Why your grumpy cat could say something about your personality
The personalities of cat owners could be influencing the behaviour of their pets.
Researchers at Nottingham Trent and Lincoln Universities looked at more than 3,000 cat owners and asked questions about their personalities, as well as their cats' behaviour, health and lifestyle.
They found similar trends to parent/child bonds.
Human personality studies have shown that neurotic parents are linked to negative outcomes for a child, including poorer physical and mental health, as well as generally lower quality of life.
Now animal researchers have found that owners who scored higher on the neuroticism scale were more likely to say their cats had a ‘behavioural problem'.
That is, displaying more aggression and anxiety, and more stress-related sickness, as well as having a medical condition and being overweight.
By contrast, owners who were conscientious, had less anxious or aggressive pets.
Researchers say their work simply shows how influential our personalities can be on the wellbeing of our pets.