While looks aren’t everything, there’s no use pretending that they’re not the first things we judge people on when checking out their dating profile. We know that having an animal in your profile photo is more likely to get you a date, but you might be surprised by which animals have the highest success rate.
- It’s not all about dogs and cats. The folks at Zoosk analyzed a whopping 15,314,690 photos, pulling data to determine which animals got their owners (or photographers) the most dates. While it’s easy to assume dogs or cats topped the list, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
- Hamsters were the winner. Yes, really. Profiles with pics that featured everyone’s favorite childhood pet received 351% more messages from other users. Maybe it’s because most adults don’t really have hamsters anymore (or so we assume) and it’s seen as quirky or cute? Who knows!
- Sheep, elephants, and horses were nearly as popular. Sheep came in at number 2, increasing inbound messages by 328%, while elephants and horses increased messages by 314% and 282% respectively. While it’s unlikely that a lot of users have elephants as pets, this one could be helped if the photo is taken in an exotic location, as it makes the person look more worldly. That’s my guess anyway!
- Rabbits, dogs, frogs, and cats were next up. Each of those animals increased inbound messages by 275%, 265%, 247%, and 241%. Dogs and cats being so lovable isn’t really a surprise. The only real surprise is that they didn’t top the list!
- Users didn’t discriminate—they love all animals. The other popular animals that got users more messages were birds (232%), goats (225%), goldfish (161%), snakes (171%), and lizards (109%). In other words, people really seem to love fellow animal lovers, regardless of which animals they are.
- Even mentioning animals in your profile can have a positive effect. Well, at least for men, and only if they’re mentioning particular animals. References to cats and birds had the least effect for dudes, but snake talk (no pun intended… maybe) gets them 178% more messages. Go figure.
[H/T Ask Men]
