Turns Out That Women Find Cat-Loving Men Less Attractive
These past few decades, social sciences such as psychology and sociology have delved more and more into the mysterious world of online dating. And clearly, that makes a lot of sense—according to the statistical data provided by the Pew Research Center, 48% of young American adults aged 18 to 29 claim to have used online dating sites at least once in their lives. Moreover, 54% of the respondents thought that relationships that begin on a dating site or app are just as successful as those that begin in person. So yeah, this whole online dating thing is pretty serious.
Most would probably agree that one of the central parts of any dating profile is the photos a person decides to upload. When you think about it, that’s pretty much all people see. You should try your best to make a good impression, right? But how do you even do that? What kind of photos should you put on your dating profile?
These two scientists named Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsche were also interested in that. And they chose a quite unique angle to conduct research around. Basically, they wanted to investigate whether the presence of a cat in a photo changes a woman’s perception of a man. You can find the full article on the study they conducted here. By the way, Bored Panda had a chance to ask one of these researchers some interesting questions, so make sure to scroll down and read her answers!
Image credits: Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsch
According to many studies conducted before this one, women view pet owners as more attractive and dateable than non-pet owners. Because of that, Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsche hypothesized that men posing with cats would be more attractive than those posing alone. “Because the association with a pet appears to increase a person’s rated attractiveness, we hypothesized that men posing with cats would be considered more attractive and desirable for short-term causal dating than when posing alone. In addition to attractiveness, we predicted that the cat’s presence would make the men seem more trustworthy, gentle, and caring, alluding to the possibility of a potentially valuable long-term mate and future father,” researches explain in the article.
Above and below, you can see two sets of photos that were used in this study. These sets of photos were shown to 708 young women aged 18 to 24 and they were asked to imagine and rate these guys’ personality traits, attractiveness, dateability, and so on.
Image credits: Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsch
When asked, how they came up with such an interesting idea for a study, Shelly Volsche said this: “Dr. Kogan and I both do work in human-animal interactions from various perspectives. We started thinking about how the meaning and value of pets are changing and began discussing whether or not our relationships with pets influence our dating habits. One of my prior projects with other colleagues found that this is the case (this is the Gray, Volsche, Garcia, & Fisher paper cited in the cat project). However, Dr. Kogan and I began to think more deeply about how different pets are viewed. With the amount of research already existing with dogs, it seemed like a natural step to test if and how male cat owners are perceived among women.”
Image credits: Pixabay
The results indicated that college-age women viewing a photo of a man alone versus a photo of the same man holding a cat rated the man holding the cat as more agreeable and more open, but less masculine, higher on neuroticism, and ultimately, less dateable in the short or long term! It’s important to note that only female respondents who identified as a “cat person” found men holding a cat more desirable for short-term or long-term relationships.
“The results came out to support our hypothesis, though not quite as strongly as we initially thought,” the researcher Shelly Volsche told Bored Panda. “It was interesting that whether the women identified as “cat person,” “dog person,” “both,” or “neither” had an impact, and that women who identified as cat people were more open to dating the men when holding cats compared to dog people. This certainly shows that our perceptions of pet owners as similar or different to us can play a role in our dating decisions.”
Image credits: Pikrepo
When a photo of one of the subjects without a cat was shown to the respondents, 38% of women said they were likely or very likely to casually date him. But when the photo of the same subject with a cat was presented, those numbers dropped to 33% for each category! Besides, the proportion of women saying they’d never consider getting involved with him rose by 5%.
“This study is mostly exploratory. We are trying to understand if and how pets influence people’s dating lives. Much of my work investigates pet parenting, so how does that level of attachment influence whether someone will date someone else with different pets or no interest in pets? It also helps us understand how cultural norms (for example, many people still assume male cat owners are homosexual) are shaping our perceptions of others as potential mates. Perhaps the takeaway is that we should not judge a book by its cover…or in this case, profile picture,” said Shelly Volsche.
