#  Dog People vs Cat People 

Dog People vs Cat People 

Are there really personality differences?

I was having coffee with a friend of mine who is a professor of psychology. As we chatted, he brought up the fact that he had broken off his relationship with a woman he had been seeing. “I’m a dog person and she’s a cat person, and they don’t mix well,” he explained. “We’re really like the animals that we love. Dogs have families and are grateful for what they get, while cats simply expect to be taken care of and show no evidence of thankfulness and loyalty.”

My friend’s comments seem to reflect a common perception, according to a study conducted at Ball State University. Pet owners were surveyed about their personalities and their pet ownership. In general, the results showed that people believe that their own personalities are similar to those of the pets they keep. Cat owners saw themselves as being more independent while dog owners described themselves as being friendly.

Virtually any discussion among pet owners is bound to reveal clearly that there are dog people and there are cat people. In some cases, the depth of feeling for their chosen species can be quite intense. However, according to an Associated Press/Petside.com poll, there are a lot more dog people out there; 74 percent of the test sample like dogs a lot, while only 41 percent like cats a lot.

It also seems that some people seem to be quite exclusive in their preferences, liking either dogs or cats and loathing the other species. Cats appear to be much easier to hate: 15 percent of the adults questioned said they disliked cats a lot while the number who said they disliked dogs a lot was only 2 percent.

There are sound reasons to suspect that the preference for dogs or cats reflects some underlying human personality differences. Certainly the relationship between cats and humans has always been quite different than the relationship between dogs and people. This reflects the behaviours that both species have kept from their heritage prior to domestication.

In the wild, cats are usually solitary hunters and often are active mostly at night. Juliet Clutton-Brock of the Natural History Museum in London calls the cat an “exploited captive” rather than a domesticated animal. Cats are the least tame of our household pets but are surprisingly successful for a species that retains so much of its wildness.

In contrast, wild canines are usually sociable pack animals that work in groups and are active between dawn and dusk. Our domestic dogs retain this need for social interaction to the degree that without a master and a family, a dog seems unhappy—almost lost.

Dogs will intrude on a person’s ongoing activities if they are feeling lonely and want some company or play. Cats, on the other hand, are often invisible during the day, seeming only to appear in the evening, especially if that is when they are fed. Cats will occasionally engage in social activities or play with people, but their interest is limited. Usually, after only a few minutes, cats will abandon the game and wander away. Dogs on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown ball, for hours at a time, and it is usually the human that quits the game first.

Recently, Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas in Austin and his graduate student, Carson Sandy, conducted a web-based study in which 4,565 individuals were asked whether they were dog people, cat people, neither, or both. The same group was given a 44-item assessment that measured them on the so-called Big Five personality dimensions psychologists often use to study personalities.

Just on the basis of the nature of dogs being more sociable than cats, one might expect that the personalities of dog lovers would also reflect higher sociability. The results showed that dog people were generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which dimensions are associated with social orientation. In addition, dog people were 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. “Conscientiousness” is a tendency to show self-discipline, to complete tasks, and aim for achievement. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior.

In comparison, cat people were generally about 12 percent more neurotic; however, they were also 11 percent more “open” than dog people. The openness trait involves a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. People high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs while people with low scores on openness (dog people) tend to have more conventional, traditional interests.

Gosling’s recent study seems to confirm the findings of research that I did for my book Why We Love The Dogs We Do (Free Press; 1998). I used a different personality measure, namely the Interpersonal Adjective Scale, because I was mainly interested in items reflecting social interactions and social tendencies. It gives scores on four scales; extroversion, dominance, trust, and warmth (which is close to “agreeableness” on Gosling’s measure).

My study involved 6,149 people, aged 16 to 94. I attempted to get as many dog owners as I could, so this group included 3,362 dog owners, but also, 1,223 people who only owned cats and 1,564 people that owned neither a cat nor a dog.

