For Cat Owners, Past and Present. This is a Feline Temperament Type Sorter you can take to determine the 'type' of your cat:
Introduction - Purrsonality
For Tiger (RIP)-
BSPQ (Bold Social Compliant Quiet)
For most people this is a cat with a delightful temperament. A confident, easy-going, quiet, friendly cat, whose bold nature may cause him to get into mischief, but his charming, compliant attitude makes you love him anyway. The SPQ cats, whether bold or cautious, are often the 'beloved' cats in your life. Because he is bold, the BSPQ cat does not require the patience of an experienced cat lover to reveal his social inclinations. This kitty tends to have a repertoire of cute endearing gestures that he uses to get attention and initiate contact. Unlike his vocal counterpart, he is rarely annoying or perceived to be demanding. He may physically interfere with a project by laying on your computer keyboard, book, or newspaper, or by knocking beads, papers, tools, or other craft items on the floor. When he wants your attention at least he is quiet about it. Once he does get your attention, he then puts on a 'cute act' and disarms your anger over the interuption.
The BSPQ will most likely be a charming kitten. Bold and friendly, he welcomes attention and is likely to investigate anything or anyone new to his environment. Being a compliant cat, he will probably allow you to pick him up, unless he is feeling particularly frisky and playful. It is often a good idea to acquire kittens in pairs, this is especially true with bold social kittens who may be bored and lonely without a companion. The BSPQ will generally do well in a multi-cat group. He is probably pretty flexible when it comes to indoor or indoor / outdoor lifestyle choices as long as his indoor environment is sufficiently stimulating. Bold social cats need adventure and companionship, it would not be fair to leave him alone in a small apartment for long periods of time.
Your BSPQ cat will generally accept a reasonable amount of manipulation; so grooming, pilling, nail trimming and the like are not a major ordeal. Not only will your veterinarian be able to work with this cat, but you will also be able to follow through with treatment at home. However, a very bright BSPQ cat may make you feel as though he is always one step ahead of you. A master of the subtle art of body language, he will be able to read you like a book. Before you know it he will have you trained. He is a bold cat so clapping hands and verbal admonishments will probably not discourage unwanted behavior. As with most cats, encouraging appropriate and desirable behaviors is a matter of negotiation rather than a declaration of law.
The BSPQ is often the cat who is able to make a cat lover out of a skeptic. He is the cat who can cause a person to sheepishly recant previously stated notions about the undesirably of cats as friends and beloved companions. This is the cat who most often elicits the declaration, "I've always been a dog person, but this cat is different!"
CSDQ (Cautious Social Defiant Quiet)
Cautious social cats require time and familiarity to gain confidence and reveal their social nature. Once you have established a relationship, CSDQ cats can be very affectionate companions. This cat even though social is usually no where to be seen when you have house guests. Your friends will probably just have to believe you when you tell tales of your charming playful cat who showers you with affection.
If as a kitten the CSDQ cat has had positive contact with people, he will probably be open to a friendly approach. He may be easily frightened however, so a calm, patient demeanor will be needed. He may not reveal his defiant tendency as a young kitten. Sometimes the first clue you get is during his routine kitten visits at the veterinary clinic. He is a cautious kitty and will not like being in an unfamiliar environment. Drawing blood or trimming claws may prompt his first show of defiant behavior, usually fear, expressed with a hiss, spit, and a slap. Over reacting to his kitten defiance may set the stage for unpleasant veterinary visits from then on.
It may be dificult for you to get your CSDQ cat into a carrier, trim his claws, groom him or give him pills. Active resistance to restraint or manipulation can make these cats dificult to work with. Quiet defiant cats are generally less intimidating than their vocal counterparts. Patient calm persistance may allow you to establish regular routines for these activities that your CSDQ cat will find acceptable. It is, however, easy to miss a quiet cat's more subtle warnings and exceed his limits resulting in a bite or scratch. Quiet defiant cats may confuse some people, but are generally more managable because it is easier for one to remain calm when a cat is not screaming, growling, hissing, and spitting at you. Still, determined physical resistance is likely to discourage all but the most determined cat owners. CSDQ cats are often the arbiters of good and bad human behavior and are able to effectively train their human companions. Your cat may be the boss and you don't even realized it.
