You can fit three hands in the size of one paw
When a colossal cat has a gigantic snout, you can only assume it also has a massive paw. Something is exciting and compelling about paws. Petting an animal paw can trigger the same feeling we get when holding a kid’s hand.
Paws are also gripping when studying a new environment because of their shape: if we see prints on the ground, we can recognize what species have been around, even if we never get to see the actual animal, their eggs, or their waste.