IStock Photo 4716108 © hagit berkovich

People are complex and multi-faceted, made up of more gray tones than black and white, but you’d never know that by the shorthand we use to describe ourselves. Here are just a few terms that get thrown around regularly:

• Introvert or extrovert
• Right-brained or left
• Morning or night
• Coke or Pepsi
• PC or Mac.

Cat or dog.

Someone who has never owned either might wonder, “What’s the big difference?” But anyone who has ever tried to talk up the joys of sharing a pillow with a purring ball of fur to someone who prefers bedmates to be big, slobbery, and spread out, understands that there are two types of people in this world.

In the US the dog people have it—despite the fact that the number of dogs that are owned by people (around 77.5 million) are eclipsed by the number of cats owned by people (93.6 million). The odds a person considers him or herself to be a “dog person” are 1 in 2.22. The odds for being a cat person? Almost four times less at 1 in 8.33.

The many virtues of cats are not to be denied. They are far more independent than dogs, cleaner (they wash themselves and use a litter box!), quieter, don’t slobber, don’t demand walks at all hours, are less expensive to own, and—unlike too many dogs—exhibit no interest in wolfing down the poop of other species.

Not to mention they can be regal, athletic, and quite affectionate. And they often live longer.

All these qualities are lost on a true dog person like Bradley Trevor Greive, author of Why Dogs are Better than Cats. He praises the diversity of dogs (for every breed of cat, he claims, there are more than 30 kinds of dogs), their capacity for heroism, empathy, and plain-old companionship. Without the “unconditional acceptance, eager support, and joie de vivre,” offered by dogs, Greive believes, “a great emptiness would open up where love and hope used to be.”

But cat people feel just as strongly about their allegiance—which is why our country is filled with segregated households. There are even online dating sites just for cat lovers, designed to protect feline-lovers from the heartbreak of unwittingly falling head over heels for someone, only to have them confess a secret preference to spend Saturday mornings at the dog park.

Perhaps this sort of self-selection has its roots in something deeper than just pet preferences. A recent study by University of Texas psychologist Sam Gosling asked over 4,500 volunteers to rank their personality in five areas: extroversion, openness, neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. They were also asked to indicate whether they considered themselves to be cat people, dog people—or neither.

Self-identified cat people were both 12% more neurotic and 11% more open than dog people. Those descriptions might seem somewhat contradictory but the study interpreted them to mean cat people were more creative, quirky, and contemplative. Self-identified dog people scored higher on extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.

Maybe mixing cat people and dog people is asking for some fur to fly (although the real creatures often get along just fine). But don’t forget the famous magnetic maxim:

Opposites attract.

See related Pet Week content:

Pets in Love: Dating with Fido (and for Fido)

Interview with Bradley Trevor Greive