Women Are Less Likely To ‘Swipe Right’ For Man Posing With a Cat

Sorry to all the cat-loving single guys out there, but new research shows that women are less likely to 'swipe right' on your dating profile picture if you are holding a cat.

According to a study by Colorado State University, "Women prefer men with ‘good genes,’ often defined more masculine traits. Clearly, the presence of a cat diminishes that perception.”

Researchers showed 708 women between the ages of 18 and 24 hundreds of pictures of two men, one pictured with a cat, the other without.

The study concluded, "Men holding cats were seen as less masculine; higher on neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness; and ultimately, less datable in the short or long term."

The data reveals when a woman was shown a picture of a man without a cat, 38% say they would either likely or very likely casually date him, 37% say they would enter into a serious relationship with him. Only 9% of women said they wouldn't consider dating him at all.

Now enter the cat.  Favorable responses in both categories for the same man holding a cat dropped to 33%. Women who said they wouldn't date him at all rose to 14%.

It's important to note that the findings were influenced by whether the female viewer self-identified as a “dog” or “cat” person. Could it be that American culture has determined that “cat men” are less masculine compared to “dog men”?

Ouch, that's kind of harsh!  Cats are definitely cool animals, but it seems they don't portray the stereotypical 'tough guy' image quite as well as a man with a Pit Bull might.

Maybe this is why we never saw John Wayne holding a cat.