Other research suggests that each of the brain's hemispheres is specialized for approach and withdrawal processes, indicating that the right and left hand sides of the brain control different emotions. For example, Angelo Quaranta of the University of Bari and colleagues studied how dogs wag their tails and found that when dogs are happy and see something they want to approach, their tail wags to the right. When they are frightened and want to run away, their tails wag to the left. "Overall, this pattern of results fits with the general hypothesis that there is a fundamental asymmetry in the control of functions related to emotion," concluded Quaranta and his team. Dog owners might consider observing their own pet's tail-wagging to see if the theory holds true. Wells said cat owners can also try the jarred treat experiment at home to see if their feline follows the documented paw-favoring trends. "This would be pretty straightforward to do," she said. "The key thing is ensuring the jar is positioned right at the center of the cat, and that not too many trials are carried out at once, otherwise we might just be seeing a reinforcement effect." Related Links: HowStuffWorks.com: How Do Cats Purr? |
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