Cautious social cats may not initiate contact, but are likely to respond favorably to contact initiated by a familiar companion. With people the cautious social cat may respond to a friendly overture with face rubbing and bunting behavior. Frequent facial rubbing is common in cautious but social cats since a stable recognizable home territory is where they feel most confident. Being surrounded by olfactory evidence that he is on his own property is reasuring, and the more friendly facial pheromone marking system does not preclude social interaction. Because he is a social cat, the CSDQ cat will probably be comfortable in a multi-cat home. The CSDQ cat needs to gain familiarity with and trust in his feline companions as well as his human ones. An instance of displaced aggression could result in a long standing feline feud. It is less likely that a CSDQ cat will resort to urine marking even if there is a purrsonality clash in a multi-cat home. CSDQ cats are probably content to be indoor cats as long as they receive enough social interaction.
This is a cat that will respond favorably to your attention and love. Because we rarely have to 'make' our kitties do something that they don't want to do, life with a CSDQ cat can be very pleasant. As long as you behave, this cat will make you feel special.
BSDQ (Bold Social Defiant Quiet)
Like her vocal counterpart the BSDQ cat is one who actively seeks attention and companionship. As long as she does not feel restricted or imposed upon, she is a friendly charming companion. As a quiet cat, she is less likely to annoy you with frequent meowing, or intimidate you with vocal defiance. However, when crossed the BSDQ is more likely to be pushed to acts of physical violence. Both the BSDV cat and the BSDQ cat like to have their own way. Because people generally respond more readily to vocal communication the BSDV cat is a bit more effective in pushing us around. The BSDQ cat tends to catch us by surprise when her defiant side shows itself.
As a kitten, the BSDQ cat is a lively, friendly cutie. She may be more talkative as a kitten than as an adult, but is still much quieter than the BSDV cat. She is a squirmy kitten who likes your company, folllows you around and even likes to be petted, she just does not want to be confined or restricted. She will get increasingly agitated when you try to hold on to her or make her do something she does not want to do. The BSDQ kitten may get quite angry when you try to trim her claws. She may become a cat who is a difficult patient in a veterinary clinic. Any anger she feels in response to examination and treatment, is likely to be expressed as a bite or a swat with little in the way of an obvious warning.
In a multi-cat group the BSDQ cat will tend to be a dominant member of the group. She is bold and social so she will seek out the company of others and she is not easily intimidated. Other cats will understand her quiet gestures and body language. Because she likes to get her own way, there may be conflict when she is interacting with another defiant cat. If neither cat is vocal, people in the household may not even be aware of the on-going power struggle between two Bold Defiant Quiet cats.
When living with a BSDQ cat, it is important to learn how to effectively communicate with him. Her behavior is negotiable, but not likely to be enforceable. Fighting with a defiant cat is not likely to be productive. This is a cat that may end up biting 'unexpectedly' when seemingly unprovoked. (At least in the eyes of the provocator who received the bite.) When you have house guests you may need to watch her closely. She may join the party, get over stimulated or feel imposed upon, and bite a well-meaning, but cat-body-language-illiterate guest. The BSDQ cat can be a favorite, as long as you are not intimidated by her take-charge attitude. Mutual respect is required for a successfull, loving relationship with a BSDQ cat.
CSDQ (Cautious Social Defiant Quiet)
Cautious social cats require time and familiarity to gain confidence and reveal their social nature. Once you have established a relationship, CSDQ cats can be very affectionate companions. This cat even though social is usually no where to be seen when you have house guests. Your friends will probably just have to believe you when you tell tales of your charming playful cat who showers you with affection.
If as a kitten the CSDQ cat has had positive contact with people, he will probably be open to a friendly approach. He may be easily frightened however, so a calm, patient demeanor will be needed. He may not reveal his defiant tendency as a young kitten. Sometimes the first clue you get is during his routine kitten visits at the veterinary clinic. He is a cautious kitty and will not like being in an unfamiliar environment. Drawing blood or trimming claws may prompt his first show of defiant behavior, usually fear, expressed with a hiss, spit, and a slap. Over reacting to his kitten defiance may set the stage for unpleasant veterinary visits from then on.
