The female cats, generally, are right-handed and the male cats, left-handed.
"The female cats use more their right leg, suggests a study of Queen's University Belfast and the cats, on the contrary, are more left-handed.
So far, according to the researchers, studies on limb preference have focused mostly on forced experimental challenges. In a new work the cats, 24 males and 20 females, all sterilized, were studied in their own homes, so that the information was collected while they were in their usual daily activities.
The owners collected spontaneous data on whether the cats used their right or left leg when they lowered scales or objects, and if they slept for the left or right side of their body.
Most of the felines showed a preference of the right leg to reach the food (73%), lower scales (70%) or to pass something (66%) and their preference for a leg was consistent in most activities , both spontaneous and forced.
In all cases, the male cats showed a preference for their left leg, while the females were more inclined to use the right. But to sleep, they showed no preference for one side or the other.
Wells said that other studies are needed to investigate why gender preference, although it could be by hormones. "The findings point more and more strongly to underlying differences in the neural architecture of male and female animals."
The finding, he added, could help cat owners understand how they cope with stress. "Beyond simple curiosity, it can be valuable to know the motor preference of the animal. There is some suggestion that preference for a limb may be an indicator of vulnerability to stress. The ambidextrous, without preference on one hand over another, and those more inclined to use the left, for example, seem lighter and susceptible to less well-being than those who use the right more ".
Wells explained that "we have discovered that left-handed dogs, for example, are more pessimistic than right-handed dogs. From the point of view of the owner, it could be useful to know without an animal has a dominant leg, it could help you assess your vulnerability to stressful situations.
Source: http://www.elcolombiano.com/tecnologia/ciencia/las-gatas-usan-mas-la-mano-derecha-DB8056489