Image credits: Flickr
When asked why human-animal interaction is an interesting science object for her, Shelly Volsche told us this: “I grew up on a hobby farm in Wisconsin, just outside Madison. I have always loved animals (I even spent the early part of my adult life as a dog trainer). Because of this, I’ve always been interested in the cognitive and emotional capacities of other species. I love to observe and understand. Since humans are just another animal, I find it interesting how our perceptions of other species shape our interactions. Who is a friend? Foe? Food? Family? We also cannot escape other animals. They are everywhere. This field is about social connections and understanding across all life.”
Image credits: Flickr
Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsche ended their article by providing guides for future research: “A follow-up study with a third comparative photo of a man with a dog could serve to further test the impact of pets by looking across species. For example, would women find the man alone more or less masculine than a man with a dog? Further, what role would the size/breed of the dog play in these perceptions?”
Besides, there are possibly more interesting studies to come in the near future. “I’m working on many projects, including a survey about people’s behavior related to pet care. I also have a paper in review on how pets have shaped our experiences of the shelter in place orders in recent months,” one of the researchers named Shelly Volsche told us.
A lot of internet users seemed to not agree with these results
And some thought that the photos used in the study were a bit off
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I thought further on this. Any women who would not like my OKCupid profile due to having a photo of me with one of my cats... are helpfully self-deselecting. I wouldn’t get along with someone if they unconsciously/consciously decided I don’t look “masculine enough” for them just because of cat ownership. It might be annoying to have fewer views/likes on a profile, or fewer conversations, but it’s just another way of weeding out the people I wouldn’t be compatible with anyway. The women I’ve had better relationships with actually prefer my type of ... mild masculinity(??). So be it.
Honestly this study is nonsense. Obviously this does not represent how all men and women are. We're not a damn monolith! We're all individuals. I know PLENTY of women who love an open minded cat loving men.
agreed!! i just got a flashback from Key and Peele lol
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How interesting. A guy posing with a cat would be much more likely to get a date with me :)
That man with a cat on shoulder, though. Would you say he's not masculine enough? But what baffles me most is that women rate guys with higher openness and agreeableness as less desirable. Seriously, you want a narrow minded dude?
Why having any animal makes a person less masculine is beyond me. Liking animals was an essential in anyone I wanted to make a life with as I always knew that I wanted to share my life with animals in some way. My cat loving sister has just married a fella who doesn't like cats. Can only hope that he undergoes one of those conversions we often see here on Bored Panda and falls in love with a kitty sometime soon!
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It's not because women don't like cats, it's because it's bad strategy to be photographed with someone who's better looking than you.
In my opinion a dude is even more dateable if they have a cat because it shows everyone that they have a gentle and loving side to them and that they're not afraid to "give up their masculinity" because of an animal. How is it "feminine" to like a cute fluffy animal? A cat is a cat!
I find that kind of funny I am widower with seven cats and the woman around me are always bringing me food or invite me over for supper??
On the plus side, we're much more likely to get a date with someone who likes cats, which is the exact kinda person a cat-lover would want anyway
In my country, there's a belief that if a cat approaches a person, that means the person is kind :3
The photos with the cats are really awkward though. The cats don't look comfortable at all. The first one looks like he's got it by the scruff of the neck to stop it from running away. I bet real photos of guys with their cats would get a different reaction.
The outdoors picture of the man with the cat on his shoulder looks much more intriguing than the others. The gray tabby looks like his companion, off on an adventure together.
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Hmm... I am not sure on reproducibility and validity of study. Or whether this is peer reviewed... 708 women in this age group seem to be a decent sample size but I doubt most of us on BP are big on “masculine” men so some of results are probably outside the types of people here on BP... most of us would drool over cats! The pictures are cute! But people have dating preferences.
Plus we cannot extrapolate every American study to the whole world, if social factors are involved. Cats seems to have a bad reputation in the US, but that's not the case for the whole world.
Absolutely! I don't understand what certain people have against cats!
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It isn’t men with cats that women don’t like. It’s men in contrived photos with cats that probably aren’t their pets that they don’t like. If they were pictures of men holding their own pets in their own homes, where everyone, especially the animals, can be comfortable, they’d be upvoted more. Not to mention off the dating market and married ten minutes ago!
