Are cats left or right pawed?

By the MeowWise team · Published 25 October 2026 · Last reviewed: 25 October 2026

Most adult cats do have a favorite paw, but cats as a species are not mostly right pawed the way people are mostly right handed. In studies of pet cats at Queen's University Belfast, roughly 7 in 10 cats or more consistently used one paw to reach for food, and the split between left and right was close to even overall. The clearest pattern was sex: female cats leaned towards the right paw and male cats towards the left.

Do cats really have a dominant paw?

Yes, at least for tasks that take some skill. In 2009 Deborah Wells and Sarah Millsopp tested 42 neutered pet cats on three tasks. The hardest one, fishing a treat out of a jar, produced a clear preference in all but one cat: 21 cats consistently used the right paw, 20 the left, and only one used both. The two easier tasks, batting at a toy hanging overhead and at a toy moving along the ground, mostly produced ambilateral behavior, meaning the cats used either paw.

A 2018 home study by Louise McDowell, Deborah Wells and Peter Hepper followed 44 neutered pet cats. Using a food tower that cats had to reach into, 73 percent showed a paw preference. Among those with a preference, 18 were left pawed and 14 right pawed, a difference too small to count as a population bias.

Are female cats right pawed and male cats left pawed?

That is the most consistent finding so far. In the 2009 study, males and females both showed population level preferences, but in opposite directions: females preferred the right paw and males the left. The 2018 study found the same split for reaching for food and for which front leg a cat leads with when stepping down stairs or stepping over an object. The researchers suggest the strength of this sex effect points to a biological cause, such as differences in how the brain is organized, though the studies do not prove a specific mechanism.

All the cats in these studies were neutered pets, so the results may not apply in the same way to intact or feral cats.

When do kittens pick a favorite paw?

Paw preference seems to develop during the first year. In a 2012 follow up, Wells and Millsopp tested 12 kittens at 12 weeks, 6 months and 1 year, and compared them with cats tested once at 6 months or 1 year. Cats were more likely to use both paws equally at 12 weeks and 6 months, but more likely to show a clear bias by their first birthday. Preferences at 6 months and 1 year were positively correlated, which hints that a cat's favorite paw stays fairly stable once it settles. The same sex pattern appeared: females towards the right, males towards the left. If you have a kitten, do not be surprised if it seems to switch paws for a while.

Do cats also prefer a side when they lie down or walk?

Cats in the 2018 study showed side preferences in everyday movement too. About 70 percent consistently led with one paw when stepping down a flight of stairs, and 66 percent when stepping over a raised object, and the direction usually matched the paw they used to reach for food. Lying down was different: 75 percent of cats were ambilateral about which side they slept on, with only 4 cats preferring the left side and 7 the right.

How to find out your cat's favorite paw

You can try a gentle version of the researchers' food reaching test at home. Put a few treats inside a puzzle feeder or a sturdy, wide jar your cat cannot tip over, and note which paw reaches in each time. Researchers record many reaches, not just one or two, so keep a tally over several short sessions. Easy games like a wand toy are less useful, because in the 2009 study simple reaching tasks did not reveal a preference. Puzzle feeders are also good enrichment for indoor cats. For more on how cats move and think, see our cat behavior guide and how cats land on their feet.

Does paw preference matter for my cat's health?

There is no evidence that being left pawed, right pawed or ambilateral is good or bad for a pet cat. A sudden change in how your cat uses its legs, such as limping, avoiding jumps or favoring one paw after it used both, is a different matter and can signal pain or injury, so check with your veterinarian.

General education, not veterinary advice. If you are worried about your cat, contact your veterinarian; in an emergency, go to the nearest emergency vet.