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Some pets may look like their owners — but over half of American pet parents think their animal companion acts like them too, according to new research.
In a recent survey, 80% of 2,000 respondents said they believe their pet has a “very distinct personality,” with 55% believing they share similar personality traits with their pet.
When asked to choose between “clever” and “oblivious” to define their pet’s personality, 64% of respondents chose the former versus 24% who said the latter.
Similarly, 62% of respondents used the term “smart” when describing their pet.
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The data also suggests that the majority of American pets are more friendly than shy (50% vs. 42%), more clingy than aloof (50% vs. 35%), more trusting than suspicious (57% vs. 31%) and more hyperactive than lazy (51% vs. 30%).
However, life as a pet isn’t always sunshine and treats. Almost a third (30%) of respondents admitted their pets are “anxious,” and another third (33%) would describe their pet as a “drama queen.”
Twenty percent think their pet is just plain weird, and another 48% said they’ve seen their pet engage in behavior that’s considered unusual for their size or species — like cats who play fetch or big dogs that sit in people’s laps.
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And 57% said their pet behaves very differently when it thinks it’s not being watched.
Three in four (76%) respondents even said they can always tell what their pet is thinking just from the look on its face, the results indicate.
Out of the 57% of respondents who own multiple pets, 80% said they always know which one is making a noise in another room, even when they aren’t looking.
source: people.com
