Cats and dogs may be sworn enemies but both have a role to play in helping very emotional people to cope.

For too long cats have been overlooked when it comes to stress-busting programmes in American universities, say researchers, who believe they could make a big difference.

Dogs are most often used as assistance animals but new research suggests that cats could also help to reduce stress in very emotional people.

More than 85% of “Pet Your Stress Away” events at American universities feature only dogs, but a paper published in the journal Anthrozoos suggests more people would benefit if they also had cats.

The study showed a strong association between personality traits such as emotionality and preference for cats.

Patricia Pendry, co-author of the study, said: “Emotionality is a pretty stable trait; it doesn’t fluctuate and is a quite consistent feature of our personalities. The higher-end of the scale was significantly more likely to be interested in cat interaction on campus.

Given that prior research has shown that such individuals may be more open to forming strong attachments to animals, it makes sense they would want cats to be included in these programs.

The study involved more than 1,400 students and staff from more than 20 universities.