Are men with cats less attractive on dating apps?

New research by Colorado State University has found that women are less attracted to a potential suitor if they are pictured with a pet cat.

According to the study, men with cats in their profile pictures on dating apps are seen as being "less masculine, more neurotic" and "less dateable."

Over 1,300 women between the ages of 18-24 were surveyed and the aim was understand to what degree, if any, the presence of a cat has on women’s perceptions of men online. 

The women were asked to view photos of men alone versus photos of the same men holding a cat, and then asked to rate the man holding the cat on various attributes including; masculinity, agreeableness and ultimately if they were datable in the short and long term.

Scientists who undertook the research concluded, “This study found that college-age women viewing a photo of a man alone versus a photo of the same man holding a cat rated the man holding the cat as less masculine.” 

However its important to note that the findings could be affected by some external factors which the researchers acknowledged, "We hypothesized that women who identify as a 'dog person' may be less likely to perceive a 'cat person' as datable."

It looks like animals can play a big part in how attractive we are perceived online with researchers saying, "These findings suggest that pets continue to play a role in women’s mate choices and dating preference."

Previous research had suggested that the presence of a pet may add to women’s perceptions of male attractiveness and dateability but it looks like the choice of animal is equally important.

For more beauty, lifestyle, and fashion tech, follow The Modems on Twitter and Instagram.