My results showed that people who owned only cats seemed to be somewhat different than dog owners or people who owned both dogs and cats in terms of their personalities. People who own both dogs and cats seem to be much like people who own only dogs. You should keep this in mind, since from here on, at least for the purposes of this discussion, when I mention a cat owner I mean someone who lives only with a cat, while, when I mention dog owners, I mean a person who owns a dog or both a dog and a cat.

According to my data, cat owners were one third more likely to live alone than dog owners and twice as likely to live in an apartment or flat. Being married, living in a house, and having children living in the home, are all factors that are more likely for dog owners than cat owners. A single woman was the most likely individual to have a cat. Of the people who grew up in a house with cats as pets, 47 percent were likely to have cats today, while only 11 percent of people whose childhood years were spent in a house with a dog have only a cat as a pet.

Turning to the personality profile of the person who owns only cats, we find a reasonable overlap with Gosling’s recent findings. To begin with, we find that people who own only cats tend to be relatively introverted (low on extroversion) and also reasonably cool (low in warmth or agreeableness) which is the pattern confirmed by Gosling’s more recent data.

Looking at the other two measures, we find that cat owners are relatively low in dominance. People who are high on dominance are generally described as being forceful, assertive, persistent, selfassured, and self-confident. They are the people who stand out in social gatherings as opposed to people who are low in dominance that come across as being more timid, bashful, shy, and unaggressive. The final dimension that I looked at was trust, and cat owners appear to be fairly trusting. People high on this dimension are often described as obliging, modest, straightforward, and “good sports.” People low on this dimension can be more suspicious and manipulative.

The general pattern that comes out of both studies is that dog owners are more social, interactive and accepting. One dog person’s explanation of this was: “You have to have a good sense of humor to successfully own dogs.” Contrast this to cat owners (remember this is people who prefer cats exclusively) who are more introverted, self-contained, and interact less socially. A psychologist who is also a dog owner suggested, “Maybe the reason that cat people tend to be more introverted and seem to prefer to be indoors is because they can’t walk their cat.”

Perhaps one of the most telling differences between dog and cat owners is illustrated in a single comparison. I asked people who own only cats, “If you had adequate living space and there were no objections from other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?” More than two thirds of the cat owners (68 percent) said that they would not accept a dog as a pet, while almost the same number of dog owners (70 percent), said that they would admit the cat into their household when asked the same question but about a kitten. This suggests that most people who own only a dog are potentially dog and cat owners, while most people who own only a cat are exclusively cat owners.

My friend sipped on his cup of coffee and continued to muse about the differences between dog people and cat people, and perhaps about his recently ended relationship.

“You know there is some research data that suggests that more cat people than dog people are atheists. You couldn’t tell this based on my experience, which is that cat people seem to worship their felines like the ancient Egyptians worshiped their pharaohs—as gods. We dog lovers just talk to our hounds like people.”

I consider myself a cat person. My cats are NOTHING like the cats discribed in this article. My cats are social and enjoy being around new people, while they aren't too friendly with new cats they even get along well with small dogs. In my experience cats are definitely more independant but as long as youve got a strong positive energy cats will flock to you. I've also never 'met' a cat that "loses interest in playing quickly" cats enjoy playing with eachother, people and by themselves... The toy or game should of course be something the cat likes and they can play for hours (my cats with hemp yarn). 

I agree with everyone above this is extremely biased.....this information was based on more dog people than cat people in the first place i was said that "My study involved 6,149 people, aged 16 to 94. I attempted to get as many dog owners as I could, so this group included 3,362 dog owners, but also, 1,223 people who only owned cats and 1,564 people that owned neither a cat nor a dog." I am social outgoing and do not live alone i stand out in a crowd and do not just blend in. The funny thing is that i can take my cat for a walk WITHOUT a leash. She follows me everywhere and sees me as her mother which i think is better than being her master. She is loving and has a big personality everyone who meets my cat always says they have never seen a cat like her and that though they were dog people they would take my cat any day.....I dont believe that pets should define who a human is anyway. We train our animals they dont train us..

