Dating apps are becoming a favorite with the young crowd. The recent coronavirus pandemic and restrictions have further pushed up the usage of these dating apps. The users of the dating apps take a lot of time to decide on which picture to upload for the profile photo. This is because an impression is made based on this photo. Researchers from Colorado and Boise State University studied the dateability of men with cats. They determined whether women found men with cats in the photo dateable and attractive! The results of the study were surprising.

Dating apps and men with pets

Men prefer to post photos of them with pets as their dating app profile picture. And a previous study suggested that women do judge a male partner based on whether he owns pets or not. The study said that men with pets were considered more attractive and desirable by women. They felt that such men are sensitive and would have a loving nature. Women in this study favored men with dogs but also considered men with cats better than those with no pets.

The new study on the dateability of men with cats

The researchers recruited 1388 heterosexual women in the age group of 18-24 years from the USA. A short anonymous online survey was done. The women were presented with either photos of young white men with cats or those without cats. They were asked to rate the men based on their personality attributes-that included their masculinity, femininity, and dateability. Women were also asked whether they themselves were a cat person, a dog person, neither, or both.

And the results were surprising! Because women said that they found men with cats less dateable. The previous study of the same Universities revealed that women found men with pets better than those without pets. The women in this new study felt that men who hold cats as pets were more neurotic and less extroverted. They also considered them less masculine.

Explanation of the findings

Previous studies have revealed that women seek masculine men-in physique and behavior. Hence women always seek in a man a higher masculinity quotient. They try to figure out whether the man is more masculine or not from the clues around. They want to date masculine men. Hence they feel that a man with cats is more feminine and less masculine.

The root cause of this is the old cultural norms. Somehow, culture has connected male femininity with homosexuality. Cats have more female owners and hence the women in this survey thought that men with cats were more feminine. But would such men be more loving, caring, and sensitive? May need another study for it!

Also, read Former couples fight bitterly over pets during divorce!

It is likely that women feel that such men with cats are more of a friendly type and not suitable for a date. And this strange perception of the women remained immaterial of the fact whether they were dog lovers, none, or both. But women who were cat lovers liked men who held a cat in the photo and thought he was dateable.

So this implies that men who want to get a partner should avoid showing off their cats in the photo and save it for after a few dates!