Have you ever wondered why Ragdoll cats tend to be on the calmer side? Or why Bengal cats love water so much? 

According to Psychology today, the reason why these breeds act differently are because of both their environmental and hereditary factors. 

Scientific Reports noticed that purebred breeders invest more time into encouraging socialization  between the kittens, which can easily set them apart from unsocialized feral cats. 

Cats’ personalities can also be derived from their ancestors. 

This is shown in British Shorthair cats who still have the physical and behavioral nature of the 19th century Brachycephalic Persian. 

The Animal Care Center of Castle Pines put together a list of cat breeds and how they typically act. 

For example, Lykoi cats are not the type to share their toys, but they have excellent problem solving skills. Siamese cats are very outgoing, while Persian cats are more on the reserved side. 

What about a cat’s color? Does that determine anything? 

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) performed a study on how a cat’s fur impacts their adoption rate. Their initial concern was whether people are right to avoid the villainized black cats when looking for a furry companion. 

Darker cats have always been seen as bad luck, resulting in them having the highest euthanization rate of all cat types. 

The results, overall, conclude to never judge a cat by its color; however, this doesn’t mean that general categories don’t exist. 

“Overall, orange cats and bi-colored cats were characterized as friendly, while black cats, white cats, and tri-colored cats were regarded as more antisocial. White cats were considered to be more shy, lazy and calm, while tortoiseshell cats were more likely to be depicted as both more intolerant and more trainable. Black cats were typified as having less extreme character traits, which might contribute to their mysterious reputation,” said UC Berkeley author Yasmin Anwar. 

The breed of a cat can dictate how they act, but the color scientifically doesn’t. So, next time you visit your local shelter, think twice before you overlook the group of unwanted black cats.