Do you know how right-handedness cats and left-handedness cats came to be? Do you know that a situation that we take for granted is very normal for humans also happens in cats? Cats may use either their right paw or their left paw more predominantly. So how can you tell which paw they prefer to use? Researchers wondered whether cats use their right paw or their left paw, and tried to measure this with some precision work.
Aren't there cases where humans use both hands equally? Yes. So do cats. For example, when opening a door, the opening of the door is unaffected no matter which hand a person uses. Or because a person opens a door with their left hand, we don't think they are left-handed. However, if a person writes with their left hand, we think they are left-handed. Care must be taken when chopping vegetables for food. If someone does this delicate task with their left hand, they are probably left-handed. We do non-sensitive tasks with both hands, but in general, of course, we use our dominant hand.
Cats are just like humans! They use both paws if the task doesn't require dexterity. But research shows that this is not the case for more delicate tasks. Scientists at Queens University conducted an experiment. They put a piece of tuna fish in a jar. But the mouth of the jar was too small for the cats to put their heads in. Which paw would the cats use in such a situation?
Female cats are right-handed, male cats are left-handed
Half of the cats participating in the experiment were female and half were male. A total of 42 cats participated in the study. And interesting results were observed. At the end of the study, 20 of the 21 female domestic cats used their right paw to reach the food. 20 of the 21 male domestic cats used their left paw to do the same.
The researchers explain this difference by the difference in hormone levels. It is a known fact that testosterone, especially prenatal testosterone, increases the tendency to use the left hand. This is not unique to cats. It is also found in horses and dogs.
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