4 interesting psychological differences between dog and cat people

Seth Lawley
Blog8 - 4 interesting psychological differences between dog and cat people

Let us talk psychology! We actually briefly mentioned in an earlier post about interesting psychological traits of cat people and dog people. In this post, we want to expand on that. This is an area where a lot of research is being done to gain a subtle understanding of why people like certain things.

If you recall any psychology course you may have taken, say back in your university or high school days, you will recall that complex psychological assessments of personalities ultimately boil down to simple traits exhibited by people. In this context, the simple trait is simply why people prefer dogs over cats, or vice versa.

Mental stability

Mental instability or Neuroticism is a complex problem that affects many people here in the United States. It can be triggered by many factors, and can express itself in many ways as well. Studies show that cat people are 12 percent more neurotic than dog people, probably because the high-maintenance nature of cats would actually have turned their owners into hilariously more neurotic people! J

catt - 4 interesting psychological differences between dog and cat people

Loneliness

We often hear of old ladies staying by themselves with a couple of cats in the house. Turns out that this trend of loneliness is not just restricted to old people. Cat people tend to live by themselves relatively compared to dog people. Perhaps it has something to do with the more domestic nature of a cat, whereas dogs often need to go out and stay active.

Timid in nature

This is linked slightly to the earlier point on loneliness. Cat owners tend to be more shy and docile compared to dog people. They often won’t fight for their point or opinion in social conversations, and are not aggressive or dominant. Naturally, the opposite applies to dog owners. While you cannot state with certainty that aggressiveness is a positive trait, it is more preferred to timidness.

Intelligence

So far, it may seem that cat owners have an inherent psychological disadvantage as compared to dog people. However, that is entirely untrue. Cat people tend to be intellectually more developed and exhibit a nature of intellectual curiosity. They have been shown to have a higher IQ and quotients linked to the left side of the brain.

All these points have been proved by various studies that have been conducted to find out why people have differences in preferences. At Pets in America, we find these extremely interesting.

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4 fun, interesting facts about cats that you didn’t know!

Seth Lawley
Blog7 - 4 fun, interesting facts about cats that you didn’t know!

Most of us are either cat people or dog people. There is an interesting psychological test that you can conduct depending on whether one is a cat person or a dog person. Cat people prefer warmth and affection, while dog people prefer activity and outdoors.

And that is simply one dimension of the psychology test that you can apply. There are many more, but let us not digress. In this post, we want to focus purely on cats. Ah.. those furry, cuddly creatures that can sometimes slightly annoy you by scratching you pointlessly, and yet are universally loved! Cats in general are members of the Feline family, which feature other beauties such as the Cheetah, Leopard and the king of them all, the lion.

cat - 4 fun, interesting facts about cats that you didn’t know!

Cats have a lot of interesting facts about them, that even the most ardent cat lovers may not completely know. If you had a penny for every time you stared at your cat and wondered what the hell it is thinking, you would be a wealthy person by now. Let us talk about some of these facts.

That jump!

If there is anything that is amazing about cats, it is the fact that they can easily break the record for high jump. If you think Spiderman is cool because he can cling to walls, just look at a cat jumping and effortlessly clinging to any surface it come to contact with. Cats can apparently jump up to a mind-blowing five times its height!

Sleep addicts

You know that your cat loves to sleep. In fact, it pretty much does nothing except sleep, poop and eat. It is one of the most adorable characteristics of the furry feline. The interesting fact is when you look into the numbers. Cats spend up to 70% of the time dozing. One thing is for sure… you cannot put them in an office and expect them to get anything done

No sweet tooth

Imagine a life where you cannot taste the pure, unadulterated sweetness of a piece of candy, a doughnut or even a delicious chocolate cake. What a hellish world that would be! Well, cats know a thing or two about that. They cannot taste sweetness within food.

Sweating down??

One of the most adorable things about a cat is their foot pads. Those tiny, cute and cuddly little feet can often make the toughest man swoon. Well, the next time you touch those feet, just keep in mind this fact. Cats can sweat only through their foot pads!

