5 types of personalities in cats | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified veterinary specialist

Posted by justinelee in Blog, Pet Health

A recent study conducted by researchers in South Australia and New Zealand found that cats have 5 unique types of personality types:

• neuroticism
• extraversion
• dominance
• impulsiveness
• agreeableness.

In their study called “‘The ‘Feline Five’: An exploration of personality in pet cats (Felis catus)“, Litchfield et al out of University of South Australia and University of Wellington in New Zealand wanted to know about typical personalities of domesticated cats.

The researchers stated that “cat owners, veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and scientists often focus on the behavioral problems of stressed cats rather than on the behavior of psychologically healthy cats and their inter- and intra-species interactions.” So, they wanted to create a standardized ethogram (inventory of species-specific behaviors) for pet cats.

Where did the researchers pick these “Big Five” personalities? It’s based on human personality research known as the “Five-Factor Model” to describe personality. Based on this “Five-Factor Model,” they believe human personalities fit into five broad factors:

• openness to experience
• conscientiousness
• extraversion
• agreeableness
• neuroticism.

So, the authors surveyed 52 different types of personality trails to assess 2,802 pet cats from South Australia and New Zealand. These were ranked by pet owners. This study was the first of its kind ever conducted. What’d they find? Cats are like humans, and have 5 reliable factors: neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsiveness, and agreeableness… now called the “Feline Five.”

How can a cat be neurotic? This reflects traits of anxiousness, suspiciousness, shyness, insecurity, and fearfulness of people. How can a cat be dominant? They may bully or be aggressive towards other cats. Agreeable cats were friendly to people, gentle, and affectionate (IMO, grey, long haired cats!). Extraversion personalities in cats included cats that were smart, active, curious, vigilant, inquisitive, and inventive (IMO, calicos and tortiseshells, if I had to generalize!).

What should we take from this study? Hopefully by characterizing the “Feline Five” personalities, it can potentially improve the welfare of pet cats through “personalized management strategies.” What’s that mean? Maybe cats with low Agreeableness scores may show irritability from underlying disease or problems (like illness or pain). More importantly, find out what your cat’s general personality is and work with your veterinarian – or veterinary behaviorist if they have “personality disorders” or problems!