Pets Have Personalities Too

If you have more than one pet more than likely you’ve noticed the differences in their behavior. Pets have personalities too and they can often be quite similar to their human caregivers. Some pets are very outgoing and playful while others are more quiet and reserved. Just as some humans are not exactly people persons, pets may react in the same manner.

While some pets may love the attention of humans, others prefer to be left alone. Some pets, particularly cats, may not appreciate a human’s constant attempts at affection. Some of them simply are not people pets. I have a cat that just does not care for other people. He is very loveable toward me, sleeps with me every night and sometimes even determines my writing schedule for me by knocking my pencil out of my hand or walking on my keyboard. When he wants attention, he’ll let me know. He doesn’t take kindly to unsolicited affection though.

One unsuspecting relative always tries to play with this cat but for some reason, he doesn’t seem to like her. Most pet owners have had a dog or cat that would flee from the room when certain people come to visit. A pet may also react quite the opposite by being outwardly friendly to someone he’s never met before. I had a friend tell me that her dog didn’t get along with anyone and she thought it was unusual when he promptly sat on my feet and placed his head in my lap the first time I came to visit.

Although some people may argue the opposite, animals do have personalities and they are not that different from humans. When I was young, I remember my mother telling me that animals can sense what’s in a person’s heart – that they could sense a person’s motives – whether they were pure or not. I believed that and I still do.

Pets have good days and bad days too. They can be in a good mood or a bad one just like us. They have times when they just want to be left alone and other times when they feel energetic and playful. Just because they don’t speak the same language we do, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be subject to many of the same feelings we are.

You may have heard it said that after awhile people begin to resemble their pets. Whether that is true or not, it does seem that people tend to choose pets that have a similar personality type as their own. How often have you noticed the stay-at-home couch potato personality with a big old cat or dog that does nothing but eat and sleep? Another example might be the girl next door who jogs every morning to keep fit; her companion is likely to be a slim, sleek, energetic canine that runs alongside her. A very talkative individual may have a dog that’s always barking or a person that is bitter and negative may have a cat that hisses quite often.

It may seem odd or even unbelievable but the next chance you get to observe people and their pets, do so and you may be surprised by your findings. If you have a pet of your own, make a note of your own personality traits and those of your pet. See what similarities you can pick out. You may not realize how much you and your pet really have in common. After all, pets have personalities too.