This is a follow up to the left-handed cat page. VG checked out her famous Maine Coon, Tootsie, to see if she was left-handed or right-handed. Perhaps she is in the middle: ambidextrous. Well, here is a collage of a series of photos by VG of her beloved Tootsie for people to decide:
I’ll tell you what I think, here and now. I think she is a left-handed cat with some ambidextrous qualities. If you wanted to ask, “is she left or right handed?”, I would say she was left-handed. A lot of cats, most cats perhaps, are ambidextrous to at least a certain extent and that seems to show with Tootsie but looking at these pictures I sense she is left-handed.
The picture that goes against this assessment is top row far right. This is a famous internet picture because Google finds it a lot when people searched for “polydactyl Maine Coon“. Even in this photo I sense she is using her stronger side to stabilise herself while using her right paw to pick up the string.
If I am right, perhaps, her mother was stressed before she was born?
Valley Girl, I understand that. Ystrday, I looked at your wonderful webpages! How is it that that happened. serendipity?
Marc, unlike other Maine coons, Tootsie is not interested in water from taps. However, if I am eating something- relaxing in bed while eating, she appears from no where. Especially if English muffins with butter are involved. I have no idea how she figures this out. A paw goes out to tap the muffin (or crackers with butter, etc.). Butter-loving cat. But, I can’t detect a paw preference.
btw, I wasn’t looking for a poly. That was a bonus. I found Tootsie on petfinder.com. Just a one in a gazillion chance. I adopted her at 6 yo.