It may be dificult for you to get your CSDQ cat into a carrier, trim his claws, groom him or give him pills. Active resistance to restraint or manipulation can make these cats dificult to work with. Quiet defiant cats are generally less intimidating than their vocal counterparts. Patient calm persistance may allow you to establish regular routines for these activities that your CSDQ cat will find acceptable. It is, however, easy to miss a quiet cat's more subtle warnings and exceed his limits resulting in a bite or scratch. Quiet defiant cats may confuse some people, but are generally more managable because it is easier for one to remain calm when a cat is not screaming, growling, hissing, and spitting at you. Still, determined physical resistance is likely to discourage all but the most determined cat owners. CSDQ cats are often the arbiters of good and bad human behavior and are able to effectively train their human companions. Your cat may be the boss and you don't even realized it.
Cautious social cats may not initiate contact, but are likely to respond favorably to contact initiated by a familiar companion. With people the cautious social cat may respond to a friendly overture with face rubbing and bunting behavior. Frequent facial rubbing is common in cautious but social cats since a stable recognizable home territory is where they feel most confident. Being surrounded by olfactory evidence that he is on his own property is reasuring, and the more friendly facial pheromone marking system does not preclude social interaction. Because he is a social cat, the CSDQ cat will probably be comfortable in a multi-cat home. The CSDQ cat needs to gain familiarity with and trust in his feline companions as well as his human ones. An instance of displaced aggression could result in a long standing feline feud. It is less likely that a CSDQ cat will resort to urine marking even if there is a purrsonality clash in a multi-cat home. CSDQ cats are probably content to be indoor cats as long as they receive enough social interaction.
This is a cat that will respond favorably to your attention and love. Because we rarely have to 'make' our kitties do something that they don't want to do, life with a CSDQ cat can be very pleasant. As long as you behave, this cat will make you feel special.
BSPV (Bold Social Compliant Vocal)
Bold and Social, the BSPV cat enjoys adventure and companionship. It is easy to make friends when you meet a confident cat with a vocal communication style, who actively seeks attention. When his vocal style includes a large vocabulary of pleasant chirps and mews, the BSPV can be the 'perfect' cat. However, if your idea of the 'perfect' cat is a quiet house quest who is pleasant but undemanding, the BSPV cat may be too needy for your tastes. When his vocal communication style is loud and repetitive, with a limited vocabulary, this attentive cat may drive you nuts.
As a kitten the BSPV cat is likely to be the one that meows in greeting, runs over to you, climbs into your lap, and steals your heart. If you like a conversational cat, go for it. If you prefer a quiet household try to find his quiet counterpart, the BSPQ kitten. Whenever possible, acquiring two kittens will make it easier to satisfy the social needs of the BSPV or the BSPQ. Bold, social, compliant cats generally live happily in groups. Sociability in cats is not indiscriminate however. Who and what any cat chooses to befriend is dependent on mutual compatibility and previous experience. BSPV/Q cats are just easy to get along with so the chances of forming friendships is greater than with some other temperament types.
Even though the BSPV is a compliant cat, he may actually be intimidating when you attempt to do things to him (like trim his nails or groom him) because his vocal commentary may sound more angry and reactive than he actually feels. Once a kitty learns that you are easily intimidated, even a compliant cat can dictate your behavior. Siamese cats have a bit of a reputation for being difficult in a veterinary exam room. Actually they are often just vocal cats, and are not necessarily any more likely to bite, scratch or struggle than any other cat. BSPV cats express their opinions out loud. It is perfectly reasonable to expect that a vocal cat will make less than happy sounds when placed in a potentially threatening situation. Over reaction to their vocalization can result in a confrontation rather than a pleasant exam. If your veterinarian or other experienced cat handler recognizes that your BSPV cat is just expressing his opinion, they will find him to be quite manageable.
The popularity of Siamese cats and more recently Maine Coon cats reflects our desire to share our home with a companion who will talk to us, enjoy our company, and approach life with confidence. Both of these breeds are reputed to have a temperament that fits the profile of a BSPV cat. Maine Coon cats are generally of the soft-spoken, large vocabulary communication style. The Siamese being recognized as the great orator of the domestic cat world. Whether or not this temperament type occurs with greater frequency in any particular breed of cat remains to be seen. It is however a temperament type that is likely to appeal to many cat owners.