Montagues and Capulets. Edison and Tesla. Bloods and Crips. Among history’s greatest rivalries none has been so fierce as that between cat people and dog people.
In honor of International Cat Day, Facebook researchers examined the behavior of these warring factions to find some insight into who they are and how they operate. The team of data scientists wanted to find out who has more friends, who is more likely to be single and who has the best taste in TV.
The startling findings, drawn from a sample of 160,000 Facebook users in the United States who had posted pictures of cats or dogs, are likely to act as a catalyst for more bloodshed between Team Cat and Team Dog.
One of the key findings – long suspected – is that cat people are more likely to be single than dog people. Just 24% of dog people are single compared with 30% of cat people.
However, the old cat-lady spinster stereotype is a myth: being single is not skewed toward any age or gender.
Dog people, like their outgoing, waggy-tailed companions, were found to be more popular – if popularity is judged by the number of online connections.
Meanwhile, cat people get invited to more events, perhaps suggesting a more discerning friend.
Team Cat aren’t only discerning about friends: they also seem to have the edge when it comes to picking books, TV shows and movies – at least according to what they’ve “liked” on their Facebook profile. Cat people appear to prefer The Hobbit, Brave New World, Adventure Time, Doctor Who, A Clockwork Orange and Alien. Meanwhile, dog people lean toward trashier subject matter including Fifty Shades of Grey, Step Up, The Hangover, The Hills, Duck Dynasty, Marley & Me and Eat, Pray Love.
“Cat people are disproportionately fans of sci-fi and fantasy, while dog people show a preference for love stories,” say the researchers in a blog post.
When the researchers looked at how the different groups tagged their status updates with moods, they found that feline fanciers were all over the place. They were disproportionately more likely to express that they were tired, annoyed, sad or emotional, but also much more likely to say they were happy, amused or loved. Although that love may just be coming from their cats.
Canine club members were less varied on the emotional spectrum, being more likely to express excitement or pride.
So there we have it. Stereotypes have been confirmed and the messy, fluffy war will continue.
