Meeting the Cat
Learn everything you can about the cat's history. Personality is formed both by a genetic tendency to friendliness and by how the cat's character has been shaped by how they were raised and other experiences. A poorly socialized cat may be set in its ways and find it difficult to settle in to family life. Whether the cat is a rescue or from a private household ask about previous owners, how it responded to visitors, children, noise, hustle and bustle and going outside. If the kitten is from a breeder, ask about what steps they have taken to socialize their kittens.
Ask for permission to interact with a cat. If you have not been granted access to the cat you’re interested in, visit the shelter, shop, or rescue organization where it is being housed. Ask the staff, “Has this cat’s personality been assessed?” If it has, request a summary of the assessment. If it has not, ask “May I assess this cat’s personality?” When they assent to your request, begin the assessment process. Assessing a cat’s personality is typically part of the process involved in matching cats with potential owners. With a personality assessment in hand, families and individuals interested in obtaining a cat can make a more informed decision. If you believe you need a professional to help you conduct the cat’s personality assessment, ask for such an individual at the shelter or rescue organization where the cat is being housed.
Look at the cat’s body language. There are basically three types of body postures you should look for. One is the soft and relaxed posture. This is characterized by a cat who is reclining or walking with an easygoing gait. The second posture is the tense body with twitching tail. This posture indicates a nervous demeanor. Finally, a flattened body (for instance, ears against its head and tail on the ground) with dilated pupils indicates a cat that is defensive and very fearful. Be aware of your own body language as well. Don't accidentally threaten the cat by staring or crowding it, which can even make a friendly cat defensive. Give the cat plenty of space and try to watch it from the corner of your eye.
Talk to the cat in a soft voice. Right after looking at the cat’s body language, speak to it in a reassuring manner. For instance, you might say, “Hello, good cat. You look very well today.” Observe the cat’s response. If the cat is very friendly and outgoing, it will move toward you and meow, or engage in additional behaviors to solicit affection (for instance, trying to touch you with its paw). If the cat is moderately friendly and outgoing, it will come to the front of the cage but remain silent. If the cat is slightly friendly, it will vocalize with a chirp or meow. Unfriendly or anxious cats will attempt to hide. Hostile cats will hiss, growl, stand their hair on end, keep their ears down, and in rare cases, charge at you (even from within the cage).
Open the door to the cat’s cage. After talking to the cat in a soft voice, open its cage while watching it. Cats who are more adventurous and outgoing will remain relaxed and walk right up to you when you open the cage. They might also remain standing but flick their tail back and forth. Cats who are a bit shy but not fearful will remain relaxed and calm, but will not approach you or make any motion. Cats that are very anxious or afraid will crouch in a low, defensive position and make their bodies stiff. Do not talk to the cat while opening its cage.
Introduce the cat to a new space. After opening to door to the cat’s cage, transport the cat to a new room using a cat carrier. Place the carrier on the floor and open the door. Back away to give the cat some space and try sitting on the floor so you are less intimidating. Using a stopwatch, measure how long it takes the cat to exit the carrier. If the cat takes 25 seconds or less to exit and it steps out with head held high, and looks about inquisitively, your cat is very outgoing and friendly. If the cat takes 25 seconds or less to exit and it steps out with a compact or slinking posture, it has a cautious personality. If the cat exits the carrier within 25 seconds quickly, then runs beneath a hiding place (a table, chair, or similar place), the cat has a fearful personality. If the cat takes more than 25 seconds to exit, or does not exit at all, it might be scared, stressed, or it might just be an easygoing cat that enjoys observing more than exploring.
Interacting With a Cat
Time how long the cat interacts with you in a new space. Once the cat exits the carrier, reset your stopwatch and measure the time the cat spends interacting with you. Interaction is defined as sitting in your lap, rubbing against your leg, meowing or chirping at you, and looking at you. Do not encourage the cat to interact with you. Make no sound or motion apart from looking at the cat. If the cat spends less than 30 seconds interacting with you, it might be shy or afraid. If the cat interacts with you for 30-60 seconds, it has a pleasant and agreeable personality. In day-to-day activities, the cat will probably divide its time equally between playing or interacting with you and spending time in solitude. If the cat interacts with you for over 60 seconds, it has a very friendly and agreeable personality, and probably craves human attention.
