Welcome to our Peculiar Pet Facts series, where we investigate the quirks of our pets and explore the science behind them.
Have you ever noticed that your dog grabs a toy with the same paw most of the time? Or that your cat enters the litter box with the same paw? Probably not, but it’s the kind of thing to look at to find out if your cat or dog is one of the many animals that have a preference for paws.
Leg preference is common to many species
The preference for the right or left hand/paw/forelimb, known in the scientific world as laterality, has been observed in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Octopuses and crustaceans may have tentacle or claw preferences (think blue crabs with a much larger crushing claw), parrots may have a foot preference for holding food, and some marsupials and non-human primates have paw or hand preferences for certain tasks.
Cats may prefer their right paw
Not all cats and dogs have a preference for paws; like many things, it depends on each cat or dog. For example, in one study, 78% of cats and 68% of dogs showed a preference for paws, while the rest used both paws interchangeably. Interestingly, cats were more likely to have the right paw, but there was no sex difference in dogs. Scientists aren’t quite sure why animals show preferences for legs (or hands or forelimbs), but it’s likely a combination of factors like genetics, learned behaviors and environmental influences.
The overall preferences of the population are not yet clear
The jury made findings on paw preference for the entire cat or dog population. Many studies that examine laterality have a relatively small sample size (number of participating animals), and conclusions may change depending on which cats or dogs were used, their previous experiences, and the methods used for the tests. test. So, while conclusions can be drawn about specific studies, there is not yet enough evidence to draw conclusions about the entire population of cats or dogs.
Test your pet’s paw preference
If you want to know if your cat or dog has a paw preference, there are easy ways to test it. This will take some time, as you need to repeat each test around 50 times to get a “real” result – this shouldn’t be done in one session though. If your pet uses the same paw more than 65% of the time, he probably prefers that paw.
- For dogs, place a toy in front of them and see which paw they use to touch it. This works especially well if it’s a hollow toy filled with a high-value treat that they have to hold their paw on to get the treat out.
- For cats, hang their favorite toy in front of them or play “dot chase” with a laser and see which paw they use to hit it.
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