Cats are mysteriously wonderful creatures. A joy to have in the household, they can sometimes be difficult to decipher and understand. As furparents whose dream is to be able to communicate with our furry friends, wouldn’t it be great if we could classify their personality types and understand them a bit easier?
Thankfully for us, research has shown that apparently, there are five feline purr-sonality types dubbed the “Feline Five”. Which one of them does your cat belong to?
1. Neurotic
The neurotic personality type cat is a skittish cat — always suspicious of new people coming into the home. You’ll find them hiding underneath furniture or in closets whenever an unknown creature or object approaches.
Even though this type of cat will eventually trust you, they are a little bit shy, suspicious, anxious, and insecure by nature. You will never see a neurotic cat fight for their territory or claim space from another pet. They rather avoid confrontations!
As they’re more prone to having anxiety, it’s extra important that you give them plenty of opportunities to hide. Provide them with safe hideouts all around the house, which can be in the form of cat tunnels, cat trees, or simple cardboard boxes.
2. Extraverted
Known as the ‘party animal’ of the cat personalities, this cat is extremely outgoing. You will find them wandering around the neighbourhood, making friends with everybody.
They’re also playful and curious — always on the prowl for toys to play with, nooks to explore, and preys to hunt. Because they require plenty of mental stimulation and environmental enrichment, these cats usually don’t like being cooped up in the house for long periods of time and may get restless and bored in small apartments.
If their energy is not properly spent, it may build up and manifest as destructive behaviours. As the guardian of a feline with such a personality, it’s important to keep it entertained with plenty of toys and playtime!
3. Dominant
This is the King and Queen of the castle. Always hogging toys, food, and other resources the minute you bring it back from the pet supply store. Basically, their word is law.
When they’re in an environment full of other kitties, they may mark their territory with their urine. They’ll even start rubbing their faces on items they wish to “assert” ownership on, even if it means snatching it away from another pet. This feline type will even demonstrate their dominance during mealtime by pushing away another feline’s food dish or try to eat their portion.
To handle a dominant cat, just make sure each cat has its own food and water bowls placed far apart from one another, and have multiple litter trays!
4. Impulsive
With a mixture of heightened energy levels and anxiousness, impulsive-type cats can be characterised by their erratic behaviour. Not to be confused with the “human” kind of impulsiveness, “impulsive” here means a cat who reacts differently to the same situation at different times, which is often because of something stressful in its surroundings.
Never yell at an impulsive cat, and instead, help it be more at ease by removing whatever’s disturbing it in the environment and put together a fixed routine for playtime and mealtimes. This helps the cat to be prepared for what’s coming and in turn, react more calmly and appropriately!
5. Agreeable
Never thought you’d ever see a yes-man in a fluffball version, huh?
These cats are extremely friendly and adaptable — they can be surrounded by other cats and still won’t show dominance or frustration, and will always approach anyone who wants to pet them. Ideal for a multi-cat household, cats of this personality are usually a result of proper socialisation as a kitten!
Of course, this personality guide is — like its name suggests — a guide. No cat is better than another, and whether your cat showcases strong signs of just one of the abovementioned personalities or resembles a mixture of a few of them, it is wonderfully unique. Knowing what personality type they are will only help you tend to their individual needs much easier!
