Mirror, Mirror

Pet parents love to showcase their fur babies pretending to do human acts – a cat sitting at the computer, the dog watching TV, the kitten with its very own prayer mat, and the list goes on and on and on. It’s a well-known fact that pets love mirroring their owners. It's a form of bonding. Cats and dogs are social creatures, and they love to be involved in anything that their owner is doing, no matter how seemingly mundane it may be to us. It’s sweet and endearing to any pet lover. Afterall, who doesn’t love seeing their furry friend sitting at the desk like a little businessman?

Your physical behaviours and habits are not the only things that your pets notice and follow, however. A study conducted by PLOS ONE has found that cats also mirror the personalities of their owners, notably replicating traits like extroversion, openness, and neuroticism or emotional stability. This research revealed that when particular traits preside with the owner, the same traits were also recognised in their cats. Those who were more extroverted had cats that reflected this and enjoyed being outside more. Those who had higher levels of neuroticism reported having cats with more behaviour problems.

Dogs are also similarly impacted by their owner's personalities, as found by another study by PLOS ONE. Dogs frequently mimic the coping strategies of their human companions. High anxiety and anger in a person can inspire similar feelings in their counterpart, while cheery extroversion begets a perkier and enthusiastic pup.

We wouldn’t think twice before coddling our pets if they are unwell, or not acting like their usual selves, but it’s very easy to neglect ourselves and put off our own self-care. Seemingly boring practices that you often put off thinking about could be more important than you think. Ensuring that you are well and healthy could not be more important when you have a furry friend. Be sure to look after yourselves – for your pet’s sake.