只
zhī
One pulled out of a pair: 只
The picture Lifting exactly one out of a pair or a group. The rest are still sitting somewhere else. 只 is the one lifted out of a pair; 双 is the set that only becomes one when the two are together.
Where the picture shows up in 只
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two in the house
我家有两只猫。
wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng zhī māo
We have two cats at home.
Pointing along the sofa, counting the cats one, two.
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the one that lost its partner
桌子下面有一只鞋。
zhuōzi xiàmian yǒu yì zhī xié
There's a shoe under the desk.
One shoe lying under the desk while its partner still sits by the front door.
To count the whole pair use 双: 一双鞋 is one pair of shoes.
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the one that comes back
这只鸟每天早上都来。
zhè zhī niǎo měi tiān zǎoshang dōu lái
This bird comes every morning.
A flock lifting off, one bird left behind on the window rail.
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one of your two hands
我一只手拿不动。
wǒ yì zhī shǒu ná bu dòng
I can't carry it with one hand.
The box tipping in one hand because the other hand cannot reach it.
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the one you ordered
我们点了一只鸡。
wǒmen diǎn le yì zhī jī
We ordered a whole chicken.
Pointing your chopsticks at a whole chicken brought out on the plate.
All of it in one picture
The cats on the sofa are picked off one by one, the shoe under the desk has come away from its partner, the bird on the rail has dropped out of the flock, the hand on the box is one of two, and the chicken on the plate was taken out of a flock as well. 只 does not attach because the thing is an animal; it attaches when one has been lifted out of a pair or a group. So wherever 只 turns up, the rest are still sitting somewhere. That is why one shoe is 只 and the pair is 双.