As a vet, I get asked this question all the time. Clients love to connect with me about our mutual love of the same species, breed, or even age. When I mentioned my 18 year-old cat in a workplace bio, I suddenly had new clients who came to me because they “heard I love old cats.” And when I had a photo of me with my pitbull Hippo on our social media page, I drew in a new crowd of clients who came because they knew I was a pittie person.
The truth is, while I adore both dogs AND cats (and puppies and kittens and geriatrics of all types), I’m not a dog person or a cat person. I’m a people person! Dogs and cats made my 5 year-old self want to be a vet, but it’s the people that keep me loving this profession.
When young people tell me they want to be a vet because they love animals and don’t like people, I tell them that:
- The best way to help a pet is to first earn the trust of that pets’ owner
- Liking people makes our job infinitely easier
- Knowing how to talk to pet owners sets apart great vets from mediocre ones
So when pet owners ask if I’m a dog person or a cat person, I never hesitate to say that while I’m a lover of all animals, I’m really more of a people person!