I am going to refer to dog-like behavior, not dog-like appearance. No cats look like dogs because they are cats! There are three cat breeds whose behaviour can sometimes be a bit dog-like and they are:
The information comes from Gloria Stephens’ Legacy of the Cat. She is or was a cat show judge. For example, in describing the Norwegian Forest cat she writes: “When outdoors they will come when called, and they enjoy walking along with their owner as a dog would, chasing squirrels and running up trees.”
She writes that: “The Chartreux is said to have dog-like devotion to its owners (and, like a dog, it loves a good car ride) and is tolerant and gentle with small children.”
And finally, in describing the temperament of the Pixiebob she writes: “These intelligent, inquisitive cats are dog-like in their devotion and loyalty and are easily trained to walk on a leash.”
You can rely on Gloria Stephens’ assessment but please note that each individual cat of any cat breed has their own individual character and therefore I think it would be fair to state that not all cats of these breeds are dog-like in their character. Further, it won’t necessarily be a distinct and obvious character trait. The point that I am making is don’t expect to automatically adopt one of these cats and expect them to behave like a dog when you get home! It isn’t that simple.
On the basis that each individual cat has their own character traits, we cannot forget the moggies of the world. These are random-bred and among them there will be those with characters which are somewhat dog-like, sometimes.
There is one last point to make and it is this. Gloria Stephens is referring to all the conventional cat breeds in her book. She does not touch on the wild cat hybrids which, in respect of answering this question, is unfortunate because I would argue that there will be some individual cats within the wild cat hybrids such as the Bengal and Savannah cats, which are also dog-like. They are perhaps the smartest domestic cats on the block and with that intelligence and inquisitiveness it is likely that they will be more responsive to requests such as playing fetch or being amenable to be trained to walk on the lead. Both dog behaviour characteristics.
Note: you’ll see some pretty wild statements about dog-like cats on the internet and Google places them top in search results. I don’t believe them. Be cautious about articles on this topic please.
SOME MORE ON CAT PERSONALITY:
Best and worst cat breeds on 10 characteristics as the British Shorthair comes out on top (Infographic)
What is the black cat personality?
Person asks, “I want a beautiful cat that is affectionate and loving. What breed makes the best cat?”
About the personality of the cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
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