My Dog Is Not My Cat: Owner Perception of the Personalities of Dogs and Cats Living in the Same Household.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to define the personality traits perceived by the owners of multiple pets and to evaluate how they are modulated by experiential-environmental factors. A questionnaire was administered to 1270 owners of multiple pets (dogs and cats) to collect data on the demographics, management, and personality of their pets. Data were analysed by principal component analysis, bivariate, and multivariable models. Five personality traits emerged in dogs and cats: sociability, reactivity, protectiveness, neuroticism, and fearfulness. The owners perceived differences in the personality of their pet: dogs scored higher in sociability, protectiveness, and reactivity, while lower in the neuroticism dimension compared with cats (p < 0.001). Age similarly affected sociability (p < 0.01), and reac

SUBMITTER: Menchetti L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6025356 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature