It’s not uncommon for individuals to categorize others and themselves based on certain classifications and then place labels on them. There’s one label that, in some people’s views, is quite important: cat person or dog person.
Paige Ryder Celuch, a former Dallas resident who recently moved to Ohio, has a dog named Ducky (a recently retired model/actor for Chewy) and said she 100 percent prefers dogs over cats.
“I feel like dogs have more personality, and you are able to be more active with them,” she said. “Cats do not require walking or being outside most of the time, which is a huge deal-breaker because I love spending time outside with my dog.”
But some people, like Dallas resident Darlene Estrada, have unexpectedly developed an affinity for both animals.
“I started off as a cat person, but then I became a step-mom to our dog—or, as I like to say, the mom who stepped up,” she said. “Cats are just so low-maintenance; they practically run their own lives. But dogs? They really need you. Daisy, our dog, gets us out of the house every day, so she’s doubling as our personal trainer and mood booster.”
Estrada said it’s more about how much time and energy a person is willing to invest rather than being specifically a cat person or dog person.
“Each pet has its own personality and needs—and they both give back in their own unique ways,” she said. “Now, if you’re asking whether I prefer one of my own pets over the other, the answer is yes. You know how Abby Lee Miller has a pyramid of top students on Dance Moms? Well, I’m Abby Lee Miller, and the pets’ rankings are always changing, depending on how well-behaved they’ve been. Mostly, they’re competing for who’s been the least badly behaved.”
Dallas resident Carolyn Fan said she has no preference when it comes to dogs and cats. In fact, she thinks people shouldn’t favor one over the other.
“Both animals can get a bad reputation just by over-generalizations,” she said. “I love both dogs and cats. They each have their own personalities. People love their pets to the point of considering them as children, and I agree. I think it matters what stage of life and what you need from an animal. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”
Fan is an emergency room physician in her residency and has a rather unpredictable schedule, so she said she currently doesn’t have the time and consistency to take care of a dog.
“I love dogs, but at this point in my life, a cat just makes more sense,” she said. “She’s easy to care for and doesn’t need any routine. She’s independent enough to survive on her own for 20+ hours but just emotionally needy and cuddly enough to want to sit next to me while I eat or sit in my lap anytime I’m lying down.”
Does being more inclined toward dogs or cats say anything about a person’s personality? Past studies have offered analyses suggesting that dog owners are typically more outgoing and enthusiastic (like dogs), while cat owners are often more introverted and neurotic (similar to cats). Ryder Celuch has noticed similar tendencies in people with these pets.
“I find dog owners tend to be more extroverted and enjoy the company of others, whereas cat owners tend to be homebodies and enjoy quiet time more,” she said.
Estrada said she also thinks whether or not people like cats or dogs (or both) can reveal more about them.
“Cats are a really good lesson in consent,” she said. “When someone says they don’t like cats, it’s often because they’re not used to a pet that can set their own boundaries. Cats offer affection on their own terms and, when needed, give a sharp reminder that personal space is a right. Dog people might call them moody, but cat lovers know they’re just fiercely independent. Whether you’re drawn to a dog’s boundless energy or a cat’s quiet mystery, it really reflects what you value—and some of us are lucky enough to appreciate both.”
Fan, however, doesn’t think that what type of pet a person has is indicative of certain character traits that individual might have.
“It’s an absolutist cognitive way of thinking to consider yourself a dog or a cat person,” she said. “I think a lot of people are both. It’s OK to have preferences. I like both supposed dog and cat people. I can see how people ‘resemble’ or imprint their personalities onto their pets, but I’ve met people who have dogs and are complete homebodies, and I’ve met cat owners who are very extroverted. I don’t really think the stereotype is true.”
Of course, there are also people who don’t like either dogs or cats or perhaps don’t like animals at all. And there are those who like all animals and already to or would love to have other pets that are not dogs or cats. Ryder Celuch, however, is not one of those people.
“I would not consider getting any other animal, but I would love more dogs,” she said.
In contrast, Fan said she would have a farm with fainting goats, chickens, alpacas, and bees.
“Goats are super entertaining and interactive,” she said. “Plus, you don’t have to mow your lawn. Chickens provide a great source of nutrition and are easy to care for. And I probably just got strangely obsessed with alpacas after going to Peru. The bees are just to help the bee population and pollination of plants and crops for human need. But for now, I’m just a big cat and dog person—without a dog right now, though.”
And while Estrada said she and her husband, Erasmo, are currently at max pet capacity with the four they already have and likely will not be adding any others anytime soon, there is one animal she finds rather fascinating.
“I have known a couple of families who kept giant tortoises, and I think that would be pretty sweet,” she said. “They live to be more than 100 years old, so it’s like a multigenerational family pet. Plus, you can give them lettuce and watch them get the tortoise zoomies.”
WEEKLY PHOTO OP
.jpg)
Lemmon Estrada went Mike Tyson on Ghost