If you are a proud cat parent of more than one cat, you know that their personalities differ. Some cats bare a bit more laid back while other cats are quite playful. Some cats can sense how you are feeling and try to cheer you up when you’re down. Some cats just want to snuggle.
Each cat is an individual with his own personality. The ASPCA (American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), defines five different types of personalities found in cats.
Others have looked at the question of feline personality traits and have attempted to use personality classifications like the Myers-Briggs Personality Types for cats.
Myers-Briggs for Cats
- Is your cat an introvert or extrovert?
- Is she a Thinker or a feeler?
- Is he intuitive or sensing?
- Is he Judging or perceiving?
Is this a realistic way to determine your cat’s personality? Perhaps but it might be trying too hard to fit a feline into a human mode.
Cat Personality by Breeds
Studies have been done on the personalities of different breeds of cats. Here are just a few examples.
- American Bobtail – Loving and intelligent
- American Shorthair – quiet and even tempered
- Maine Coon Cat – Gentle, easy going yet active
- Siamese – Vocal, affectionate, active; can be insistent
- Ragdoll – Docile, placid and affectionate
5 Cat Personality Types
This study done by the ASPCA is the most interesting of all the ways cat’s personalities are measured and labeled. These are the 5 personality types this study came away with. Do you recognize your cat?
- Personal Assistant – She will help you out no matter what you are into or doing and no matter how trivial or important it is. Are you reading the paper or a magazine? The feline personal assistant will hold it for you, or lay on to ease the stress on your eyes. The same is true when you are working on your laptop. Your purry personal assistant is bound to push the keys for you or lay across the keypad to save you some energy. She will be happy to lie on your laundry so you won’t have to do it and he will be happy to distract you when you are watching a movie.
- Love Bug – This is the cat that everyone wants. Be careful what you wish for! This little lover will want to dominate your attention. Your love bug will want seemingly endless pettings and snuggles. She will purr to your heart’s content if you just give her undivided attention. She’ll live in your lap if you will only let her. The love bug is affectionate and gentle.
- Party Animal – How about a feline party animal with “the crazies” in the middle of the night? It is always playtime with this wound up cat. Anything and everything is a toy to the party animal, including you. He will have you laughing all night…just remember you will be up all night doing all that partying and laughing.
- Sidekick – What is a feline Sidekick? Pretty much the same as a human sidekick or the more often recognized canine sidekick. Well a cat can be a sidekick too! This cat isn’t afraid of anything. When you want company he is there. When you want time without him, he’s cool with that too. This is one cool cat. If you are a traveler this is the best cat for you.
- Private Investigator – The final personality type defined by the ASPCS is the feline Private Investigator. This fellow is always watching you and taking in information. He is almost invisible until he jumps out at you from his hiding place. When you want some time with your feline Private Investigator to introduce him to friends or take him to the vet and he is nowhere to be found.
Which one of these personality tests is best for your cat?
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