What traits do all pet owners have in common?

Are you a proud pet owner? If so, most of you. In fact, most French families have at least one dog or cat. Having a furry friend can be an incredibly rewarding and emotional experience; after all, these little creatures give their masters unconditional love and companionship no matter how their day goes. But beyond the simple joys of pet ownership, what really brings us together, regardless of our backgrounds or life experiences? Let’s explore some universal characteristics of pet ownership to better understand how we all relate to this privilege in life.

Character traits common to pet owners have been identified in numerous scientific studies. The most commonly cited are:

Compassion:

Compassion is manifested in the ability to show kindness to animals, as well as the ability to empathize with their feelings and emotions. Many studies have shown that people who own pets are more compassionate than those who don’t. For example, a study published in Anthrozoös found that pet owners donate more money to animal welfare organizations than others.

Empathy:

Empathy has been identified as another characteristic shared by many pet owners. Research conducted by the University of Cambridge has shown that owning a pet can help improve an individual’s ability to understand the perspective of others and feel connected to those around them. This is because pets offer unconditional love and form strong bonds with their owners.

Responsibility:

Responsibility is another character trait associated with pet ownership. This includes taking on the role of caretaker of the animal, providing it with food, shelter and medical care as needed, ensuring it is safe and healthy, and, depending on the species, teaching it basic commands or socialization techniques. Research conducted by Virginia Tech has shown that the sense of responsibility among pet owners is significantly higher than that of others.

Reliability:

While most of us easily recognize the human-animal bond between an owner and their four-legged friend, it’s a little harder to prove that loyalty is a common trait. Nevertheless, recent scientific studies have found that one of the common traits among many pet owners is reliability. The findings came from a survey of 166 adults in Britain, in which respondents answered questions about pet ownership and their personality traits.

People who adopted a pet were found to be more trustworthy than those who did not. The study goes further, arguing that this trusting nature can benefit human relationships beyond pet ownership, showing just how strong this connection is.

Emotional Intelligence:

Because pet owners interact with animals for life, they must also have communication skills, understanding their needs in order to respond effectively to them. These include deciphering an animal’s subtle signs, which can indicate whether they are happy or worried about what is happening around them at any given time.

Research reported by Psychology Today found that people who regularly interact with animals are better than others at reading both verbal and non-verbal emotional signals, which can be useful in other areas of life, such as work or school. , where effective communication plays a critical role in the success of many activities performed daily in these environments.

Loyalty:

Similarly, another character trait exhibited by pet owners is loyalty. In 2017, researchers from the University of Vienna conducted a survey on people’s feelings of love for their pets and found that strong feelings of attachment are common among pet owners. This shows how loyal these people are to their animals as they have been attached to them for many years.

Endurance:

Finally, resilience is also seen in pet owners when they face challenges in caring for their pets, such as when they become ill or get old and need special care. A Psychology Today article states that resilient people recognize the importance of providing extra care for their animals during difficult times and are able to handle all the challenges associated with their responsibilities. Therefore, it can be considered that resilience is also an important characteristic that unites all pet owners, regardless of country, culture and origin.