Caturday: How well do you know your cat? New study may help

We know a lot about what makes people and dogs tick, but fewer studies have been done on the personalities of cats. One published last week classifies kitties using five distinct traits.

When cat whisperer Jackson Galaxy meets one of his feline clients and attempts to analyze what’s earning him or her the “from Hell” moniker in his show’s title, he often determines the cat’s personality needs aren’t being met. Maybe they’re shy and need more places to hide. Maybe they’re adventurous and don’t have toys that challenge them. Whatever the issue, it all comes back to understanding what each cat’s vibe says about him or her. And now, thanks to a new study, even non-whisperers may be better equipped for making sense of their furry family members.

According to Psychology Today, the study, published last week in the PLOS journal, breaks down domestic cats’ personalities into five traits: dominance, impulsiveness, neuroticism, agreeableness, and extraversion. (Three of the five traits—agreeableness, neuroticism, and extraversion—are actually the same as the Big Five human personality trait assessment.) Studying a sample of 2,800 cats, researchers found typical house cats could be classified with some combination of each of the five qualities ranked on a spectrum.

In the past, studies like this have mostly focused on cats with problem behavior (a la the aforementioned cat whisperer’s subjects) but by studying “normal” cats in this case, members of the study’s team say they hope it’ll help cats and their humans as they run into more everyday issues. For instance, if a cat is bolder it might be more likely to explore its environment and could benefit from some more mentally-stimulating toys or activities.

The findings could also be helpful for shelters looking to find the right match for their kitties. More specific language and having an idea of what to look for to understand a cat’s behavior could be crucial if a potential adopter doesn’t know what would be right for him or her. And the more good adoption matches, the more there’s cage space for other cats at shelters that need it. And the less you’ll be in need of a cat whisperer.

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So what traits does your cat have? Tell us in the comments!