There is no doubt that dogs are the more popular choice for American pet owners. According to a survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association in 2019, 63.4 million households own dogs compared to 42.7 million households owning cats. This leads us to the question, what do dogs have that cats don't?

Micanopy Animal Hospital's Veterinarian Technician, Emily Collins, said that it's possible part of the answer has to do with people's perceptions of cat behavior. Although cats are known to be self-sufficient, Collins suggests that they still need to be trained. Dedicating the time and frequently allowing social interaction helps to develop a cat's personality.

"They reflect your behavior just like any other animal does," Collins said.

Collins believes that although cats are independent, cat owners should provide the support to develop more socially inclined behaviors. She said that much of the time, pet personality can be a combination of their past experiences. Similarly, people can form opinions based on past animal interactions, more specifically, with cats.

36-year-old Gainesville resident, Brooke Robinson, feared cats after contracting the cat-scratch disease from a kitten at her friend's house when she was 11 years old. This bacterial infection made Robinson very sick. Although she recovered, she was told that getting it again could have life-threatening consequences. Without being able to identify infected cats, her parents told her she wasn't allowed to pet cats anymore. This marked the beginning of Robinson's apprehension toward the species.

Despite spending the following years being wary around cats, Robinson has opened her home to a now 6-year-old cat named Celeste. Previously an outdoor cat owned by Robinson's neighbors, Celeste made it apparent that she would rather live with Robinson.

"I did not choose my cat," Robinson said. "My cat chose me."

Although Robinson doesn't consider herself a cat person, she welcomed Celeste's decision to stick around.

Experiences play a vital role in forming how we interact with the world around us and help shape the foundation of who we are. Our differing personalities guide our preferences, and Dr. Beatrice Alba believes that this can help us understand the disparity between cat and dog people. With her Ph.D. in psychology, and as a researcher in a 2015 study, the answer to this question may lie within the realm of personality preference.

Alba and co-researcher Nick Haslam found that the people who classified themselves as having a preference for dogs scored higher on social dominance orientation and competitiveness. They focus on the theory that dogs are more appealing to people who have higher tendencies with dominance-related personalities. The results suggest that dogs provide a more submissive role for humans and fill that almost subconscious desire for some people.

"I think that they fulfill a psychological need for people," Alba said.

The underlying reasons for a person's pet preferences are different for everyone, and understanding cats proves complex for many. It doesn't come as a surprise that the answer may not be as straightforward as it seems.