Women viewed men holding a cat (femininity) as less dateable & less masculine (Kogan & Volsche, 2020), because the reverence of masculinity (canines) is the water we all swim in...
Cute kittens increase perceptions of femininity in the cat-owner, which means straight men taking selfies with their kitten are decreasing their potential mate value with some proportion of women in the marketplace of intimacy (DeBruine et al., 2006).
For Catwomen, Catmen May Signal Egalitarian Comfort
- Catwomen viewed Catmen as more dateable.
- Cats are more autonomous & don't require what may reflect paternalistic chivalrous oversight.
- Thus, catwomen may like a man who has a cat because it suggests he'd be satisfied in an egalitarian relationship where she has her own thing, schedule, social group etc & he wouldn't go into male brain mode about it.
Doggo Colorism
- Wells and Hepper (1992) found that people preferred blonde to black-coated dogs.”
- Lighter colored dogs facilitate more social interactions by increasing the approachability of the owner. Thus, having lighter colored dogs provides utilitarian benefits to individuals who otherwise may be seen as socially less approachable (e.g., non-Christians in America, racial minorities).
