Owner personality and the wellbeing of their cats share parallels with the parent-child relationship.

ABSTRACT: Human personality may substantially affect the nature of care provided to dependants. This link has been well researched in parents and children, however, relatively little is known about this dynamic with regards to humans' relationships with non-human animals. Owner interactions with companion animals may provide valuable insight into the wider phenomenon of familial interactions, as owners usually adopt the role of primary caregiver and potentially surrogate parent. This study, using cats as an exemplar, explored the relationship between owner personality and the lifestyles to which cats are exposed. In addition, it explored owner personality as it related to reported cat behaviour and wellbeing. Cat owners (n = 3331) responded to an online survey examining their personality and the hea

SUBMITTER: Finka LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6363285 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature