If Cats Had Thumbs, What Would Yours Be Doing?

It was a question posed at Petside, a web site for animal lovers.  Actually, the original question was if dogs or cats had thumbs, but since this is The Cat Site, let's talk about felines.

My cats would probably be texting other cats in the neighborhood, since they are indoor kids.

Eric would be on the computer while I was working, spending the day on this site, and the Petco and Petsmart sites, ordering food, cat trees and every toy in existence.  (He'd also get mom's credit cards out of her wallet.)

Sarah would be ordering cases of people salmon and albacore tuna.  She'd also post photos of herself and Eric.  Not bath cat photos, though.  She's a true princess, and we all know that princesses never get dirty -- much too royal and dainty for that.

Eric would also be watching T.V., channel surfing.  He'd also be on the phone, calling me at work.  He'd also try to get out of the house, if I'd left him a spare key.  If Sarah could get out, she'd be planting catnip in the back yard and sunning herself on the patio.

What would your feline kids be doing if they had thumbs?

Parker is polydactyl, so he does have thumbs  .. But If he could use them like we use ours, he would probably be trying to call Roxy, the the sweet little calico next door. They sit in the window and stare at each other for ages almost ever day.

My RB polydactyl would use her "thumbs" to grab stuff.  Like my pen if I was doing homework instead of petting her back in my school days.   I miss that cat!!

Noodles would be researching ways to keep my toddler away from HER cat tree.  Or how to train a toddler.    She'd also be opening the cabinet with their food and treats and helping herself into them. 

Mooch...well I'm just not sure.  She's my cuddle bug but loves chasing her milk rings too.  I really don't know what she'd do with them. Especially with Noodles to open the food and treats.

Kramer would use them to finally open the kitchen cabinets, which Boots gets into easily sans thumbs. :lol3:

Boots, I'm convinced, is hell-bent on world domination. So he'd probably be using my laptop while I'm gone to network with his evil cohorts.

Getting into the catnip which is very rarely given out cause it has to be supervised.  Or since I got many new flavors of wet food in having a feast(tho I have a cat who on occasion will pop open a can of food.  She seems to do it for the fun as she hates wet for the most part and will take a few licks and leave it be.

Ryan and Tyler would be into EVERYTHING just to see it drop/break/leak....

Midori has thumbs, fortunately for us her lifetime ambition is to win the award for marathon lounging . Actually she does use them to grab our hands while petting, give them a good lick and brings them up to her head as if to say "groom me here, please,".

Aya is our little miss dainty paws. If she had thumbs I have no doubt she's be leting herself outside. We have a lever handle on our door and she clearly, from the way she paws at it, knows how it works; she's just an inch or two short to make it open by herself.

I think mine would be thumb wrestling! That or trying to figure out how to use the can opener. 

I think Bandit is bent on world domination too........ LOL

THumbs for my cats would lead to who knows what. Probably opening cabinets & grabbing meowmy's clothes to drag around the house

To open doors so they can go outside.

Rosie would be opening the treat jar

Sophie would be opening all the draws and doors for a nose about

Jack would be using the t.v. remote because he loves watching the t.v

Holly would use her thumbs to open up the cat food.  Then she'd help feed Jasper and Sneaky.  And- now that she has thumbs- she could figure out all kinds of "mayhem" and trouble to get into

Jasper would use it to channel-surf and watch Glee/ The Office DVD's- since sitting on my lap and watching Glee/ The Office  is his favorite thing.

Sneaky Pie would use her thumbs to make bigger holes in the ground so she can finally catch all those voles in the yard.  I'd like that one since those "critters" took out a flower garden last year

I'm not sure what the other three would do with thumbs but Casey would use his to pry the lid off the cat food container.

Larry would definitely be on the computer, trying to find out what it is that I find so dang interesting about the thing.

And this subject reminds me of this pic that Rigel posted on Facebook a few days ago:

Angel would probably open the cubord where his treats are, then open the bag and eat them all!  Then, he would open the door and go outside w/out me,  as to say, "see mommy, I can go out by myself, I'm a big boy."  LOL!

I tried to think of what my cats would do with thumbs, and I'm at a loss. They manage to do things pretty well that I used to think required not only thumbs, but opposable thumbs. They can open any door they want using the doorknob. They just use both paws to grab the knob from one side and pull down, knowing it will open the latch. They also have a pretty easy time grabbing things from my hand with just the toes and claws they have. The only door they can't open is the fridge, and that's becaus eit's too heavy.

I think my cats like not having thumbs. With thumbs, they wouldn't be able to play their favorite chopstick ninja game where they flip chopsticks around with their paws, the thumbs would get in the way.

Hmm, chopsticks, we'll have to try those & see what happens. I had a plastic hanger laying on my bed yesterday, while I was hanging things up & Angel started playing w/ it.  I said to him, "just don't wack yourself in the head w/ that."  lol!
 

rad65 said:

I tried to think of what my cats would do with thumbs, and I'm at a loss. They manage to do things pretty well that I used to think required not only thumbs, but opposable thumbs. They can open any door they want using the doorknob. They just use both paws to grab the knob from one side and pull down, knowing it will open the latch. They also have a pretty easy time grabbing things from my hand with just the toes and claws they have. The only door they can't open is the fridge, and that's becaus eit's too heavy.

I think my cats like not having thumbs. With thumbs, they wouldn't be able to play their favorite chopstick ninja game where they flip chopsticks around with their paws, the thumbs would get in the way.

Click to expand...

I shudder to think what the White Tornado would do with opposible thumbs. I imagine the local bird and squirrel population would pack up and leave.

Topaz would have a hey day with the treat and catnip pouches.

Mine would just change the channels until they found a show they liked. Luna & Midnight both watch tv

Mine would be "helping" me paint, even more than he already does lol

Is this photo -- "If we had thumbs, we'd be snapping" -- the feline version of "West Side Story" -- for those of us old enough to remember that movie?