What Your Cat’s Personality Says About You貓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.

盡管難以置信，但貓咪對主人的關(guān)注超出我們的想象。動物行為學(xué)家指出，雖然貓以獨立和充滿個性著稱，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.

《新聞周刊》就此采訪了兩位專家，他們表示：貓咪的部分特質(zhì)可能與主人一脈相承，而另一些則可能意味著貓咪需要進(jìn)一步訓(xùn)練。

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.

來自洛杉磯的西爾薇·斯特林告訴《新聞周刊》：“貓咪反映了我們的情緒狀態(tài)，但愿我們能從它們身上看到自己的影子。”這位“貓語者”，同時也是一所貓咪溝通學(xué)院的創(chuàng)始人，解釋了貓的某些特征是如何與它們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.”

“客人來訪時總躲在床底的貓咪，很可能反映出主人不擅長與人相處?！彼固亓秩绱苏f道，“攻擊性強的貓咪可能映射出主人對世界充滿憤怒，常常無緣無故地對人發(fā)火；而膽小的貓則反映了主人總是逆來順受。”

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

“貓咪心靈學(xué)院”的創(chuàng)始人斯特林研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，過度舔毛梳理自己的貓咪可能意味著主人“過度在意自身外貌”。

“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：“無論哪種情況，關(guān)鍵是主人要識別這種模式，從而改變自身行為或開始療愈未解決的人生課題。一旦主人改變了自身行為，貓咪也會隨之改變。因此，讓貓感到幸福的關(guān)鍵是我們自己首先要快樂?！?/p>

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.

斯特林的觀點得到了線上期刊《公共科學(xué)圖書館·綜合》一項研究的支持。研究人員探討了主人性格與貓咪生活方式之間的關(guān)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.

該研究調(diào)查了3000多名貓主人，聚焦語言、詞匯以及五大性格特質(zhì)（外向性、宜人性、開放性、責(zé)任心和神經(jīng)質(zhì)）之間的聯(lián)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.

結(jié)果顯示，“合群性”得分高的貓咪，其主人外向性得分顯著更高；被描述為冷漠或回避型的貓咪，其主人在開放性、責(zé)任心和宜人性方面得分較低。

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.

養(yǎng)胖貓的主人在宜人性上得分明顯偏低，但神經(jīng)質(zhì)得分較高；瘦貓的主人在宜人性方面得分同樣較低，但外向性較高。

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

《新聞周刊》還采訪了野生動物與寵物網(wǎng)站“萌寵狂熱”的創(chuàng)始人湯米·懷爾德。

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.

這位動物訓(xùn)練師表示：“雖然主人性格與貓的行為存在一些普遍的關(guān)聯(lián)，但必須記住，貓咪是高度特立獨行的生物?！?/p>

“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.

“貓咪通常會受到主人性格的些許影響，但更多時候它們擁有與主人截然不同的獨特個性。貓咪的性格更多受遺傳和成長環(huán)境的影響?！彼嬖V《新聞周刊》。

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.”

懷爾德列舉了一些可能體現(xiàn)行為模仿的特征：“害羞的貓咪可能表明主人本身安靜內(nèi)向，營造了一個適合害羞貓咪的平靜環(huán)境；也可能是它幼年時期缺乏社交活動。主人需要通過溫和的社交技巧來幫助貓咪建立自信?！?/p>

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.”

他繼續(xù)說道：“親人的貓咪通常表明主人已經(jīng)通過信任和喜愛建立了牢固的情感紐帶。主人很可能給予了貓咪充足的關(guān)注和積極的互動，但需注意滿足貓咪的游戲需求和精神刺激，因為過度黏人有時可能是無聊或焦慮的表現(xiàn)?！?/p>

Wylde said traits like fierceness and destructiveness aren’t always due to the owner’s personality. In fact， both behaviors suggest there isn’t enough mental stimulation for the pet.

懷爾德強調(diào)，攻擊性和破壞性行為并不總是源于主人性格。事實上，這兩種行為都表明寵物沒有得到足夠的精神刺激。

“A feisty cat may suggest an owner who enjoys playful interactions and encourages active engagement with their pet，” he said. “It could also mean the owner provides plenty of stimulation and play opportunities. However， if the cat’s feistiness leads to aggression or overly rough play， it may indicate that the owner needs to focus on proper boundaries and training.”

“活潑的貓咪可能意味著主人喜歡和寵物一起游戲，進(jìn)而激發(fā)了更多積極的互動行為?！彼f，“也可能表明主人為貓咪提供了充足的引逗和玩耍活動。但如果貓咪的活潑演變?yōu)楣粜曰蜻^度粗魯?shù)耐嫠?，可能需要主人為貓咪建立適當(dāng)?shù)男袨榻缦薏⑦M(jìn)行訓(xùn)練?！?/p>

He continued： “A cat with destructive tendencies might imply that the owner needs to provide more environmental enrichment and mental stimulation. It could also indicate a lack of training or proper outlets for the cat’s natural instincts. The owner might need to invest in appropriate toys， scratching posts or training to redirect destructive behaviors.”

他補充道：“具有破壞性傾向的貓咪可能意味著主人需要為其提供更大的活動空間和更多的精神刺激。這也可能表明貓咪缺乏訓(xùn)練或其天性沒有得到適當(dāng)?shù)尼尫?。主人也許需要購買合適的玩具、貓抓板或進(jìn)行訓(xùn)練，以糾正貓咪的破壞性行為。”

However Sterling said she believes a feisty cat that mobs other cats might be mirroring a bossy person.

但斯特林也說，一只好斗的貓咪去欺負(fù)其他的貓，可能是在模仿專橫跋扈的主人。

“A destructive cat most likely reflects a person who is angry at the world and lashes out，” she said.

“愛搞破壞的貓咪很可能反映了主人對世界充滿憤怒且肆意發(fā)泄?！?/p>

Wylde explained that a cat’s upbringing， day-to-day life and even genes can significantly affect the way it acts. The owner’s personality is not likely to influence destructive or feisty behavior in a cat， he said.

懷爾德解釋道，貓咪的成長經(jīng)歷、日常生活甚至基因遺傳，都會顯著影響其行為方式，主人的性格不太可能直接導(dǎo)致貓咪出現(xiàn)破壞或好斗行為。

“There are a number of behaviors in the owner that could indirectly lead to the cat being destructive， however. Destructive behavior can be a result of boredom in cats， for example， which might be the case if the owner is indifferent to the cat and leaves it to its own devices，” he said.

“然而，主人的一些行為可能間接引發(fā)貓咪搞破壞。例如，如果主人對貓咪漠不關(guān)心、放任不管，貓咪可能因無聊而產(chǎn)生破壞行為。”

“A feisty cat or one with a higher level of aggression... could also mean that the cat has gotten used to having to struggle in its everyday life， which could point towards the owner being a bit carefree with regards to the needs of the cat，” Wylde said， “But all in all， I don’t think that the personality of the owner plays a significant role in a cat’s personality.”

“好斗的貓咪或攻擊性較強的貓咪……也可能意味著它們習(xí)慣了在日常生活中掙扎求生，這可能反映出主人對貓咪的需求不太上心?！睉褷柕驴偨Y(jié)道，“但總體而言，我認(rèn)為主人的性格對貓咪的個性影響并不大?！?/p>

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎?wù)撸?/p>

1 cat whisperer貓語者，指被認(rèn)為比普通人更擅長解讀貓的面部表情、能更好了解貓的情緒狀態(tài)的人。