Well it was obvious that this article was written by a "Dog Person" ..So biased and so inaccurate. I have owned both cats and dogs, honestly I prefer my cats. I have been rescuing kittens for a year now, The walk on leashes, play fetch, love cuddling and play time 24/7.. My kitties sleep in the bed with me all night and love to play all day. I am not sure where the writer of this article is getting her facts. I love dogs as well, but cats are soooo much easier. They are clean, smell nice, independent, and I don't have to rush home to walk them. They are always right by the door to greet me when I get home. :) I am not a "cold" person or an "introvert" as this article suggests . Which is borderline ridiculous. I am actually an actor with a Theater group and performer for Disney. Thats pretty much the OPPOSITE of introvert. I also spend every other waking moment rescuing animals and volunteering at the shelters.. So Im not exactly cold either..jeez, I am so sick of peoples negative views on cats 

oh, just realized a MAN wrote this article. ha..now it all makes sense why he harbors so much hatred towards cats .This has to be one of the worst articles I have ever written and he should be ashamed of himself. what was with the Atheist comment? so now he is attacking Cats, cat people AND Atheists ? I hope this magazine fired this idiot 

Remarkable how illogical and manipulated this article is. Whatever psychologist said the whole "cat introverted walking" thing should maybe try another field or learn 2nd grade cause and effect or logic. Definition of "dog people" makes no sense, no sense of linear time, which makes this article and every piece of data almost completely unusable. I wish this would get to the heart of human psychology because whether the trait is being introverted or extroverted etc. it is not reaching the root, merely scraping the superficial because these opposites are the same. As for others peoples' comments, reaching for this root would cripple their human psyche so I will not respond to them. If you think I am a moron or you don't understand please email me, I would love to talk to someone interested even at all, but know that your interest might turn you into a pessimist if you do end up agreeing with me.

I know the study he was referring to, and he left out the biggest finding in the study. The study said that cat people were more intelligent and educated than dog people. Interesting that the writer left that bit out and only mentioned the negative stuff. Boy this article is biased! There are over 10 million more cats as pets than dogs. The american pet is therefore a cat. More people die from dog attacks than from shark attacks and a cat has never killed anyone. I grew up on a farm in Alabama with cats, tons of dogs, horses, chickens, a goat, geese, etc. and I am a cat person. I do not want to own a dog and do not like them that much for many reasons. I do, however, love cats. Mine are extremely cuddly in the way that dogs arent and they dont hump my leg or drool.. My cats play fetch non stop to the point where they will drop toys om my face when I am sleeping. They follow me everywhere: into the bathroom where they watch me while I bath and check to see if I am drowning, they lay next to my keyboard while I type, they are stuck on me like glue and sleep with heads on my pillow and sometimes under cover every night. I just prefer their kind of love because I don't want to feel like someone's master but rather family. My cat cleans me and freaks out if I sneeze cause she is so worried about me. I get an intense amount of love from a cat and it means more knowing it wasnt because it thought of me as an alpha pack leader. I am in the pride. 

Your cats sure sound special! I'm not going going to touch that intelligence comment with a ten foot pole, but as a "dog person" I also disagree with this post. I don't believe that our choice of pet can accurately be indicative of personality since pet choices reflect lifestyle.  
  
The comment that cat people are more apt to live in apartments is ridiculous. Of course animal lovers are more likely to opt for cats when they live in apartments since apartments usually have weight restrictions on pets and no where to walk a dog.   
  
I choose to reply to this comment though in defense of dogs as well. Not all dogs drool, and those that hump legs, dig, chew and commit other stereotypical bad behaviors are ill trained. In response to the pack mentality comments, people are pack animals and thrive best in pack settings i.e. family units, groups of friends. Why do you think teenagers are so rebellious? They're trying to exert dominance over the established "alphas" aka parents. The parents then respond with grounding or spanking. Wolves isolate and ignore for brief periods of time pack members that have fallen out of favor with the pack and even mama wolves nip ears and shake scruffs of misbehaving pups..  


