Can cats be left-pawed and right-pawed?

It is believed that only about 13 percent of the world's human population is left-handed. Genetics are believed to be primarily responsible for this trait because left-handedness can definitely "run in the family". In fact, a gene that researchers believe is responsible for left-handedness has now been isolated.

Most left-handed people are much more likely to be creative. Most left-handers are visual thinkers who excel in creative fields like art and music. They are also more likely to excel in ball sports and at tasks that involve three-dimensional thinking and hand-eye coordination.

Does "handedness" apply to pets, too? Can cats be "left-pawed" or "right-pawed"?

The answer is "YES"!

Animals have a preferred side, meaning your cat may be "right-pawed" or "left-pawed". If he is a male, studies show that he is most likely "left-pawed". If your cat is a female, she is most likely to be "right-pawed".

Studies have tried to determine common characteristics of cats and dogs based on "pawedness". Discovery News reported a study on paw use that was done on 42 domestic cats (21 male and 21 female). It found that in simpler tasks, a definite paw preference might not emerge – but in more complex tasks, a strong paw preference exists in cats based on sex.

Most female cats and dogs prefer to use the right front paw while male cats and dogs prefer to use their left front paw. But in tests of pets that had been beutered, "pawedness" could not be determined by gender (the neutered animals showed no preference to one paw over the other).

Is your cat a "righty" or a "lefty"? Here is an easy test that can help you find out. 
 You must do the test many times watching for a "repeat" pattern. Clinical trials perform each test about 100 times, but a sample of 10 to 20 tests should provide a fair indication.

Take the tube from a roll of paper towels and tape both ends into place on the floor.

Place a treat in front of the tube where your cat can easily get to it.

After your cat eats the treat, put another treat inside the tube where your cat will have to "reach in" to get it. See which paw your cat uses to get the treat.

Click on the video below to see a demonstration of this type of "testing" for Pawedness in Cats. It was done by a sixth grader as a project for a school science fair. 

*This information was gathered from www.petplace.com