If you have used a dating app, you will know the importance of choosing good profile pics.
These photos do not just relay attractiveness; a recent study suggested that 43% of people think they can get a sense of someone’s personality by their picture. You might guess that someone who has included a photo of themselves hiking is an outdoorsy type of person.
But as scientists who study human-animal interactions, we wanted to know what this meant for pet owners – in particular, male cat owners.
If you are a guy who owns a cat, what kind of effect does it have on suitors if you post a picture posing with your favourite feline?
Prior studies suggested that women do judge a potential male partner based on whether he has pets. While they favour men with dogs, the results showed that they also give men with cats an edge over non-pet owners.
Because of this, we reasoned that men…