Hi, thanks for responding. Yeah, my cats are special. And maybe I have only met bad my trained dogs, but I don't have to train my cat not to hump my leg because they have no attraction to other species besides cat. Dogs seem to be attracted to everyone. But really, digs have killed more people than sharks so why do cats have a bad rap when they have never killed a person? Also, I do not think humans are pack like at all. I think we are more in a pride. We do not stay in a pack with the alpha....we leave as soon as we are allowed to legally go. Or maybe women are less pack like because we don't seem to like someone trying to be the alpha and control us. Atleast, I don't. I get nervous around groups of people and feel much more comfortable onw on one or with a few close friends. Which is more cat like. I prefer democracy...not a dictatorship. And I don't want a pet that thinks of me as a master. What will happen when someone more alpha comes along? Cats require you to build their trust and they have to really get to know you to love you. That is more human like for sure. I just think if cats as very much like people. 

<a href="http://www.skilch.com/nfo/people">people</a> who are meant to be together will always find their way back to each other. They might take detours in life, but they’re never lost. For more information see this site @ www.skilch.com glen88 www.skilch.com

People with af over 65, or younger <a href="http://wwww.n8fan.net/item/people/">people</a> with af over 65, or younger people with certain ' risk factors ' , have a medium risk.Click www.n8fan.net for more information. MARIZ www.n8fan.net

I've always really loved cats and I never knew why. But I feel like I have a combination of the dog and cat aspects. Yes I'm more reserved and open but I'm also conscientious since I cannot stand to aim for lower than an A in school for example. Dogs are ok however, I just tend to sympathize and emphathize with cats probably 50% more because they seem to have a variety of personalities like people which is probably why some people don't like cats because they are moody like us, and they are so cute. Whereas I tend to notice dogs usually have a simple, one-sided personality of loyality and dependence which is nice but a little boring to me. 

have both, have to say more fond of cats, dog is a little dog, I do prefer big dogs to little dogs, but cats over any dog,, if your gonna have a little dog just get a cat instead its like having a little dog just smarter... dogs are like a 10 year old boy with adht going nuts whenever someone comes over, the cats are chill... my cats go out and come in as they please,, sleep with me at night if they need to go out they wake me up, the dog has to be locked in a cage other wise there is poop and pee somewhere, its very rare the cats have an accident and if they do its in the shower(and never had litter box in the shower),,, I dont have to bath the cats cause they dont stink... I feel cats are way more loyal, the dog is just as happy to see a prefect stranger than it is to see me, my girlfriend (her dog) or her kids, the cats are out front before i pull in the drive way waiting for me and run up to me all happy, they ignore strangers, the cats do not get jealous, if im playing with the dog the cats are fine, god forbid im playing with the cats or showing affection to girlfriend, dog gets jealous,,, i feel cats affection is more pure, they are super affectionate to me and and those that live there, and not so to strangers, dog goes nuts over anyone,,, I can leave the cats out all day or night and they stay around the house, try doing that with a dog, bye bye doggy, so much for loyalty... got that micro chip in my pets and get emails of lost pets in area, 20 to 1 lost dogs vs cats, cats dont get lost they get killed or go off to die, dogs just run away.. the cats bring me gifts, mice, birds, etc.... i just clean up after the dog, people say dogs have a master and cats have a staff, thats all wrong, dogs require lots of attention, cats are more independent... and I would say more converted dog to cat people than cat to dog people, if your a cat person and get a dog your gonna say what a pain in the rear!!!!!! 