Oh, we can say so much more about cats, but we don’t want to bore you with a very long post. You can read up much more if you visit resources on the internet. Check out some of these resources at our ‘Resources’ section.

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3 of the leading animal adoption centers in Washington State

Seth Lawley
Blog6 - 3 of the leading animal adoption centers in Washington State

We think that the future of pets is going to be linked to adoption. Our world is becoming increasingly self-centered, and people barely have time for anything or anyone except themselves. Wearables and social media is consuming most of our time, and interpersonal interactions are reducing.

In such a world, people buying pets and taking care of them is hard to imagine. If anything, those pet businesses are expected to go extinct. However, the basic empathetic nature of human beings won’t change. Unlike macro events, basic psychological nature takes longer to change. The cliché we often hear about the so-called “goodness of humanity” is quite true, believe it or not.

Hence we see adoption staying the same, or perhaps even increasing in volume. As we all move towards taking care of just ourselves, animals would go on to fill adoption centers. And the empathetic nature of human beings would see them adopting in higher measures.

There is yet another fact with adopted pets. As they are older and fully independent by the time they are adopted due to the many circumstances that they have faced, they are fairly comfortable with staying by themselves in a household when the owners are out for work or other engagements. This makes it easier to maintain a pet, considering that time is the key constraint that leads many to avoid having pets. On that point, we want to let you know the major adoption centers here in Washington that you can visit to adopt a pet.

ado - 3 of the leading animal adoption centers in Washington State

Seattle Animal Shelter

Seattle.gov has a department that takes care of sheltering animals. Most pet breeds and species are covered here, even ones such as reptiles, pigs and other unconventional mammals. Interested volunteers can also contact them.

Homeward Pet Adoption Center

Homeward pet adoption center is located at Woodinville, Washington State. It is among the main non-profit animal shelters in the state, housing more than 1800 animals at one point of time. Animals here are either cats or dogs.

Emerald city pet rescue

Emerald city pet rescue center is our favorite center in the State of Washington. The founding team and volunteers are highly passionate about their job, providing rehabilitation and medical aid to at-risk creatures. You would find dogs, cats and rabbits at this facility. In addition to sheltering, Emerald city pet rescue center also is a leading activist against cruelty to animals.

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3 Affordable Pet Food & Bully Stick Brands

Seth Lawley
Blog2 - 3 Affordable Pet Food & Bully Stick Brands

Maintaining a pet is not an easy exercise. Pets require constant care, devotion, exercise and a carefully planned diet. The most important element required, however, is time. Unfortunately, time is one item that most of us can’t seem to allocate.

There is also a monetary factor to consider. Maintaining a pet is an expensive luxury that many cannot afford. Pet food is seemingly overpriced in the common market. At Pets in America, we recognize that this is a pressing issue. As a result, we want to inform you, our readers, about quality brands in the market that provide great value for money.

Merrick – Grain Free, Real Buffalo, Sweet potato

Merrick is a trusted brand when it comes to canine food. We know how expensive and time-consuming it is to maintain a dog as a pet. Merrick’s Grain-Free, Real Buffalo and Sweet Potato flavored dog food doesn’t take away from quality by being priced low. You have all the required nutrients to keep your dog healthy, such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and high levels of animal protein.

Pawstruck – Best Bully Sticks

Dogs are highly protein dependant. Look no further than natural bully sticks for dogs and puppies from Pawstruck. They are made in USA or south america. These come in the convenient form of pouches and are reasonably priced.

Taste of the Wild – Limited Ingredient Meat-based Dog Food

This formula is perhaps among the most delicious dog food around. In line with modern trends, the food is grain free, made from buffalo and bison, and perfect for your puppy. A 5-pound bag comes just for the price of $15. You won’t regret buying this one, and neither will you pup

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Understanding properly the dietary requirements of your cat and dog

Seth Lawley
Blog5 - Understanding properly the dietary requirements of your cat and dog

Food is an integral part of our lives. Alongside Oxygen and water, it is vital to life. It energizes our body and ensures the correct functioning of our organs. And of course, our taste buds generally have a good time.

