Are you a dog person or a cat person?

I used to be a gung ho dog-lover – until I started rescuing kittens in our village.

Now, my home is a refuge for cats. I have adopted over 10 cats; all of them have been “fixed.” I have also partitioned a portion of our home for their use.  We have one cat that stays in our home and has given birth twice there.  We have made room in our small cattery for her kittens, too.

My doggie companions, especially my Bichon Vodka, have gotten used to the presence of cats in our home.

I have read often enough, and from meeting all sorts of pet lovers, too, that there are some people who prefer dogs over cats and vice versa. I also know that there is quite a few that like both.

According to some new research from a University of Texas at Austin psychologist, there is really a difference between cat people and dog people. According to this research study, people who define themselves as “dog” people are more extroverted, more agreeable, and more conscientious as those defined as “cat” people.  Fans of our feline friends are more neurotic but also more open than dog lovers.

Here are findings of the study:

Forty-six percent of the respondents defined themselves as “dog” people, while 12 percent said that they were “cat” people. Almost 28 percent said that they were both and 15 percent said that they were neither.

Dog people were generally about 15 percent more extroverted, 13 percent more agreeable and 11 percent more conscientious than cat people.

Cat people were generally about 12 percent more neurotic and 11 percent more open than dog people.

The person who conducted this survey is a professor in the psychology department and is a leading authority on human personality.  

And then there is a photo book Different Strokes by photographer Gandee Vasan. The photos in the book are so captivating that I had to re-read the book about five times — just to make sure that I got every expression of the cats and dogs in the photos memorized to a Tee.

The words in the book – there are not a lot – are by Patricia Regan. But Regan does capture exactly what I feel as a dog-cat person.  “Though no one forces us to choose, many of us do. Cat person or dog person? And what does that say about you?” Regan writes. “Dogs are faithful, protective and cheerful. Cats counter with confidence. Grace and aplomb.”

I have noticed that living with cats and dogs can be really interesting. My doggies jump when I call their names and are tail-wagging and cheek licking as soon as I enter the door. My cats can be cold one day, showing their teeth if they are in no mood to be stroked. Yet on other days they can be the first to approach me rub their bodies against mine.

So different, yet cat or dog, each with its own way of showing its love for humans.

“Dogs charm us. Cats enchant us,” writes Regan. “Dogs attentively await our command. Cats are quietly amused by our requests.”

Yet, whether one is a dog or cat person doesn’t really matter to me. What is important is that one loves animals.

“Still for as many ways as they are different, cats and dogs share one most remarkable trait,” Regan adds. “They ask only for a small share of our attention, but end up claiming the whole of our hearts.

“You are truly a whole person when you have loved either . . . both . . . or all.”

For the many people who have told me that they don’t like pets — try to get one and you will understand just what love truly is.

 Why not adopt?

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has at least 60 dogs and 230 cats up for adoption. They were all rescued from cruelty or neglect and are waiting for  loving homes.

When you enter the PAWS office, shelter administration officer Charlene Laxamana will ask if you have filled up an adoption application form online, or if you would like to fill one up at the office. Two adoption counselors from PAWS — most likely, an officer of the organization and a senior volunteer — will interview the potential adopter.

After the interview, you will be given a tour of the dog runs or the cattery, and you will be introduced to the dogs (or cats) available for adoption.

You can spend some time with the dog of your choice at the PAWS Doggie Park where the “getting-to-know” you sessions can stretch on from minutes to half an hour.  An ocular inspection of the adoption applicant’s house will also be scheduled.

PAWS requires that a dog be visited at PARC for at least three times before an adoption is approved. This ensures that the dog and the would-be adopter have really gotten to know each other better. Adoption counselors also check if the dog is adjusting well to other family members, including four-legged members!  Most adoptive applicants bring over their current family pet to “meet” the potential doggie sibling.

The day of a dog’s adoption is the most awaited day in a shelter dog’s life. PAWS volunteers and staff members get their cameras ready on the scheduled date of pick up as there would be many happy and tearful moments to capture on this day.

The senior volunteer assigned to the shelter dog most often would like to be there to “send off” his furry ward to the new family. For long-staying shelter dogs, PAWS volunteers bring food and drinks to celebrate the happy occasion of the dog’s adoption.

Adoption is the “happily-ever-after” of a shelter dog. It is an amazing thing to witness and to be a part of.

If you wish to add a pet to your family, call 475-1688 or visit the shelter on Aurora Boulevard, Katipunan Valley, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.