You're mixing cause and effect, a person who has a cat is not more likely to live alone, A person who lives alone is more likely to have a cat! (not because of personality, but because cats need less care and having people always present). Also, if you live in an apartment, having a cat is far far easier than having a dog, not needing such a big space and not having to take him for a walk each day. <a href="http://www.bookdes.com/2012/09/dog-training-course.html"><b>Dog Training Ebook</b></a>

This article was extremely disappointing. I wanted something that looked honestly at the difference between dog and cat people, but your anti-cat bias makes this article worthless. You don't offer any proof of anything, you just make blind statements and back them up with "research shows". What research? Where? By Whom? Sheldon Cooper? The last paragraph about atheist and cats was an unecessary slam. This is why republicans and democrats dono't get alone. You can love dogs, I can love cats, it doesn't have to detract anything from you. You know who also prefer dogs? Dictators. Hitler had a dog, that dog loved Hitler. Stalin had a dog. Lenin had a dog. Churchill preferred cats.Not that any of that means anything.

p.s. I don't meant to slam atheists but he's implying cat people have less faith. Cats are deep, mysterious, and an atheist can have a deep faith in cats or something else. Also I want to address the comment observing the article was written by a MAN. No Excuse for him. I'm a man, I completely love cats, I'm successful and extroverted, I like that you have to earn cat affection, dogs are a pack animal with loyalty to whoever is at the top. Now that just me, just the way I feel!

Don't EVER refer to the Big Five as "so-called", you're implying that it's false, have you done psychological research using the Big Five? It is the most stable assessment of personality to date. It's people like you that make the social sciences out to be a joke, when in actuality it's probably what got you your job. Companies today don't simply rely on résumés and experience, but require you to take assessment tests which are based on your personality to see if you are a suitable fit. I couldn't get past that insulting tidbit enough to care about the rest of your article. Lucky for you, the rest of your readers are probably too dumb to realize that your argument is contradictory as you think that psychology is false (based on the so-called comment), yet you are associating the same personalities listed in the Big Five to animals. 

I'm a cat person just because i'm mostly out of the house often and a dog is TOO dependant. Cats are independant & loving but its not demanding too much attention. Also i hare dog people who always brings their dogs everywhere , especially when they try to push you to let their dogs in someone else house... Cat ppl wont do that

Great article, and clearly from the comments, those introverted cat people are a tad more fanatical, like Apple fanboys of the pet owner world, than dog owners. I like cats, but I can't stand cat owners who let their cats outside to kill everything that they come across, usually for sport. Studies bear this out. They do terrible damage to bird populations. This is, again, not the cat's fault, but the owner's.

I thought this article was interesting, but the data of the study was skewed and based on pre-existing bias in favor of dog owners.  
  
To classify people who own cats and dogs automatically as "dog" people and exclusively cat owners as "cat" people is automatically slanted in favor of dog people. People that own both cats and dogs should be categorized in a more unbiased manner or self-select their category based on another survey. People that only own dogs as dog people and people that only own cats as cat people is a fair basis for an unbiased study, but the basis of this study is does not categorize the data accurately.

You can tell this article is very inaccurate because you can tell the person that wrote this article thinks dogs are better than cats. This person who wrote this obviously hates cats, cat people and Atheists. I honestly think the guy that wrote this deserves to be fired for such a horribly written article because a five year old could write this better without all the terms I can tell you looked up. Also, stop lying about how much smarter dogs are from cats because they aren't, I'm not trying to insult dogs lovers I know your dog is smart but cats aren't stupid and everybody knows that. Cats actually are very intelligent and if you don't believe me look it up. You will not have a higher chance of being lonely just because you own a cat because you have the exact same chances anyone does. Cats usually act nothing like you said in the article and stop acting like dogs are better because aren't and never will be and same with cats. Overall, this is one of the worst articles I have ever read and it was very opinionated and it was horribly written. 

This article is very biased. It is true that the study got these results, but this guy is very clearly downplaying the strengths of cat owners. For example, being trusting may not be the best in today's business environment, but it's still what I would consider a good personality trait. However, he seems most focused on talking about how dog people somehow have better personalities and it is very clear that he likes dogs and dislikes cats. I also wonder if parts of the study are biased as well, as I've seen it quoted multiple times but I haven't once seen mention of the data collection methods.   
  