We all know that our body depends on the intake of five basic nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Each nutrient plays a different role in taking care of our physique. Additionally, this doesn’t apply just to humans but also the animal kingdom in general.

Pet owners should be well aware of this. Feline and canine creatures, or specifically cats and dogs, are quite common in households. Cats and dogs are heavily dependent on the right kind of food. This is especially true for cats who don’t exert themselves physically. As a result, their diet has to be properly managed.

Both creatures need high levels of protein in their diet, and these pet foods don’t come so cheaply in the market. While there are inexpensive and quality brands if you search comprehensively, most of such brands are priced above the range of the working class adult. It is one of the reasons why many shun from having pets.

cats and ddogs - Understanding properly the dietary requirements of your cat and dog

There are those who have both cats and dogs in their households. To save up some money, it is not uncommon to see dogs being fed cat food or vice versa. Under normal circumstances, one would just gobble up food meant for the other. However, it is not good for the long term.

This is because dogs and cats have widely varying dietary needs, and each pet food brand is customized to the needs of its consumer. Dogs, for example, derive most of their nutrients from proteins and fats. While it is not required that the diet is predominantly meat-based, the ease of digestibility is more important.

Dogs are omnivores by nature, and can live even with a vegetarian diet if there are sufficient quantities of proteins and fats. In fact, a fully meat-based diet would even harm them. Cats, on the other hand, are an entirely different ball game.

Cats are perhaps among the most meat dependent species around. They require heavy doses of meat- based protein on a daily basis. This is mostly because cats require a variety of amino acid – Taurine – that is mainly found in meat. This variety of amino acid helps maintain proper organ functions of the cornea and the heart in the cat.

Understanding the nutrient needs of your pet goes a long way to managing maintenance costs. We recommend that you read up more on such topics to obtain a comprehensive understanding of your pet’s physiological requirements.

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4 species that went extinct as a result of human actions

Seth Lawley
Blog4 - 4 species that went extinct as a result of human actions

The basic tent of evolution is adaptability. If you aren’t able to adapt to natural changes, you stand the risk of extinction. Any species is bound to go extinct at some point of time. However, in some cases, some species have gone extinct or stand the risk of it due to forced causes.

Human beings are masters at this exercise of forcing an event. Too often, human being disrupt the natural order of things and cause unintended consequences. Think of the extinctions that have happened as a result of artificial causes just in the past century. We are not talking about a few handful, rather dozens of species!

Bubal Hartebeest - 4 species that went extinct as a result of human actions

1917 – Bubal Hartebeest

A species that was hunted to extinction, the Bubal Hartebeest was a majestic antelope that roamed the forests of Algeria, Senegal and large swaths of the Sahara. The creature is said to be ancient, with traces of it appearing in ancient works such as the Old Testament. It is quite unfortunate that we won’t get to see this beauty again.

1924 – Californian Grizzly Bear

Californians would recall this name, especially since it is their state symbol. The majestic beast weighed up to 2000 pounds and grew up to 8 feet. While most of these went extinct in the 19th century, the last few were hunted down by the mid-1900s. In this case, however, all the blame cannot be attributed to humans since many a time such bears were killed as they kept consuming livestock in rural areas. It is refreshing to see Californians recognize their home-grown species even today.

Tasmanian Tiger - 4 species that went extinct as a result of human actions

1936 – Tasmanian Tiger

The Thylacines dominated large part of Tasmania. Their stripes were quite peculiar and unique, making them easily identifiable. With a more similar build to dogs, these creatures were smaller than their yellow and black- striped counterparts. The excessive hunting of the last few remnants of this species within the Tasmanian rainforests led to a complete extinction.

