What The Pet You Own Really Says About You

We all know the big, stereotypical differences between cat and dog lovers. Cat lovers have a reputation for being quieter and more introverted, whereas dog owners are typically thought of as more extroverted and social.

And these things, it turns out, are mostly true. According to research compiled by Scientific American, dog owners are more likely to live with family members, not have a college degree and be extroverted and agreeable, while cat owners are more likely to live in apartments, be college educated, and be more neurotic and less socially dominant.

But what about other animals? Scientific American also broke down some of the quirks of other pet owners and they're very interesting.

Rabbit owners are the most introverted and neurotic of all.

Bird owners are most likely to be unemployed, but they have lots of great qualities too, like being socially outgoing, expressive, and considering themselves to be very polite humans.

It's probably not too surprising that horse owners are most likely to own houses and live in rural areas, but they're also more likely to have an advanced degree than other pet owners, and they tend to be aggressive and introspective.

Snake owners are unconventional types (shocker, right?) who consider themselves super laid back and unpredictable. If you own a turtle, you're probably like the tortoise from the old fable — you think of yourself as rational, goal oriented, super hard working, and reliable.

Fish owners see themselves as calm and emotionally stable. Hamster owners are dedicated to education — they're the most likely of any pet owners to have an advanced degree. Guinea pig owners don't think of themselves as extroverts, and people who own exotic pets usually own lots of pets.

So next time you start to stereotype cat and dog owners, stop for a second and make sure you're stereotyping all other pet owners too. Or, you know, you could also just not stereotype anyone and label all pet owners equally: As awesome humans giving part of their time and attention to helping animals. Either way.