I know Americans are taught at a very young age that dogs are for boys and cats are for girls. It's absolutely ridiculous, I know, but think back. When you were little, were there cat shirts for boys? Were there dog shirts for girls? It's only been in the last ten years or so that marketers have recognized they're proper audience. My son LOVES cats and I absolutely could not find anything in the store for him as a toddler, that wasn't designed for a little girl. That unrecognized bias, however stupid, is probably at work here. It causes a knee jerk reaction that says "too girly".
Repeat this study with men that look like Jason Samoa, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or Leonardo di Caprio and the outcome would totally change.
Actually, Jace, I think you have a point. There is still an underlying belief that dogs are "masculine" and cats are "feminine". If you want to shore up your dude credentials, get a dog, If you a a man and you have a cat, you may be seen as unmanly or less masculine. Also, the demographic polled for the test results were woman in the 18-24 age group - arguably the most likely to submit to peer pressure (real or imagined) and choose a date that will win them social points, i.e. meet certain expectations and approval of their peers. These women are perpetuating a form of toxic masculinity, even if it's completely subconscious. The way I see it, a dude with a cat is comfortable enough in his masculinity that he can do something "feminising" like owning a cat because his happiness is more important that society's opinion of him. Always go for the dude with the cat.
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I'd actually consider it extremely important and a plus because I love cats and have 2
No, it's just when a man with a cat in the photo, he pales in comparison.
Well a cat person should not date someone long term who is not also a cat person. Same with dogs. Or someone will find an ultimatum in their future. And college women ? They are still into frat parties and are not looking for long term datable men. This study is flawed.
I grew up with dogs and came to love cats through an awesome guy I dated. I thought he had three elderly people at home he took care of, when he had to hurry home after work each day to feed Lucy, Bob and Edward.
I completely agree that its the nature of the photographs thats really under test here. I am a dude with a tux mainecoon, women love it. I find the photos unsettling. A man in general with studio level photographs that depicts them alone with a pet will be perceived as neurotic and is psychological bias for this study. That is unless you are Christopher Walken and that slightly creepy edge just adds to your allure, then rock it.
There are many people out there who’d implicitly (or even explicitly) question the normality and/or straightness of a guy who adores his pet feline(s)—something that’s implied by first-season Seinfeld’s George Costanza, who, in a doubtful tone of voice and slight shake of his head, says to Elaine Benes (without looking at her) in regards to her boyfriend cherishing his two pet felines: “Guys with cats … I don’t know …” George’s line rushed to mind after one particular response I received upon posting a short essay onto a feline-fan site (accompanied by an adorable feline photo, of course); it was from a reader subtly questioning my 'normality', which left me feeling both embarrassed and angry. I further recollected how as a teen I knew two of the (if not the most) toughest, testosterone-laden, and (like myself) straight guys around, who also cherished their pet cats—albeit, no average guy would’ve foolishly openly expressed his pet-feline enthusiasm amongst his demographic peers ...
I just prefer cat people over dog people entirely. Dog people need that over the top love and attention a dog gives just 'because', with minimal work. Cat people know the balance and harmony and the work required for a relationship. Its not about masculine or feminine, its about how a person treats another and what they expect in return, its a good insight.
I feel really bad for saying this but I would prefer a dude with a dog over a dude with a cat. But I'm a dog person, and a cattle rancher. Our dogs are both working dogs and companions but our cats are wild barn cats to catch mice. So maybe lifestyle has something to do with it?
If my guy didn't liked cats it would never be something. My cat comes first. Luckily he had 4 back then. I like the photos btw men with cats are great!
I love seeing men being kind to ALL animals. And I adore cat loving men. They are REAL men.
I cry b******t. Granted I haven't dated since the stone age but whenever things went south and all my character flaws were being listed no one ever brought up my love of cats. And they damn sure would have if it had been a factor.
Only idiots would think this. To me it signals kindness and responsibility.
