What Your Cat’s Personality Says About You猫咪的性格透露了主人哪些秘密？

It may be hard to believe， but cats pay more attention to their owners than we think. Felines are notoriously independent and often full of character， yet their personality traits could be a reflection of their owners， according to animal behaviorists.

尽管难以置信，但猫咪对主人的关注超出我们的想象。动物行为学家指出，虽然猫以独立和充满个性著称，但其性格特征可能是主人的映射。

Newsweek reached out to two experts who said certain traits can be inherited from owners， while other characteristics may indicate that further training is needed.

《新闻周刊》就此采访了两位专家，他们表示：猫咪的部分特质可能与主人一脉相承，而另一些则可能意味着猫咪需要进一步训练。

Los Angeles-based Sylvie Sterling told Newsweek： “Cats reflect our own emotional states back at us， hoping we’ll recognize ourselves in them.” The cat whisperer1 and owner of an academy for cat communication explained how certain characteristics can coincide with those of their keepers.

来自洛杉矶的西尔薇·斯特林告诉《新闻周刊》：“猫咪反映了我们的情绪状态，但愿我们能从它们身上看到自己的影子。”这位“猫语者”，同时也是一所猫咪沟通学院的创始人，解释了猫的某些特征是如何与它们主人的特征相契合的。

“A cat that keeps hiding under the bed when visitors come over most likely reflects a person who doesn’t feel comfortable around other people，” Sterling said. “An aggressive cat might reflect a person who is angry at the world and frequently chews people’s heads off. Whereas a timid cat reflects a person who lets other people walk all over them.”

“客人来访时总躲在床底的猫咪，很可能反映出主人不擅长与人相处。”斯特林如此说道，“攻击性强的猫咪可能映射出主人对世界充满愤怒，常常无缘无故地对人发火；而胆小的猫则反映了主人总是逆来顺受。”

Sterling， the founder of Feline Soul Academy， said a cat that overgrooms may indicate its owner is “overly concerned about their looks.”

“猫咪心灵学院”的创始人斯特林研究发现，过度舔毛梳理自己的猫咪可能意味着主人“过度在意自身外貌”。

“In any case， it’s important that the person recognizes the pattern so that they can change their behavior or start healing their unresolved life topics. Once the human changes their behavior， so will the cat. So the key to a happy cat is to be happy ourselves first，” she said.

她又提到：“无论哪种情况，关键是主人要识别这种模式，从而改变自身行为或开始疗愈未解决的人生课题。一旦主人改变了自身行为，猫咪也会随之改变。因此，让猫感到幸福的关键是我们自己首先要快乐。”

Sterling’s statements have been backed by a study published in the online journal PLoS One. Researchers explored the relationship between owner personality and the lifestyles to which cats are exposed.

斯特林的观点得到了线上期刊《公共科学图书馆·综合》一项研究的支持。研究人员探讨了主人性格与猫咪生活方式之间的关系。

Over 3，000 cat owners took part in the survey， which focused on the link between language and vocabulary and the evidence of five broad traits： extroversion， agreeableness， openness， conscientiousness and neuroticism.

该研究调查了3000多名猫主人，聚焦语言、词汇以及五大性格特质（外向性、宜人性、开放性、责任心和神经质）之间的联系。

The results showed that cats with high “gregariousness” scores were associated with significantly higher owner extroversion. Cats reported to be aloof or avoidant were associated with owners who scored low scores for openness， conscientiousness and agreeableness.

结果显示，“合群性”得分高的猫咪，其主人外向性得分显著更高；被描述为冷漠或回避型的猫咪，其主人在开放性、责任心和宜人性方面得分较低。

Owners of overweight cats had significantly lower scores for agreeableness but higher scores for neuroticism. Owners of underweight cats also had low scores for agreeableness but higher scores for extroversion.

养胖猫的主人在宜人性上得分明显偏低，但神经质得分较高；瘦猫的主人在宜人性方面得分同样较低，但外向性较高。

Newsweek also reached out to Tommy Wylde， the owner of Floof Mania， a wildlife and animal website.

《新闻周刊》还采访了野生动物与宠物网站“萌宠狂热”的创始人汤米·怀尔德。

Wylde， an animal trainer， said： “While there are some general correlations between a cat owner’s personality and the cat’s behavior， it’s also important to remember that cats are highly intendant and unique creatures.

这位动物训练师表示：“虽然主人性格与猫的行为存在一些普遍的关联，但必须记住，猫咪是高度特立独行的生物。”

“They’re often somewhat influenced by their owner’s personality type. A lot of times， they’ll have their own unique personality that’s almost completely separate from their owners. Cats’ personalities are much more likely to be influenced by genetics and the environment the cat grew up in，” he told Newsweek.

“猫咪通常会受到主人性格的些许影响，但更多时候它们拥有与主人截然不同的独特个性。猫咪的性格更多受遗传和成长环境的影响。”他告诉《新闻周刊》。

Wylde provided some traits that may indicate behavioral mimicry. “A shy cat might indicate that the owner is either very quiet and introverted themselves， creating a calm environment that suits a shy cat， or that the cat may have had limited socialization during kittenhood. The owner may need to work on building the cat’s confidence through gentle socialization techniques.”

怀尔德列举了一些可能体现行为模仿的特征：“害羞的猫咪可能表明主人本身安静内向，营造了一个适合害羞猫咪的平静环境；也可能是它幼年时期缺乏社交活动。主人需要通过温和的社交技巧来帮助猫咪建立自信。”

He went on： “A cuddly cat usually suggests that the owner has built a strong bond based on trust and affection. The owner likely provides plenty of attention and positive interactions. However， it’s essential for the owner to ensure the cat’s needs for play and mental stimulation are also met， as overly clingy behavior can sometimes be a sign of boredom or anxiety.”

他继续说道：“亲人的猫咪通常表明主人已经通过信任和喜爱建立了牢固的情感纽带。主人很可能给予了猫咪充足的关注和积极的互动，但需注意满足猫咪的游戏需求和精神刺激，因为过度黏人有时可能是无聊或焦虑的表现。”