Cat Vision: How Your Feline Views the World
Angie Menjivar
January 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Can cats see well at night? What about at a distance? Can cats see color? And if so, which ones? Many cat parents don't realize their cat's visual acuity differs from their own. Learning more about your cat's vision will help you understand which toys they'll find most appealing, and why they startle easily. Below, we explain the difference between human vision and cat vision.
Rods and Cones
The primary difference between human vision and cat vision relates to the retina, the tissue in the back of the eye that houses photoreceptors. Photoreceptors are the cells that respond to light. The photoreceptors then transform rays of light into electrical impulses, which are sent to the brain and form the image that we "see."
There are two types of photoreceptor cells. There are rods, which are used in night vision and peripheral vision. Rods identify the different shades of gray. Cones, the second type of photoreceptors, process color. As they evolved to hunt at night, cats' retinas are packed with rods, which allows them to see better at night than we humans.
Field of Vision and Visual Acuity
Another difference between human vision and cat vision is the visual field. Cats have a wider visual field than humans. The difference isn't substantial, but it is enough for cats to have an advantage. Cats have a visual field of view of 200° compared with 180° in humans Although cats have a wider visual field, their visual acuity isn't great. This means that cats are not particularly good at focusing on distant objects. Humans can identify objects as far away as 200 feet, whereas cats need to be within 20 feet of an object to see it clearly.
Cats' eyes are perfectly suited for their hunting instincts. Their eyes are set on the sides of their heads, which means they have wide peripheral vision. Human eyes are in the center of the head, which allows for greater far-reaching vision. Cats may not have the same depth perception as humans, but this wider range of peripheral vision gives them an advantage for detecting movement when hunting, especially at night.
Color Vision/Night Vision
Although your cat has more rod receptors than cone receptors, that doesn't mean she can't appreciate color. Cats' vision can be compared to the vision of a color-blind person. Reds and pinks don't really register for cats but shades of blue and green do. Even purple may appear more like a blue hue for cats. While cats can detect colors blue, green, and yellow, they don't experience these colors with the same richness that humans do. While they may not be able to appreciate the beauty of a rose or an apple, their vision allows them to focus on what's important: their prey.
Ultimately, we know cats aren't colorblind because of their eye structure. Because cats have fewer cones than humans, their ability to perceive the color spectrum is limited. Cats have more rods in their eye structure, which is what makes them such skillful night hunters. That unmistakable glow? That's because cats have a layer of tissue behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum, that acts like a mirror, reflecting light back through the retina.
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