Dog & Cat owners have different personalities

Dog owners and cat owners are as different as night and day, says an expert--who reveals the distinctive personality traits of each. People are like their pets, said Dr. Vinsey, Professor of Anthropology at Pace University in New York City, who made a six-year study of pets and their owners.

Dr. Vinsey characterizes dog owners this way:

• They tend to be more outgoing and sociable and they're more apt to be openly affectionate.
• Dog owners are more generous and helpful. They are more ambitious and assertive and more apt to take risks to reach their goals.
• Dog owners are more "outdoorsy" -- they love to tramp the hills, go camping and participate in active, energetic sports.

Cat owners are a different type says Dr. Vinsey:

• They tend to be well-read, articulate and cultured and more imaginative, creative and curious than dog owners.
• They're more apt to be loners. They enjoy privacy and tend to be aloof until they know someone well.
• Cat lovers are comfort lovers and tend to pamper themselves. They're more finicky and choosy, have exotic tastes and are nonconformists. They also tend to be more opinionated and independent.
• Cat owners are indoor people. Their greatest joy is to curl up in front of a fire with a good book or a TV miniseries to view.

But both cat and dog owners are far more flexible than people who don't own pets, said the doctor. They take a less rigid approach to life and adjust more easily to changes in plans or circumstances, she said.