The idea that animals have personality is something that, although common sense seems to indicate that it is obvious, turns out to be something that has been very poorly investigated.
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 human beings.
One of the most in-depth investigations in this regard has made it possible to establish, still provisionally, what are the personality traits of cats Next we are going to see a little about animal research and the feline personality model.
Both in popular culture and in the academic world, personality or temperament is understood as a series of behavioral patterns that differ from individual to individual, which may be totally normal and adaptive or, otherwise, assume what has been assumed. 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 with respect to to the human being. It is because of that most research has focused on non-human primates mainly chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, in addition to dogs, given their usefulness in multiple professions such as the police.
However, cats, although they are not one of the most common animals in the professional field, are among the most popular among pets, something that is a double-edged sword for the species. On the one hand, every year millions of felines 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 who are readopted, abandoned or, in the worst case, of the cases, sacrificed.
It is because of that try to elucidate what their behavior patterns are, what personality traits each of them has and how these can be beneficial or harmful to people has become a task of vital importance for both the well-being of cats and those who adopt them. Knowing what personality the animal has can make it easier to find the right home, use it as a therapeutic animal (cat therapy), find out if it has veterinary problems, and find strategies to change its temperament.
As you can understand, finding out what the behavior of a human being is is much easier than finding out what that of an animal is, be it a cat, dog, monkey or horse. With adult human beings, it is enough to administer a personality questionnaire, such as the NEO-PIR, have them answer it and analyze the answers later. In the case of an animal, it is necessary to observe its behavior patterns, record them and draw conclusions based on how he relates to others, how active he is, whether or not he seeks company…
In the first research on feline personality, the method of classical observation was usually 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 researcher’s interpretations will come after having obtained the complete record of the animal.
However, as time went by, it was found to be better, especially for domestic cats, ask their owners directly, using standardized questionnaires, what personality traits they attributed to their pets. Although this route is more subjective, it is much more practical, consumes less time and, given that the owner has spent a lot of time living with the animal, his opinion is relatively reliable.
The feline five-factor model
To date, the largest research that has addressed the personality of cats is that of the Lichfield group in 2017, in which Nearly 2,000 cats residing in South Australia and New Zealand were sampled In the research, a questionnaire was administered to the feline owners in which they had to indicate what traits they attributed to their pets.
This study is extremely innovative, given that it was not limited to seeing where on a continuum or dimension, subjectively chosen, the personality of a specific cat could be located, but also sought to establish a personality model similar to that of the Five Factors. or McCrae and Costa’s Big Five, only feline. In the classic model, the following dimensions are what make it up.
The theoretical framework of the model suggests that the personality of the individual is determined by the position in which they are found in each of these dimensions, which each constitute 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 these being neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsivity and cordiality.
1. Neuroticism
This dimension could be understood as that of classic neuroticism of McCrae and Costa’s model.
Cats that score high on this dimension tend to be insecure, anxious, fearful of people, and usually shy This is why a home with a highly neurotic cat should make sure it has places where it can easily hide and feel safe, especially if there are visitors.
On the other hand, cats are less neurotic and should therefore be monitored more frequently, since they will be animals that will not be afraid to get too close to certain stimuli, potentially running the risk of having an accident.
2. Extraversion
The dimension of feline extraversion is a combination between its human counterpart and the dimension of openness to experience.
Within this dimension you can find traits such as being active, curious, being vigilant, inquisitive, determined and inventive.
Extraverted cats are smarter, more curious and take initiative. That is why it is convenient for them to grow up in environments where there are many stimuli and cognitive complexity. Otherwise it will be easier for them to get bored and look for their own distractions such as scratching doors, destroying furniture.
Cats who are not very extraverted are also less smart and seek less novelty. Because of this, they tend to be more sedentary and not attracted to cognitive stimuli, which can aggravate health problems related to aging.
This, in turn, will lead to physical problems and cognitive dysfunction, which will increase visits to the vet.
Dominance is one of the dimensions with which it differs from the classic big five model.
In this case, Included within this dimension are aspects such as harassing other animals, showing aggressive behavior, marking the territory prevent anyone from approaching your safe zone or self-proclaimed as yours.
High scores in this dimension could reflect that the cat tends to harm other cats in the home, which would be a source of stress, conflict, aggression and damage, in addition to poorer overall health.
4. Impulsivity
Although it is not exactly the dimension of responsibility of the classic model, it could be considered something similar, only at the opposite pole.
Within the dimension of impulsivity we would have traits such as carry out erratic behavior, take risks without much thought not knowing how to wait…
High scores on impusivity may indicate living in a stressful environment, with negative effects on the cat’s health and well-being.
In these cases, owners may need to seek advice from a feline trainer or cat expert to find out what is the source of stress.
Low scores in impulsivity usually indicate that the cat is correctly adapted to the home in which it lives, and in which it feels satisfied and enjoys its routine.
5. Courteousness
Cordiality is another dimension that has the same name as in McCrae and Costa’s model. In her traits such as being affectionate, friendly with people and other animals are included
High scores in friendliness tend to represent that cats are happy in the home, that they are well adjusted, and in turn these happy cats can be a source of behavioral enrichment for other cats.
These types of cats can be very useful for therapeutic purposes, such as feline therapy for both humans and other animals,
Low scores in this dimension can translate into cats being irritable and aggressive towards people, they may reflect poor socialization, being frustrated or suffering from some type of illness or pain.
