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Paw choice? Cats show paw preferences

Cats have a preferred paw which they put forward, according to new research. The study shows that females favor their right paw and males prefer their left. Scientists say that these preferred starting paws are a matter of individual inclination. Still, the study shows that males generally step out with their left foot, and Females typically prefer their right. Dr. Deborah Wells is a co-author of the research, Wells explained that the left-limbed animals rely more on their right side of their brain to process information. Right-limbed animals depend more vitally on the left side of their brain for processing. Their team analyzed data from 44 cats of which twenty were female. Each cat was given  50 attempts to complete each task given. 73 percent of cats had a preferred paw when reaching for food. Seventy percent had a favored paw to put forward when going down the stairs, and 66 percent had a specific paw for stepping into their litter tray. Altogether, the same paw was favored for each task that was completed. Strangely, only 25 percent of cats had a preferred paw on which side they lay on that had no connection to the preferred paw for stepping.