Ok, I didn't read the article, but the title is pure b******t. And from what I know about scientific research, even if in this particular study with these methods something appears to be proven, it does NOT mean that you can generalize and claim universally that "women are less attracted to cat-loving men". It's stupid and unscientific.
I'm an animal lover, so any woman who's an animal lover os good in my book. I don't like cats due to a severe allergy that makes them impossible to be around. But if I met a woman who wasn't an animal lover, I'd have no interest in even beginning a conversation.
And btw can we squash this ridiculous attitude that people should be born "woke" alot of the sensitivity and community awareness you have comes from experience and education what makes me more of a bad person my compulsory feelings or how I choose to act on them in my opinion its everyone that doesn't admit to fault that needs to grow up
Give me a break,you would get the same reaction with Dogs if you showed these posed photos.
So basically Love cat= no you re not manly you chicken Dislike cat= KILL HIM (bUt He'S mAnLy) I don't hat cats or love them, I'm in the middle= I lOvE hIm, He Is My OnE tRuE lOvE I myself am a dog person
The pictures from the study look slightly off - it's not a genuine relationship, and the guys look awkward with the cat, and vice versa. It would be a better test to use photos of men with and without their own pet cats.
Being allergic to cats, I am never around them, and have actually turned down any relationship with a few women because they were cat people (I don't expect anyone to change for me). The dander/fur/hair (whatever term you'd like to use) is so toxic, that myself, and my (now adult) children, will have anaphylaxis episodes, which might actually kill my youngest daughter. I'm a dog person preferably, however, I like most herd/pack animals. So, tell me how women prefer non-cat men...? -Dr M, still single
I have to agree, I would never date a guy that preferred cats over dogs. It's less manly in my eyes. Plus I dislike cats and LOVE dogs
I don't like cats and I'm allergic to them, so I probably wouldn't like a guy if he had a pic with a cat, because then I couldn't go over to his house without having an allergy attack.
Uh, the guys in these pics all look a bit off in the first place! There isn't an attractive man in the bunch, as they all have pretty weird characteristics. The cats have no affect other than making me worry that the dudes are going to unlock their jaws and eat the cats!
This study seems incredibly ridiculous. If I met a nice, caring man and found out that he loves cats that would be a bonus for me. I would date anyone that likes animals because that shows that they have a good heart.
People feel repulsed by partners who haven't quite grown up yet and whom they perceive as emotionally unstable. But loving cats, being caring and nurturing in general, and/or crying are all unrelated to that, and it explains nothing.
Load More Replies... I thought further on this. Any women who would not like my OKCupid profile due to having a photo of me with one of my cats... are helpfully self-deselecting. I wouldn’t get along with someone if they unconsciously/consciously decided I don’t look “masculine enough” for them just because of cat ownership. It might be annoying to have fewer views/likes on a profile, or fewer conversations, but it’s just another way of weeding out the people I wouldn’t be compatible with anyway. The women I’ve had better relationships with actually prefer my type of ... mild masculinity(??). So be it.
Honestly this study is nonsense. Obviously this does not represent how all men and women are. We're not a damn monolith! We're all individuals. I know PLENTY of women who love an open minded cat loving men.
agreed!! i just got a flashback from Key and Peele lol
Load More Replies... How interesting. A guy posing with a cat would be much more likely to get a date with me :)
That man with a cat on shoulder, though. Would you say he's not masculine enough? But what baffles me most is that women rate guys with higher openness and agreeableness as less desirable. Seriously, you want a narrow minded dude?
Why having any animal makes a person less masculine is beyond me. Liking animals was an essential in anyone I wanted to make a life with as I always knew that I wanted to share my life with animals in some way. My cat loving sister has just married a fella who doesn't like cats. Can only hope that he undergoes one of those conversions we often see here on Bored Panda and falls in love with a kitty sometime soon!
Load More Replies... It's not because women don't like cats, it's because it's bad strategy to be photographed with someone who's better looking than you.
