Male cat owners, have you ever wondered whether your pet helps or hinders your dating life?
As much as you love your cat, it’s not immediately obvious whether that makes you more or less attractive in the eyes of women.
Should you bring up your cat in early conversations with women you’re meeting? Should your feline friend make an appearance on your Tinder profile?
We’ve done the research to give cat owners all the information they need about how it’s likely to affect their dating life. And it’s good news!
In general, men who own cats or have any pets at all are considered to be more attractive than those who don’t. Women tend to find men with cats to be more sensitive, patient, compassionate, and emotionally intelligent - and these are just a handful of the attractive qualities associated with cat owners.
10 Reasons Why Guys With Cats Are More Attractive
Having researched public opinion on men who love cats, we found these 10 reasons they may be considered more attractive by a lot of women.
Cat owners are regarded as sensitive
It requires empathy and understanding to be a pet owner, and that’s definitely the case when taking care of a cat.
When a furry feline is part of your household, you need to be caring with regard to its needs throughout the day. You’ll also need to be forgiving with any mishaps or misbehavior that may occur.
For this reason, you can expect guys with cats to be more sensitive to other people’s needs than the average man.
A lot of women yearn for a boyfriend who is able to understand how they’re feeling and respond accordingly.
Guys with cats are a safe bet to be able to do that. They should get plenty of practice dealing with their cute puss every day.
This University Of Texas study found that sensitivity and introversion were the two personality traits most likely to separate cat owners from dog owners.
Indeed, being sensitive doesn’t always mean that your boyfriend will be rushing to your aid when you’re feeling down. That might not always be what you desire, and it’s certainly not what cats always want.
Thankfully, cat owners will quickly learn to read the signs between when someone wants to be comforted and when they want alone time.
Cat owners need a certain level of personal responsibility
It’s no secret that cat ownership requires a certain level of personal responsibility. They have to commit to feeding, grooming, and ensuring their pet stays healthy every day. And that’s just the basics.
Most cat owners know exactly what they’re getting into. The fact that a man is willing to accept that responsibility says a lot of good things about him.
If a woman is looking for a man who can take a leadership role and take care of her, his cute and healthy kitty provides great evidence that he’s able to do that. A cat owner could be well on the way to being responsible enough for fatherhood too.
A man shouldn’t underestimate the importance of showing off his ability to be responsible. Even if you don’t want a girlfriend and you never want to have kids, a woman still wants to see you’re able to be responsible for something.
This is what differentiates men from boys. Most older women are looking for the former, so it helps to show you’re not living a selfish purposeless life.
That’s not to say you have to buy a pet to show this off. You shouldn’t own any animal unless you’re ready for the responsibility of taking care of it. But once a woman sees you’re a cat owner, she can immediately tick off that personal responsibility box in her mind.
Cat owners are selfless and compassionate
You have to be at least somewhat selfless to buy and take care of a cat. After all, in doing so, you’re agreeing to be solely responsible for another life.
Cat owners also tend to develop compassion when dealing with the struggles of their pets. When their cat gets sick or even slightly upset, its owner will usually be compassionate enough to drop whatever they’re doing to help it out.
Guys with cats usually discover a new level of selflessness and compassion and transfer that into their interactions with humans. It’s as if their pet ownership teaches them that life doesn’t have to be all about them - and that it’s actually quite fulfilling to help others out with their misfortunes.
An Australian study from 2015 discovered that cat owners tend to have better psychological health than people without pets. They’re happier, more confident, and less anxious, according to the study. Their cup runneth over, so to speak. This would give them more mental bandwidth to be compassionate and helpful towards others.
It shouldn’t be too surprising that women are excited to date men like these, especially those looking for a long-term partner. Sure, there are some women with low self-esteem who gravitate towards selfish partners that don’t care about them. But compassionate men are still seen as the prize by most, and cat ownership is an honest signal that you’re one of them.
Cat owners tend to be emotionally intelligent
Emotional intelligence is the ability to read how others are feeling without them specifically having to tell you.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that cat owners have this skill in abundance.
This study found that cat owners tend to score higher on several measures of social sensitivity, while they were also found to be better at trusting people.
This might explain why 90% of single women believe men who love cats tend to be nicer than those who don’t.
It should come as no surprise that male cat owners are able to boost their emotional intelligence. They will be tasked with reading what their furry friends need every day, just by reading their body language. This becomes easier with time, but the skills can transfer over to reading people too.
This can be particularly useful in the dating realm. As we’ve already explored, most women love the idea of a man who can tend to their every need without them needing to spell out what’s wrong.
Cat owners are often very playful
Most people own cats because it’s fun! It’s well-known that cats can be the most playful and entertaining companions. There are enough viral cat videos online for everyone to be aware of that. Indeed, most men who love cats get plenty of joy out of playing with them or watching them engage with the world around them.
It may therefore come as no surprise that male cat owners tend to be very playful and fun-loving individuals themselves. They’re the type of men who want to laugh and enjoy every moment.
These types of men are magnetic to women. It’s said that girls just want to have fun, and that’s why they gravitate to men with playful characters like the stereotypical cat owner.
Marilyn Monroe famously said: “If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.” So, it’s honestly a great idea to show a woman some funny photos and videos you’ve taken with your cat. The sooner in the interaction you do this, the better.
