Cats Use Personality Traits to Get What They Want

Then there were the cats, Magritte and Cassatt, two tabbies who were pretty much alike when adopted as kittens – both outgoing and playful. But as they grew, Cassatt took on the collective personality traits of the three young children in the house and apparently decided that to get the attention she wanted, she must become like and compete with them. She became exceedingly affectionate with the mother. (Magritte found this behavior appalling.) Whenever a child crawled in bed with Mom, Cassatt insisted on squeezing between mother and child. This cat also learned to make her meows sound like "Mom" which was a bit disturbing.

What scientists say about pet personality traits

There are at least two scientists we know of who have researched owner and pet personalities. British Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire conducted an online survey of pet owners and found that both dog and cat owners shared such personality traits as happiness, intelligence, independence, and sense of humor with their pets.

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