The keeping a puppy vs keeping a kitten thing is biased as well-- puppies need a LOT more time, energy and planning than kittens. That alone would be a good reason for people who are offered a kitten to be more likely to keep it than those offered a puppy. Also, people who are busy and have little space are less likely to have dogs, and those are the same sorts of people who, if responsible, won't accept a puppy. These are the sorts of people who are also more likely to have a cat instead of a dog merely for practical reasons.  
  
For example, I prefer cats, but I like dogs too. I'd be much more likely to keep a kitten dropped on me out of the blue-- however if I preferred dogs, that would still be the case. Keeping a puppy you don't have time for is doing them a disservice, and I'm not that sort of person.  
  
I remember another article which mentions a study showing that a cat person is more likely to keep a found kitten, and a dog person is more likely to take the kitten to the shelter. Now, we can assume that this is because the cat person wants or cares for the kitten more, but there could be any number of reasons. Maybe the dog person only has experience with puppies or hasn't raised a baby animal before. Maybe their dog is a cat chaser. Who knows, really? It isn't fair to just make assumptions.  
  
This guy is making the basic mistake of associating correlation with causation, which pretty much makes the entire article BS.

I have never been a fan of cats and I sometimes believe they are a menace...they kill native lizards and birds. Sure they were brought over here to kill the mice and rats but I don't think they are anything more than that. you can get a few cats that look cute but they are still nowhere near as cute as a dog. it's a dog that wags there tail when you come home from work happy to see you. They love your love and affection that you give them, it's a dog that starts to whimper when you go out...a cat will just run off like whatever! And the oldest saying in the book is: dogs are man's best friend. Not cats haLolita also know that it's debatable whether cats or dogs are smarter, we don't have police cats we have police dogs and drug sniffer dogs and dogs for blind people, you can train a dog but in the end the cats do whatever they please. So I rather have my beautiful, intelligent fun loving puppies.   
  
Dogs mind- they must be a god.  
  
cats mind- I must be a god.  
  
cats are selfish and frankly I think we give them too much leeway. net neighbours brad new puppy was happily playing in the yard and a filthy cat jumped over the Fends and randomly started scratching it up, cats are horrible. There Kia a cat across my street and I left my bedroom window open to yet the cool breeze and when I woke up I realised that it had peed through my window. It was disgusting! I think that cat owners have too much trust in their felines. My puppies are my life and I have nothing against people who want cats but if your gonna have one I suggest you keep it inside your house because you don't know what mischief it will get up to. So in short form...dogs are smarter and more attractive than cats. 

I'm extremely introverted, so I need lots of quiet & alone time. I adore cats! Dogs stress me the fuck out. Barking, drooling, pissing on everything, whining, crying, licking, begging, staring, constantly getting in my way. ...no thanks. 

Whoever made this study was wrong. They made all the cat lovers in the world look like mean, self-centered, lonely, psychotic hippies. Most of us aren't like that. I can prove everything negative that they said about cat lovers wrong. I am quite nice. I don't think that the most important thing in the world is myself. I have quite a few friends. I am calm most of the time (unless I'm panicking about something). And I am very, very traditional. The person who made this study forgot that cat people had feelings. And what they said about cats is wrong! The last time I played with my cat, she didn't stop playing because she got bored, she stopped playing because I had to take the piece of yarn she was playing with away from her. My cats are around a lot during the day. One of my cats meows at the door to the finished room over garage (frog). My cats spend time in their cat-tree, or on the back of the computer chair. And some (not all, just a handful of people) dog and cat owners say cats are spoiled and throw their cat on the street, then say dogs take only what they need and give their dog a gourmet meal and dress it up in a little blouse. I mean, how does this not phase you people, how you are treating cats? I just think this study is completely wrong and unfair.

