Ever wondered what the world looks like through your cat’s eyes? Cats have unique vision, designed for hunting, detecting movement, and thriving in low light. While their sight differs from ours, it’s perfectly adapted to their needs as natural-born predators.
Let’s take a closer look at what cats can see and how their vision compares to humans. We’ve even thrown in some fun facts about your feline’s eyes.
How your cat sees the world
Cats’ vision is built for tracking movement, especially in dim light, making them skilled nocturnal hunters. Here’s how their eyesight differs from ours:
- Low-light vision: Cats can see six times better in the dark than we can, thanks to a special reflective layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum. This helps them spot prey even in near-total darkness.
- Motion detection: Cats are highly sensitive to movement, even from a distance, making them excellent at spotting prey or playful flicks of a toy.
- Peripheral vision: With a 200-degree field of view (compared to a human’s 180 degrees), cats can see more of their surroundings without moving their head.
- Depth perception: Their vision is designed for precision, helping them to judge distances accurately when hunting, pouncing, or making daring leaps.
Can cats see colours?
Yes, but not in the same way humans do. While we see a wide spectrum of colours, cats have a more limited range.
- Limited colour range: Cats primarily see blue, green, yellow, and grey. They lack red-sensitive cone cells, so colours like red and pink appear muted or greyish.
- Why colour matters less: Since cats rely more on motion and contrast than colour, their limited colour vision doesn’t impact their ability to hunt or navigate their world.
How does cat vision compare to ours?
- Sharpness: Cats see less detail than humans, especially beyond six metres. So, their world may appear slightly blurred compared to ours.
- Brightness: While they have superior night vision, their daytime vision is less vibrant than ours.
Fun facts about cat vision
- Glow-in-the-dark eyes: The tapetum lucidum reflects light, making a cat’s eyes appear to glow in the dark.
- Blurry close-up: Cats struggle to focus on objects closer than 30 cm. Instead, they rely on whiskers and smell to explore objects up close.
- Predator’s focus: Cats have strong binocular vision to help with hunting, but they have a blind spot right under their nose. This is why if you dangle a treat right in front of them, they might struggle to spot it!
While cats don’t see the world exactly like we do, their vision is perfectly in tune with their needs. Whether they’re stalking a toy, chasing a shadow, or navigating in the dark, their keen eyesight helps them jump, dart, and pounce with precision.
At Encore, we love celebrating everything that makes cats unique and extraordinary, because they see the world differently, and that’s what makes them special.