The hypothetical relationship between coat color and personality traits is based on the fact that the pigment melanin shares a synthesis pathway with a group of catecholamines and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, which may lead to associations between pigmentation and personality traits. When Díaz Videla performed a systematic review studying black dog syndrome, he only found 18 studies that met his inclusion criteria for investigating personality traits associated with coat color in dogs, demonstrating the scarcity of studies in this regard. Díaz Videla mentioned that specific phenotypes, e.g., coat color, could be considered indicators of personality traits in dogs. In his famous research on fox domestication, Belyaev concluded that physical differences were due to prolonged selection for a tame genotype. The association between physical appearance and personality in mammals has been investigated in different species. suggested that people commonly believe that calico cats are “crazy”, black cats are “wild and unpredictable”, and orange cats are “friendly”.

One issue requiring more research is personality trait differences in cats based on their coat colors. asserted that little is known about the emotional relationships that cats form with humans. However, some years ago, Bernstein indicated that studies regarding the cat-owner bond were still quite rare and that many aspects regarding cats and the cat-owner relationship required further study. The preference for cats in households has recently increased, even surpassing preference for dogs in some countries, and in Europe, cats are the most common pet. Emotional closeness was positively correlated with an active, bold and friendly personality, and perceived cost was negatively correlated with boldness.Ĭats, dogs and other species are considered companion animals. Cat-owner interaction was positively correlated with an active and friendly personality and negatively correlated with aloofness. The 3 CORS subscales had adequate psychometric properties when evaluated separately. Tabbies the highest for bold and active, tricolor cats for stubborn, and bicolor cats for tolerant. Gray cats had the highest score for being as shy, aloof and intolerant, while orange cats had the highest scores for being trainable, friendly and calm. Owners perceived their cats as being bold and friendly. 211 cat owners living in Mexico participated. For the personality traits of cats, participants answered a 7-point Likert scale indicating the extent to which they agreed with the following characteristics in describing their cats: active, aloof, bold, calm, friendly, intolerant, shy, stubborn, tolerant and trainable.

Therefore, the CORS was translated into Spanish, and its psychometric properties were assessed. The objectives of the study were to describe, from the perspective of their owners, the personality traits of cats based on their coat colors and to evaluate the relationships among the Cat Owner Relationship Scale (CORS), its subscales and the traits of cats. Studies regarding the cat-owner bond are quite rare, and several aspects merit more research, including personality trait differences in cats related to coat color and the cat-owner relationship.

Black tabby cats personality