Exotic Animal Companions and the Personality of Their Owners

Abstract

The present study explored sex-specific differences in the Big Five factors of personality between different pet ownership groups, in order to understand individual differences in the choice of companion animals. A total of 250 pet owners completed a German version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). For the first analysis, participants were divided into four broad groups: those owning traditional pets (e.g., cats, dogs), those owning cold-blooded exotic pets, those owning warm-blooded exotic pets, and those not owning animals. For the second analysis, participants were subdivided into nine groups, based on species of animal owned: cats, dogs, birds, fish, reptiles, spider/insect, small mammals, owners of many different animals, and non-owners. In both analyses, separate analyses of variance were applied to the scores of the NEO-FFI scales. Interaction effects between sex and several ownership groups on the traits Openness to Experience and Agreeableness were found in both analyses. Female owners of traditional pets scored, for example, significantly lower on openness to experience than female owners of cold-blooded exotic pets as well as male owners of traditional pets. Furthermore, female owners of cold-blooded exotic pets scored significantly higher on openness to experience than their male counterparts. Regarding agreeableness, male owners of cold-blooded exotic pets scored significantly lower than their female counterparts as well as male owners of traditional pets. These and other results indicate that personality may affect choice of petsbut in different directions for the two sexes.

From tigers to axolotls: Why people keep exotic pets in Russia

“…None of our participants admitted to abandon pets, but the release of exotic pets poses a series threat to native wildlife world-wide if they are invasive, carry diseases or have maladaptive genes or behaviours as result of breeding, transportation and keeping practices (Hellebuyck et al, 2017;Karesh, Cook, Gilbert, & Newcomb, 2007;Lockwood et al, 2019;Magalhaes & Jacobi, 2013;Pasmans et al, 2017). Further study of the rate and the reasons behind the abandonment of the exotic pets in Russia is recommended.…”

Characteristics of Pet Owners: Motivation and Need Fulfillment

“…In general, females with conventional pets, like cats and dogs, were less open to new experiences than were women who owned reptiles (Hergovich, Maurer, & Riemer, 2011). Female owners of birds and spiders were higher on agreeableness and openness than males of the same pet types; males owning cats and rodents were higher in agreeableness and openness than females with the same pets (Hergovich et al, 2011). Both studies showed significant differences among the personality of the owner and the type of pet they own.…”

Development and Application of the Owner-Bird Relationship Scale (OBRS) to Assess the Relation of Humans to Their Pet Birds

“…Means > 3.3 and standard deviation between 1.1 and 1.4 for all items loading on factor 2 indicate a somewhat smaller and more varying but nevertheless evident agreement to the social support the bird provides for the bird keeper (items 9-13). Quite similarly, means > 3.3 and standard deviation between 1.2 and 1.4 for all items loading on factor 4 indicate that in the owners' perceptions, most birds show a proximityseeking behavior toward the owner (items [19][20][21]. In contrast, the items loading on factor 1 show lower means (ranging from 2.6 to 3.8) and higher standard deviations (ranging from 1.3 to 1.5), reflecting the variance of agreement and disagreement to anthropomorphizing birds (items 1-8).…”