I should not look to an article written for a magazine called "Modern Dog" for a fair and balanced look at cat people vs. dog people. Of course the writer will favor dogs! He is writing for his audience. I was seeking some insight as to why I found it impossible to live with the nicest dog in the world this summer, and what sorts of things differentiate dog and cat lovers. I always thought of myself as an animal person, and I have loved having cats, rabbits, ducks, horses, and other furry critters over the years. My daughter wanted a dog for 10 years. Now, I had never thought to myself, "You know what's missing in your life, Self? A dog!" But, I figured that dogs were OK, and why not get a family dog, since our daughter was so set on it? We adopted a very nice little mutt in May. She was sweet and well-behaved. Did not chew or have accidents or nip or bark. She did lick, which was gross. I'm a SAH mom, so we were around pretty much all the time and could give her plenty of attention. After one week, I realized that I just hated having a dog -- no fault of the little dog's, just something in my personality did not mesh with the dog's. My husband does not like dogs in general, so he never bonded with her. And, it turned out, my daughter did not bond with her either. So, we had three people who had the nicest dog in the world that they just did not love. Weird! So, we gave her back to the adoption agency that helped us get her after three excruciating months, and I am happy to report that she has found a home where she is loved and appreciated for her many wonderful qualities. And we have since adopted two grey tabby kittens, upon whom the three of us dote. We're all a pretty gregarious lot and very involved with our church and in our community. We are all active and spend lots of time outside. By all personality factors, we ought to be in canine paradise; but, it's felines all the way for this family. I would not say that I hate dogs (I do hate some of our neighbors' dogs that roam freely in and out of our yard leaving behind stinky remnants and barking at us incessantly while we try to work in the yard), but I do know that I never, ever want to live with one again and would reject a puppy or dog that was given to me. I guess when you get down to it, whether you prefer cats or dogs is just one of those mysteries of human nature that will never be fully understood. To each his own.

Thanks for your comment. I've always felt guilty that I can't gel with dogs. I just don't like them. We have three. I'm not cruel to them and look after them well, but I much prefer cats.

I am a cat person, that means i ADORE cats and don't care ( not "hate" ) about dogs.  
I don't hate dogs, i just don't love them enough to have as pets.  
Cats are tinnier and more fluffy.  
  
Everything in this article is utter bunk for my cat and myself. And i know plenty of dog owners who are terrible grouches and socialize more with their dog than real people, so again, more contradictory data.

You guys aren't expecting any bias from an article posted by MODERNDOGMAGAZINE.COM?  
  
According to this pile, I'm some kind of psychological prodigy. I'm not neurotic, manipulative, submissive, introverted or single. I'm a relatively successful guy with a wife and 2 children who owns only a cat.   
  
What it boils down to is that dogs require my undivided attention. Between all of my responsibilities I simply don't have to time or patience to scrape feces off my lawn at 5 am or deal with the smell and mess of owning a dog.  
  
Cats fit into my life perfectly, they're affectionate when I'm home, cheap to maintain, relatively self reliant and above all in my 25 years owning cats I've never come home to destruction, only to a cute little critter who's happy to see me but not devastated by my absence.  
  
I don't dislike dogs, mind you, they're simply not worth the investment to me.

This is the most ridiculous and selfish article with no backed up research. First and foremost, I have 2 Siamese cats, and they are the most intelligent, social, talkative creatures I have ever seen. They play fetch, interact with anyone, wait by the doors and basically act like dogs. Mind you, I am super social, friendly, outgoing and extrovert. My boyfriend is totally a rude person, selfish , introvert with his retarded dog a Labrador, who is actually super stupid, selfish, hates other animals, including dogs (basically just like my boyfriend, soon to be ex, due to his nasty personality). The bottom line is, pets are reflections of their owners. If the pet owner is an idiot, your pet will be too. It’s just like with kids. Foundation, how we raise and train them, matters the most.

Yes, Sienna. Cats are amazing creatures and are great companions. I won't criticise a dog owner. Everyone to their preference.