Call the cat over. Once you’ve measured the length of the cat’s baseline level of interest in you, move to a distance of about six feet (two meters) from the cat. Crouch down. Call the cat to you in a soft and encouraging manner. Watch carefully how it interacts with you. If the cat does not make eye contact, it is more cautious and shy than a cat that does make eye contact. If the cat sniffs or nuzzles you, it is very friendly and enjoys being the center of attention. If it rolls on its back, inviting a tummy rub, it has a trusting personality. This is also a sign it is friendly and open to new experiences. If the cat watches you from a distance and does not approach, it has a relatively private personality, and prefers monitoring the situation rather than engaging with other pets or people. If the cat retreats, it has the type of personality that spooks easily and perhaps needs time to develop trust.
Extend your hand to the cat. Your hand should be below the cat’s head with the palm facing up. If the cat didn’t approach you when you called it, approach the cat slowly and carefully. If the cat swats at your hand, hisses, or tries to bite your hand, back away. This indicates that the cat likes being left alone and doesn’t enjoy social interaction or feels threatened by you. If the cat sniffs, licks, or nuzzles your hand, this indicates the cat is relatively outgoing and social.
Pet the cat. While talking to the cat in a gentle, reassuring manner, turn your hand over so the palm faces down. Curve your hand slightly. Place your hand on the cat’s head, then move it gently along the length of the cat’s body until you reach the mid-back. At that point, lift your hand up, then place it again on the cat’s head. Repeat the motion several times while monitoring your cat’s reaction. Cats that are fearful or hostile will bite or swat your hand away. Cats that are independent but also enjoy spending time with people will roll on their backs, meow or make another vocalization, and circle you attentively. Cats that are highly social and very outgoing will rub against your hand, encouraging you to continue petting them.
Don’t test the cat using fake appendages. In order to test their cat’s personality, some people like to “stroke” the cat using a hand made of rubber or plastic. However, these objects will alarm most cats, who rely on smell more than visual data to identify what is and is not dangerous.
Play with the cat. Happy and healthy cats will never pass up a chance to chase a toy. Move about three feet (one meter) away from the cat and sit on the floor. Slowly pull a piece of yarn along the floor in front of you. You could also roll a ball or use a similar cat toy. Observe the cat’s reaction. Cats that have playful and energetic personalities will watch the toy intently and chase it. They might try to snuggle against you while you move the toy about, too. Cats that are less energetic and extremely independent will ignore the toy, attend to something else, and/or not make eye contact with you.
Preventing Incorrect Assessments
Allow the cat to relax. If you’ve just recently moved the cat to a new environment – a new home or an animal shelter, for instance – give it time to acclimate to the environment. Most animals will be skittish and anxious when they first arrive in an unfamiliar place. In order to accurately determine what sort of personality the cat has, wait at least a day or two for it to calm down.
House the cat comfortably. You can put the cat at ease by housing it in a clean, quiet room, and using a cage that has plenty of room to move around. Since cats are fearful when trapped and looked down upon, house the cage at waist level or above. Play some soft music for the cat, and allow the cat to look out into the room to see human activity. Keep other cats away, unless they are of the opposite gender of the cat whose personality you wish to assess.
Do not conduct a personality exam alongside a physical exam. During physical examinations, cats are prodded and turned over. They might receive shots or have their blood drawn. These experiences will alarm and stress your cat, making it difficult to accurately assess the cat’s baseline personality. Therefore, assessing your cat’s personality while it is receiving a physical exam is not a good idea.
Only assess cats during periods of good health. Don’t try to assess cats who are sick or injured. When cats are sick or injured, they will be less responsive and might act in novel and unpredictable ways. Therefore, wait until sick or injured cats are healed before assessing their personalities. For the same reason, don’t try to assess the personality of a cat in heat.
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