Lateralized behaviour in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus

Wells, Deborah L.; Millsopp, Sarah

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.06.010

Cited by 62 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), males favor the right paw and females favor the left during feeding and when supporting the body in a tripedal stance (Giljov et al, 2013). In contrast, in domestic cats (Felis catus), males favor the left paw and females the right when retrieving food from a jar, reaching for a toy in the air, and reaching for a toy moving along the ground (Wells and Millsopp, 2009). Finally, one consistency across several studies is a correlation between laterality strength and complexity of behavior: the more complex the behavior, the more likely it is to be strongly lateralized (Boesch, 1991;Fagot and Vauclair, 1991;Hunt et al, 2006;Wells and Millsopp, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Urinary posture and motor laterality in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) at two shelters

Gough

McGuire

2015

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Urinary posture and motor laterality in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) at two shelters

Gough

McGuire

2015

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…It has been reported in several species, including humans [54], non-human primates [55,56], rats [57], humpback whales [58] and common European toads [59] but studies on other animals, as for example marmosets [60], sheep [61,62], cats [63] and horses [64,65], has shown a motor bias only at the individual-level. However, the same species may also display a limb preference at the level of population or at the individual level depending on the task, as found in monkeys [66,67], cats [68] and sheep [69].…”

Section: Paw Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lateralized Functions in the Dog Brain

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the complementary specialisation of the canine brain has been the subject of increasing scientific study over the last 10 years, chiefly due to the impact of cerebral lateralization on dog behaviour. In particular, behavioural asymmetries, which directly reflect different activation of the two sides of the dog brain, have been reported at different functional levels, including motor and sensory. The goal of this review is not only to provide a clear scenario of the experiments carried out over the last decade but also to highlight the relationships between dogs' lateralization, cognitive style and behavioural reactivity, which represent crucial aspect relevant for canine welfare.

show abstract

“…Cats typically develop a stable paw preference by 1 year of age (Wells & Millsopp, 2012). It is still unknown at what age dogs develop a stable paw preference, however measuring the lateral and cognitive biases of such animals during their first year of life may help to establish whether paw preferences develop before or after cognitive bias.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive bias and paw preference in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris).

Wells¹,

Hepper²,

Milligan³

et al. 2017

Journal of Comparative Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Limb use, an indicator of hemispheric functioning, may be a useful predictor of cognitive bias and hence vulnerability to welfare risk. The relationship between cognitive bias and motor asymmetry, however, has been subject to little investigation. This study explored the association between motor asymmetry and cognitive bias in the domestic dog, a species that displays lateral bias in the form of paw preferences and exhibits positive and negative affective states. Thirty pet dogs had their paw preferences assessed using the Kong ball test. The subjects' affective state was assessed using a cognitive bias test in which the animals' latency to approach a bowl placed in 1 of 3 ambiguous positions was recorded. Animals veering more toward a left-paw preference were found to be significantly slower to approach the bowl placed in 1 of the ambiguous positions than ambilateral or right-pawed dogs. Left-pawed subjects approached the bowl located at the 3 ambiguous positions at roughly the same speed, while ambilateral and right-pawed animals became increasingly slower to approach the bowl the further it was located from the baited food bowl. The study points to a possible relationship between cognitive bias and paw preference in the dog, with left-pawed animals being more negative or "pessimistic" in their cognitive outlook than right-pawed or ambilateral individuals. It is proposed that limb preference testing might offer a more practical and straightforward way of identifying individuals at risk from poor welfare by virtue of how they perceive the world than more time-consuming cognitive bias tests.

show abstract

Lateralized behaviour in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus

Cited by 62 publications

References 37 publications

Urinary posture and motor laterality in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) at two shelters

Urinary posture and motor laterality in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) at two shelters

Lateralized Functions in the Dog Brain

Cognitive bias and paw preference in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris).

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About