students . They assessed a number of other factors, including personality traits and interests. While 60 percent of those polls were self-professed dog lovers, only 11 percent were cat lovers, while the other percentages claimed to like both pets equally, or neither. It seems that based off of all the questions and scoring among those in the study, cat people were found to score higher intellectually speaking and were considered to be more “intellectually curious” compared to others.
In relation to this study, psychoanalyst and owner of the McKeown Clinic Steve McKeown says, “Those who prefer cats tend be non-conformist, somebody who stands up for what they believe in despite what anyone thinks, which in many ways, perhaps mirrors the independence for which cats are renowned? And cat people also score higher on intelligence tests and are more educated. Cat people are more likely to possess university degrees than dog owners. Educated people tend to work longer hours and opt for pets that compliment their personal circumstances and lifestyle.”
Read more about the study and its findings.
Last modified: October 7, 2023