1968 – Guam flying fox

Nope, you did not hear that wrong. There was actually such a thing as a flying fox. It was in fact a bat whose wings stretched as much as 70 centimeters, that roamed the forests of Guam. The extinction of the species, which happened sometime in 1968, was a result of multiple causes. These included predators that preyed on it and hunting.

The list is endless, and many more have suffered as a result of human actions. One would hope that humans would learn from their lessons, but alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

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How you can become more empathetic by adopting an animal in need

Seth Lawley
Blog3 - How you can become more empathetic by adopting an animal in need

From the moment you learn to understand words, you are taught by your parents to be kind, considerate and sympathetic. As inherently emotional beings, we respond to emotions. If you show kindness, often it is reciprocated. It programs us to behave in a certain way.

One of the quality that we are often taught the significance of is empathy. As teenagers, you would remember your teacher explaining the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy is simply feeling a swell of sadness or pity towards a person or group of people, whereas empathy means going a step forward and taking action by putting yourselves in their shoes.

Empathy is a quality that is highly coveted in society. Empathetic people are people of action. They don’t sit around and watch when something unfortunate or tragic happens around them, rather they look for means to solve a situation. It is empathy that drives people to commit heroic acts that we read about in the newspaper.

Sticking to the context, we come to the topic of adoption. Couples often adopts kids either by choice or because they are physically unable to procreate. It is considered in high esteem, at least in most cases. There is no shortage of orphaned children and teenagers, unfortunately. Providing them a home and sustenance is an exemplification of empathy at its highest form.

opet - How you can become more empathetic by adopting an animal in need

However, adoption isn’t restricted to human beings. Animals, too, face the same issue of ignorance and orphanage. Often, many are abused or simply left unwanted. Good-hearted people who work in adoption centers for animals take care of such poor creatures for a while.

The problem arises when adoption centers are overloaded. The way they function, they adopt as many animals as possible to provide them housing and sustenance. At some point, they will face a severe shortage of space, which is when they make a concerted effort to encourage people to house some of their animals.

We talked in an earlier post about a psychological feeling of companionship between humans and animals. Let that encourage you to go to the nearest adoption center and choose your favorite to house, love and take care of. You would be doing a world of good to a creature that had fallen into unfortunate circumstances.

At the end of the day, adoption is something that will bring you immense joy and satisfaction. The way our brain works, we experience a joy like nothing else when we see the fruits of our selfless work ripening.

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The relation between humans and animals from a psychological lens

Seth Lawley
Blog1 - The relation between humans and animals from a psychological lens

There is an instinctive attraction within the mammal class. Homosapiens, the most advanced of all animals, have a biological preference towards species within their own class. It is the reason why despite the fact that humans are predatory creatures at the higher realms of the food chain, many of us love to take care of animals.

For centuries, humans have developed companionship with animals. Think of the Stone Age inscriptions and paintings of animals. Despite man’s position as a hunter at the time, man respected strength and animals that displayed strength, such as the Rhinoceros. In fact, man sometimes hunted with an animal by his side.

In the modern age, animals continue to be our companion, whether it is for hunting, search operations or other activities. Naturally, we consume many families with the Animalia kingdom as food, but that is a generic feature within the kingdom. As predatory beings, every creature hunts others of a lower standing in the food chain.

pet - The relation between humans and animals from a psychological lens

Yet another type of companionship between humans and species of the animal kingdom is friendship. It is the reason why people own or adopt pets. Pets provide us love and warmth, and receive them in equal measures. Naturally, we have preferences. Some of us prefer felines and some canines. Some of us prefer aquatic creatures and the rest Aves.

In reality, the preference doesn’t matter. What matters is understanding the inherent psychology that leads people to own or adopt pets. From a biological standpoint, human beings have not been programmed to exhibit cruelty. Yes, we hunt and eat animals, but that is purely from a physiological point of view.

The intention of this post is to make our readers and the wider community understand that cruelty is simply a matter of choice. There is simply no excuse that can be made that we are inclined to exhibit cruelty. The history of our evolution says otherwise.

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