Researchers at the University of Helsinki have created a comprehensive questionnaire to assess cat personality and behavior. Analyzing data from over 4,300 cats across 26 breed groups, they identified seven distinct traits, with notable differences between breeds.
Cats are the world's most popular pets, and understanding their behavior is crucial amid rising interest in issues like aggression and litter box problems. Personality traits often link to these challenges, offering insights into welfare.
"Compared to dogs, far less is known about cat behavior and personality. There's a pressing need for tools to identify risks and address problems like aggression and inappropriate elimination," explains doctoral researcher Salla Mikkola from the University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center.
Professor Hannes Lohi's research team developed a questionnaire with 138 statements, plus detailed background and health data. Factor analysis revealed seven core traits:
"Activity/playfulness, fear, and aggression align with prior studies. Litter issues and growling signal stress sensitivity rather than innate traits," Mikkola notes.
Breeds show distinct personality profiles. Russian Blues topped fearfulness, Abyssinians were least fearful, Bengals most active, Persians and Exotics most passive. Siamese and Balinese growled most, while Turkish Vans displayed higher human aggression and lower cat aggression—consistent with prior findings.
"No pairwise breed comparisons were conducted yet," emphasizes Professor Lohi. "Future studies will model influences like breed, age, sex, health, and environment."
Mikkola adds: "This provides a broad overview; advanced analyses ahead will pinpoint key factors."
Owner questionnaires capture long-term, natural behaviors impossible in lab tests. To ensure reliability, owners retook the survey 1-3 months later or had household members respond.
"Responses for the same cat were highly consistent across time and raters. Validity checks confirmed the tool's strength," Mikkola reports.
Lohi's team is advancing genetic, environmental, and personality research to tackle problematic behaviors and enhance cat welfare.