This is an easy way to show her that you’re the fun and carefree guy that can brighten up her life. So, don’t be surprised if she’s hinting about coming to your apartment to meet your precious kitty herself.
Cat owners are intelligent
Cat lovers have outscored dog lovers for intelligence in several scientific studies over the years.
In this study from 2014, people who loved cats were found to have a higher IQ on average.
That same study concluded that dog lovers were more likely to be outgoing and extroverted compared to cat enthusiasts, who are more likely to be introverted homebodies.
It’s probably their personality traits that affect their pet-buying decision, rather than vice-versa. Dog owners would be excited by the thought of walking their companion every day, whereas those who didn’t want that might choose a cat instead. An introvert who prefers their own space will create more opportunities to study and improve their intelligence.
Anyway, intelligence is universally regarded as an attractive trait for a man to have. And, if a woman is looking for a long-term relationship, she may well prefer a guy who likes to stay at home and watch movies. A guy like that is generally regarded more as boyfriend material than the dude who’s out bar-hopping every weekend.
Cat owners are patient
If cat owners aren’t patient before they purchase their beloved pet, they’ll soon learn to be. They might not be as mischievous as newborn puppies, but cats can still misbehave. It requires an element of patience to train them to act well in your house. Research has shown that cat ownership can help people respond better to stress too.
Anyone who has been through a long-term relationship will tell you that patience can make or break it. Your partner will have flaws just as a baby kitten will. If you lose your temper or try to leave the relationship every time your partner messes up, you’ll be destined to remain single.
Calmness, patience, and empathy are crucial skills if you want to be a good boyfriend. And there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that cat people have them.
Owning a cat shows he’s willing to commit
Women who are looking for serious relationships hate the idea of wasting their best years on ‘players’.
It’s an easy trap to fall into though, since these guys are charming smooth-talkers who’ll say whatever she wants to hear if it means getting some quick action.
For this reason, women need to engage in some deeper research to make sure a guy is actually ready to settle down into a meaningful relationship.
If a man owns a cat, that’s one of the clearest signs that he is in that stage of his life. He’s already committed to keeping that cat alive and well - and that’s enough to show he’s not completely selfish.
A cute kitty in a man’s house shows he’s not terrified of commitment - and it sets off a lot of green lights in a woman’s mind for this reason.
Indeed, pet ownership can often be regarded as the first step to starting one’s own family.
Cat owners are usually comfortable in their masculinity
Feminine women are attracted to masculine men. It’s biological. It’s undebatable.
Here’s the thing though.
Women don’t like when you’re trying too hard to show off how masculine you are. It’s like you’re trying to over-compensate for something. If you’re constantly starting fights, bossing people around, or (even worse) boasting about how much sex you’re having, it can be a huge turn-off.
Getting a huge intimidating dog can do the same. Women might be terrified of it, as well as wondering what you’re trying to compensate for…
That’s certainly not the case with cats. No kitten ever scared a woman away from a man’s apartment. Cat ownership isn’t regarded as masculine at all, but for many women that could be a green flag.
If a man has all the masculine qualities that attract women - such as ambition, bravery, and leadership skills - and he owns a cat, that could be the dream combination.
It shows he’s a masculine man, but is confident enough not to have to rub it in everyone’s face.
Plus, he has the boyfriend qualities like being sensitive, emotionally intelligent, etc. Who wouldn’t want a man like that?!
Male cat owners are likely to be compatible with female cat lovers
In many ways, being a ‘cat person’ is a way of life.
As we’ve explored, it tends to say many things about how you like to enjoy your time.
For this reason, a woman who loves cats is more likely to be drawn to a male cat lover.
This common interest suggests they’re likely to be compatible in many other ways too.
FAQ on Guys With Cats
Is it okay for a guy to like cats?
Yes, it’s perfectly okay for guys to like cats. There are some 46.5 million households in the United States that include a cat, and this includes plenty of men.
Men and women should feel empowered to express their enjoyment of any adults, regardless of whether society says it’s OK for them to do so.
Are guys with cats attractive?
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that most women find it attractive if men own a cat. It’s arguably one of the many secrets to being irresistible to women.
Guys with cats tend to be associated with attractive qualities, such as compassion, intelligence, and patience.
However, it should be mentioned that not all women will feel this way. Also, it’s unlikely that cat ownership on its own will be enough to make you attractive to women. Most women are attracted to the whole package, not individual aspects of a man.
However, if you do have the positive qualities that are associated with cat owners, that would be a great starting point to attract a great woman.
What does it mean if a guy loves cats?
Men have their own unique reasons for loving cats.
However, it could be assumed that they enjoy the sense of love, companionship, and fulfillment that comes from pet ownership.
It’s also likely that he has plenty of patience, empathy, and selflessness, as these qualities are generally required to be a good cat owner.
Are men with cats less dateable?
There are no reasons why a woman should find men with cats less dateable unless she herself has an allergy or can’t stand to be around cats.
With that said, there are studies that suggest that posing with a cat in your online dating profile picture can reduce the number of matches you attract.
Perhaps that’s because dating app users are more likely to search for short-term flings - and cat ownership suggests that a man has qualities more suited to a long-term boyfriend.
Either way, this is worth bearing in mind if you’re a cat owner exploring the world of dating apps.
What do you call a man who loves cats?
There aren’t any specific terms reserved for a man who loves cats. You could call him a “cat lover” or “cat enthusiast” but these terms are both gender-neutral.
