CNN story discussed how cat people are different than dog people. About 4,500 participants answered questions that measured their personality inclinations in five areas: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. These five dimensions have been shown in previous research to encompass most personality traits. They also indicated whether they considered themselves cat people, dog people, both or neither.

It turns out that the "dog people" -- based on how people identified themselves, not on what animals they actually own -- tend to be more social and outgoing, whereas "cat people" tend to be more neurotic but "open," which means creative, philosophical, or nontraditional in this context.

To love cats, you have to be able to love things for themselves; they have their own life, they aren't necessarily dependent on you. Your dog kind of lives for you.
--David Bessler, veterinarian var cnnRelatedTopicKeys = []; RELATED TOPICS

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• cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Psychology'); Psychology
• cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Cats'); Cats

Dog people scored significantly higher on extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness measures, and lower on neuroticism and openness than cat people, the survey found. The effect persisted regardless of gender of the respondent.
My comment: Cat people were raised with cats, and dog people were raised with dogs suggesting how you were raised dogs affect your adult life. This is very true, we all know, but in preferences as well. These can be relationship definers for friendship and marriage. People on the extreme side on any issue tend to have difficulty with the middle of the road or the other side, resulting in conflict and sometimes aggression. My point is sometimes, preferences such as cat or dog can make or break a relationship. It may sound like a little thing. A case example I know a woman who had a close friend until she showed her  controlling, clean freak side when asked if the dog could come over for  short visit. The relationship with her friend is now strained and this is one reason.