In my opinion a dude is even more dateable if they have a cat because it shows everyone that they have a gentle and loving side to them and that they're not afraid to "give up their masculinity" because of an animal. How is it "feminine" to like a cute fluffy animal? A cat is a cat!
I find that kind of funny I am widower with seven cats and the woman around me are always bringing me food or invite me over for supper??
On the plus side, we're much more likely to get a date with someone who likes cats, which is the exact kinda person a cat-lover would want anyway
In my country, there's a belief that if a cat approaches a person, that means the person is kind :3
The photos with the cats are really awkward though. The cats don't look comfortable at all. The first one looks like he's got it by the scruff of the neck to stop it from running away. I bet real photos of guys with their cats would get a different reaction.
The outdoors picture of the man with the cat on his shoulder looks much more intriguing than the others. The gray tabby looks like his companion, off on an adventure together.
Load More Replies... Hmm... I am not sure on reproducibility and validity of study. Or whether this is peer reviewed... 708 women in this age group seem to be a decent sample size but I doubt most of us on BP are big on “masculine” men so some of results are probably outside the types of people here on BP... most of us would drool over cats! The pictures are cute! But people have dating preferences.
Plus we cannot extrapolate every American study to the whole world, if social factors are involved. Cats seems to have a bad reputation in the US, but that's not the case for the whole world.
Absolutely! I don't understand what certain people have against cats!
Load More Replies... It isn’t men with cats that women don’t like. It’s men in contrived photos with cats that probably aren’t their pets that they don’t like. If they were pictures of men holding their own pets in their own homes, where everyone, especially the animals, can be comfortable, they’d be upvoted more. Not to mention off the dating market and married ten minutes ago!
I know Americans are taught at a very young age that dogs are for boys and cats are for girls. It's absolutely ridiculous, I know, but think back. When you were little, were there cat shirts for boys? Were there dog shirts for girls? It's only been in the last ten years or so that marketers have recognized they're proper audience. My son LOVES cats and I absolutely could not find anything in the store for him as a toddler, that wasn't designed for a little girl. That unrecognized bias, however stupid, is probably at work here. It causes a knee jerk reaction that says "too girly".
Repeat this study with men that look like Jason Samoa, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or Leonardo di Caprio and the outcome would totally change.
Actually, Jace, I think you have a point. There is still an underlying belief that dogs are "masculine" and cats are "feminine". If you want to shore up your dude credentials, get a dog, If you a a man and you have a cat, you may be seen as unmanly or less masculine. Also, the demographic polled for the test results were woman in the 18-24 age group - arguably the most likely to submit to peer pressure (real or imagined) and choose a date that will win them social points, i.e. meet certain expectations and approval of their peers. These women are perpetuating a form of toxic masculinity, even if it's completely subconscious. The way I see it, a dude with a cat is comfortable enough in his masculinity that he can do something "feminising" like owning a cat because his happiness is more important that society's opinion of him. Always go for the dude with the cat.
Load More Replies... I'd actually consider it extremely important and a plus because I love cats and have 2
No, it's just when a man with a cat in the photo, he pales in comparison.
Well a cat person should not date someone long term who is not also a cat person. Same with dogs. Or someone will find an ultimatum in their future. And college women ? They are still into frat parties and are not looking for long term datable men. This study is flawed.
I grew up with dogs and came to love cats through an awesome guy I dated. I thought he had three elderly people at home he took care of, when he had to hurry home after work each day to feed Lucy, Bob and Edward.
I completely agree that its the nature of the photographs thats really under test here. I am a dude with a tux mainecoon, women love it. I find the photos unsettling. A man in general with studio level photographs that depicts them alone with a pet will be perceived as neurotic and is psychological bias for this study. That is unless you are Christopher Walken and that slightly creepy edge just adds to your allure, then rock it.
