The idea that animals have personality is something that, although common sense seems to us to be obvious, turns out to be something that has been very little researched.

Fortunately, in recent years there have been those who have wanted to know what the personality dimensions of some animal species are, especially those that offer benefits or companionship to humans.

One of the most in-depth investigations on this subject has made it possible to establish, still provisionally, what the personality traits of cats are . Next we will see a little bit about the research with animals and the model of feline personality.

The personality traits of cats

In both popular culture and academia, personality or temperament is understood as a series of behavior patterns that differ from individual to individual, which may be completely normal and adaptive or otherwise assume what has been called personality disorders.

This same concept has been extrapolated to the animal world, trying to investigate on multiple occasions what the personality traits of various species are, but always from a focus on how close, both in space and in phylogenetics, the species is to the human being. That is why most of the research has focused on non-human primates , fundamentally chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, as well as dogs, given their usefulness in multiple professions such as the police.

However, cats, although not one of the most recurrent animals in the professional world, are among the most popular among pets, which is a double-edged sword for the species. On the one hand, every year millions of cats are adopted around the world and, when the homes that have adopted them see that it is not possible to establish a good coexistence, there are also millions of cats that are readopted, abandoned or, in the worst case, sacrificed.

That’s why trying to figure out what their behaviour patterns are, what personality traits each of them has and how these can be beneficial or detrimental to people has become a vital task for both the cats’ and their adopters’ welfare. Knowing what personality the animal has can make it easier to find the right home for it, use it as a therapy animal (cat therapy), find out if it has veterinary problems and look for strategies to change its temperament.

How can you measure a cat’s personality?

As you can understand, figuring out what a human being’s behavior is is much easier than figuring out what an animal’s behavior is, be it cat, dog, monkey or horse. With adult human beings it is enough to administer a personality questionnaire, such as the NEO-PIR, to answer it and analyze the answers later. In the case of an animal it is necessary to observe its behaviour patterns, record them and establish conclusions based on how it relates to others, how active it is, whether or not it seeks company

In the first research on the feline personality, the method of classical observation was used, a very recurrent method in ethology and which is ideal for studying primate species. This tool is characterized by being very objective, since what is seen is recorded, the interpretations of the researcher will come after having obtained the complete record of the animal.

However, as time went by, it became clear that it was better, especially for domestic cats, to ask their owners directly, through standardized questionnaires , what personality traits they attributed to their pets. Although this way is more subjective, it is much more practical, less time consuming and, since the owner has spent a lot of time living with the animal, his opinion is relatively reliable.

The five-factor cat model

To date, the largest research addressing the personality of cats is the 2017 Lichfield group, where nearly 2000 cats resident in South Australia and New Zealand were sampled . In the research, cat owners were given a questionnaire in which they had to indicate which traits they attributed to their pets.

This study is extremely innovative, since it did not limit itself to see in which place of a continuum or dimension, subjectively chosen, the personality of a cat in concrete could be located, but it tried to establish a model of personality similar to the Five Factors or Big Five of McCrae and Costa, only that feline. In the classic model they are the following dimensions which conform it.

  • Neuroticism
  • Extraversion
  • Openness to experience
  • Responsibility
  • Cordiality

The theoretical framework of the model suggests that the personality of the individual is determined by the position in which he is in each of these dimensions, which constitute each one of them a continuum with two opposite poles.

The research carried out by Lichfield et al. (2017) concluded that there are also 5 personality dimensions that can be found in domestic cats , being these neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsiveness and friendliness.

1. Neuroticism

This dimension could be understood as that of the classic neuroticism of the McCrae and Costa model.

Cats that score high in this dimension are usually insecure, anxious, afraid of people and usually shy . That is why a household with a highly neurotic cat should make sure that it has places where it can easily hide and feel safe, especially if there are visitors.

Less neurotic cats, on the other hand, should be monitored more frequently, as they will be animals that are not afraid to get too close to certain stimuli and may be at risk of having an accident.

2. Extraversion

The dimension of feline extraversion is a combination of its human counterpart and the dimension of openness to experience.

Within this dimension one can find features such as being active, curious, vigilant, inquisitive, determined and inventive.

Extraverted cats are smarter, more curious and have more initiative. That’s why they should grow up in stimulating and cognitively complex environments. Otherwise it will be easier for them to get bored and look for their own distractions , such as scratching doors, smashing furniture.

Slightly extroverted cats are also less clever and look for less novelty. Because of this, they tend to be more sedentary and not attracted to cognitive stimuli, which can aggravate age-related health problems.

This, in turn, will lead to physical problems and cognitive dysfunction, which will increase visits to the vet.

3. Dominance

Dominance is one of the dimensions with which it differs from the classic model of the big five.

In this case, this dimension includes aspects such as harassing other animals, showing aggressive behaviour, marking territory , preventing someone from approaching their safety zone or self-proclaiming as their own.

High scores on this dimension may reflect that the cat tends to harm other cats within the household, which would be a source of stress, conflict, aggression and harm, as well as poorer health in general.

4. Impulsivity

Although this is not exactly the responsibility dimension of the classic model, it could be considered as something similar, only at the opposite pole.

Within the dimension of impulsivity we would have features such as carrying out erratic behaviour, taking risks without thinking about it much , not knowing how to wait…

High scores on impulsivity may indicate living in a stressful environment, with negative effects on the cat’s health and well-being.

In such cases, owners may need to seek advice from a cat trainer or cat expert to identify the source of their stress.

Low scores on impulsivity often indicate that the cat is well adapted to the home it has been given, and in which it feels satisfied and enjoys its routine.

5. Cordiality

Cordiality is another dimension that is called the same as in the McCrae and Costa model. In it are included features such as being affective, friendly to people and other animals .

High scores on friendliness tend to represent that cats are happy at home, that they are well adjusted, and in turn these happy cats can be a source of behavioural enrichment for other cats.

These cats can be very useful for therapeutic purposes, such as in feline therapy for both humans and other animals,

Low scores in this dimension may mean that cats are irritable and aggressive towards people, may reflect poor socialisation, be frustrated or suffer from disease or pain.

Bibliographic references:

  • Costa PT, McCrae RR (1992). Four ways five factors are basic. Pers Individ Diff. 13: 653-665.
  • Source: Litchfield CA, Quinton G, Tindle H, Chiera B, Kikillus KH, Roetman P (2017) The ‘Feline Five’: An exploration of personality in pet cats (Felis catus). PLoS ONE 12(8): e0183455.