Measuring paw preferences in dogs, cats and rats: Design requirements and innovations in methodology

Figures & data

Table 1. Design requirements and specifications for measuring paw preference in dogs, cats, and rats.

	Design Requirement	Species	Task	Design Specification
Zoometric fit	Adjustability for different sizes	Dogs	Automated FRT	The slot is vertically adjustable and the food can be dropped at 5 different levels.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	Compatible for all sizes, no adjustability needed.
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	The height of the middle layer in the apparatus is vertically adjustable.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test	Adjustable pasta unit is compatible for all sizes/age groups.
Research reliability considerations	Ease of observation	Dogs	Automated FRT	Transparent plexiglass material is used in all parts of the test equipment.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	The cats could be observed easily since they were not in a container. The test equipment is partly contained of transparent plastic except the wooden bottom and dark lids (for complex lid opening test).
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	The cats could be observed easily since they were not in a container.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	Transparent plexiglass material is used in all parts of the test equipment except the middle layer.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test	Transparent plexiglass material is used in all parts of the test equipment.
	Consistency in position of the target reach	Dogs	Automated FRT	Each time the food is dropped on an exact position and a sliding mechanism pushes it to a designated place from the available 5 levels by remote control.
			Manual FRT	Each time the food is dropped on an exact position and a sliding mechanism was manually pushed to a designated place from the available 5 levels.
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	The food is placed under the cups on the wooden block.
			Complex Lid Opening Test	The food is placed into the cups.
			Simple FRT	The food is placed equidistantly to the left and right walls inside of the apparatus.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	The food is placed in the narrow tube, which was placed exactly equidistantly to the left and right wall of the front wall of the chamber.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test	The dispenser with sugar-water was placed equidistantly to the left and right wall of the chamber on the top of the apparatus.
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test	The pasta pieces were placed on a rack with an array of holes, 13 rows deep by 11 rows wide. The rack was placed before a 1 cm wide hole on the front of the apparatus.
	Motivation	Dogs	Automated FRT	There are 5 levels of positions for dropping the food: starting from the one which is closer to the slot of the farthest one.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	The first treat is dropped on the wooden surface by the experimenter.
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	The first treat is placed in front of the hole of the apparatus by the experimenter.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	The first treat is dropped through the inserted tube by the experimenter. Both rats and experimenter can access the tube easily from each side.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test	By placing the dispenser in its position, a few drops of sugar-water fall down towards the rat.
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test	The pasta rack topped with hazelnut cream is placed in front of the hole by the experimenter. Both rats and experimenter can access the rack easily from each side.
	Attractiveness	Dogs	Automated FRT	Transparent plexiglass is used to make food easily seen.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	Transparent plastic cups are used to make food easily seen. The holes in the cups/lids also allow rats to smell the treats.
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	Transparent plexiglass is used to make food easily seen.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	Transparent plexiglass is used to make food easily seen. The holes in the apparatus also allow rats to smell the treats.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
	Unobtrusiveness	Dogs	Automated FRT	During the test, the food is dropped and level adjustments can be made by using a digital remote controller.
			Manual FRT	During the test, the food is dropped and level adjustments can be manually made.
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	Before the test, the treat is manually placed in the right position.
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	During the test, the food is placed manually into the apparatus.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	During the test, the food is placed manually into the tube.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test	Before the test, the treat is manually placed in the right position.
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
Robustness considerations	Structural stability	Dogs	Automated FRT	Since the plexiglass material is heavy itself it is stable enough, so that the dogs could not move it.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	Plastic cups were attached to the wooden block with cable ties and stabilized with tiny blocks on each side. The bottom of the block was covered by anti-slippery material.
			Complex Lid Opening Test	Plastic cups were screwed to the wooden block and the lids were attached to the cups by cable ties. The bottom of the block was covered by anti-slippery material.
			Simple FRT	The plexiglass material is heavy itself and anti-slippery covering was attached in the corners at the bottom of the apparatus.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	Since the plexiglass material is heavy itself it is stable enough, so that the rats could not move it while sitting in the box.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
	Durability	Dogs	Automated FRT	10 mm thickness is preferred for the plexiglass material.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	The task contained a wooden surface with adjusted plastic cups.
			Complext Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	10 mm thickness is preferred for the plexiglass material.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	10 mm thickness is preferred for the plexiglass material.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
Maintenance considerations	Ease of feeding	Dogs	Automated task	Remotely operated feeder unit, which automatically drops the food, is installed. In case the automatic feeder malfunctions, a manually operated feeder unit is provided.
			Manual task	A manually operated feeder unit is provided.
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test	Before the test, the treat is manually placed in the right position.
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
	Quickness in feeding	Dogs	Automated FRT	A food storage is provided within the equipment, from where the food is dropped.
			Manual FRT	An extern food storage is provided, from where the food is taken to insert manually.
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test	Before the test, the treat is manually placed in the right position.
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
	Ease of cleaning	Dogs	Automated FRT	Plexiglass surfaces are used to be cleaned.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test	Plastic cups are used to be cleaned.
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT	Plexiglass surfaces are used to be cleaned.
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
	Transportability	Dogs	Automated FRT	The equipment is composed of two units to ease carrying.
			Manual FRT	The equipment is small and composed of only one unit.
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test	The equipment is composed of one main unit and adjustable units for Collins and pasta matrix or head turning test to ease carrying and flexibility.
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test
Animal welfare	Noninvasiveness	Dogs	Automated FRT	The equipment is standalone and free from any harmful materials to animal health. There is no need for any food/beverage restrictions, even for short durations.
			Manual FRT
		Cats	Easy Lid Opening Test
			Complex Lid Opening Test
			Simple FRT
		Rats	Collins Paw Preference Test
			Head-turning Asymmetry Test
			Pasta Matrix Reaching Test

Figure 1. Automated food-reaching test (a); manual food-reaching test (b) for dogs; and a dog performing the automated food-reaching test (c).

Figure 2. Easy Lid Opening Test for determining the paw preferences of the cats (a); a cat performing Easy Lid Opening Test using its mouth, nose, and/or head (b); and a cat performing Complex Lid Opening Test using its paw (c).

Figure 3. Complex Lid Opening Test for determining the paw preferences of the cats (a); a cat using its paw to reach for food after the lid is opened (b); and a cat using its paw to open the lid (c).

Figure 4. Simple Food-reaching Test for determining the paw preferences of the cats (a); a cat performing the test (b).

Figure 5. Motor laterality testing apparatus by combining the Pasta Matrix Reaching Test (Ballermann et al., 2001), the Collins Paw Preference Test (Collins, 1968; 1969; 1975), and the Head-Turning Asymmetry Test (Soyman et al., 2018) for rats (a), a rat performing the Collins Paw Preference Test (b), a rat performing the Pasta Matrix Reaching Test (c), and a rat performing the Head-Turning Asymmetry Test (d).

Ballermann, M., Metz, G. A. S., McKenna, J. E., Klassen, F., & Whishaw, I. Q. (2001). The pasta matrix reaching task: A simple test for measuring skilled reaching distance, direction, and dexterity in rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 106(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0270(01)00326-0

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Soyman, E., Yilmaz, G. D., & Canbeyli, R. (2018). Head-turning asymmetry: A novel lateralization in rats predicts susceptibility to behavioral despair. Behavioural Brain Research, 338, 47–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.008

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Data availability statement

This is a technical paper, and no new data is reported, therefore a data availability statement is not applicable.