There are many people out there who’d implicitly (or even explicitly) question the normality and/or straightness of a guy who adores his pet feline(s)—something that’s implied by first-season Seinfeld’s George Costanza, who, in a doubtful tone of voice and slight shake of his head, says to Elaine Benes (without looking at her) in regards to her boyfriend cherishing his two pet felines: “Guys with cats … I don’t know …” George’s line rushed to mind after one particular response I received upon posting a short essay onto a feline-fan site (accompanied by an adorable feline photo, of course); it was from a reader subtly questioning my 'normality', which left me feeling both embarrassed and angry. I further recollected how as a teen I knew two of the (if not the most) toughest, testosterone-laden, and (like myself) straight guys around, who also cherished their pet cats—albeit, no average guy would’ve foolishly openly expressed his pet-feline enthusiasm amongst his demographic peers ...
I just prefer cat people over dog people entirely. Dog people need that over the top love and attention a dog gives just 'because', with minimal work. Cat people know the balance and harmony and the work required for a relationship. Its not about masculine or feminine, its about how a person treats another and what they expect in return, its a good insight.
I feel really bad for saying this but I would prefer a dude with a dog over a dude with a cat. But I'm a dog person, and a cattle rancher. Our dogs are both working dogs and companions but our cats are wild barn cats to catch mice. So maybe lifestyle has something to do with it?
If my guy didn't liked cats it would never be something. My cat comes first. Luckily he had 4 back then. I like the photos btw men with cats are great!
I love seeing men being kind to ALL animals. And I adore cat loving men. They are REAL men.
I cry b******t. Granted I haven't dated since the stone age but whenever things went south and all my character flaws were being listed no one ever brought up my love of cats. And they damn sure would have if it had been a factor.
Only idiots would think this. To me it signals kindness and responsibility.
Ok, I didn't read the article, but the title is pure b******t. And from what I know about scientific research, even if in this particular study with these methods something appears to be proven, it does NOT mean that you can generalize and claim universally that "women are less attracted to cat-loving men". It's stupid and unscientific.
I'm an animal lover, so any woman who's an animal lover os good in my book. I don't like cats due to a severe allergy that makes them impossible to be around. But if I met a woman who wasn't an animal lover, I'd have no interest in even beginning a conversation.
And btw can we squash this ridiculous attitude that people should be born "woke" alot of the sensitivity and community awareness you have comes from experience and education what makes me more of a bad person my compulsory feelings or how I choose to act on them in my opinion its everyone that doesn't admit to fault that needs to grow up
Give me a break,you would get the same reaction with Dogs if you showed these posed photos.
So basically Love cat= no you re not manly you chicken Dislike cat= KILL HIM (bUt He'S mAnLy) I don't hat cats or love them, I'm in the middle= I lOvE hIm, He Is My OnE tRuE lOvE I myself am a dog person
The pictures from the study look slightly off - it's not a genuine relationship, and the guys look awkward with the cat, and vice versa. It would be a better test to use photos of men with and without their own pet cats.
Being allergic to cats, I am never around them, and have actually turned down any relationship with a few women because they were cat people (I don't expect anyone to change for me). The dander/fur/hair (whatever term you'd like to use) is so toxic, that myself, and my (now adult) children, will have anaphylaxis episodes, which might actually kill my youngest daughter. I'm a dog person preferably, however, I like most herd/pack animals. So, tell me how women prefer non-cat men...? -Dr M, still single
I have to agree, I would never date a guy that preferred cats over dogs. It's less manly in my eyes. Plus I dislike cats and LOVE dogs
I don't like cats and I'm allergic to them, so I probably wouldn't like a guy if he had a pic with a cat, because then I couldn't go over to his house without having an allergy attack.
Uh, the guys in these pics all look a bit off in the first place! There isn't an attractive man in the bunch, as they all have pretty weird characteristics. The cats have no affect other than making me worry that the dudes are going to unlock their jaws and eat the cats!
This study seems incredibly ridiculous. If I met a nice, caring man and found out that he loves cats that would be a bonus for me. I would date anyone that likes animals because that shows that they have a good heart.
People feel repulsed by partners who haven't quite grown up yet and whom they perceive as emotionally unstable. But loving cats, being caring and nurturing in general, and/or crying are all unrelated to that, and it explains nothing.
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