Eyesight in Cats

Cats can see almost as well as people and, under certain circumstances, can even see better. While cats are slightly nearsighted compared with humans and do not perceive color as well, they have far better night vision and can perceive movement more accurately. This is because eyesight in cats is tailored toward hunting.

  1. Eyesight for Hunting

    • Because cats are natural hunters, their eyes are adept at motion detection. Cats can perceive very slight movements, which is why they are one of the best land hunters in the world. Cats are motion hunters, and while changes in background and scenes are not as noticeable, movements of prey will cause cats to respond. Cats also rely on very sensitive hearing and ear movement to locate prey. Once a cat knows the general location of its prey, it uses eyesight to capture it. Cats most likely have three-dimensional vision, which helps them accurately judge the distance between objects.

    Eye Shape

    • Cats have an "elliptical pupil," meaning it is long and thin rather than round like humans. A cat's pupil can open and close very quickly -- much faster than a round pupil. This shape also allows more light into the eye, providing better night vision. Cats have a membrane at the back of their eyes called a tapetum. This mirrorlike membrane reflects light passing through the rods of the eyes and amplifies it. The tapetum is what gives cats' eyes a glowing appearance when struck by light. With elliptical pupils and tapetums, a nocturnal feline's eyesight is very well-adapted to the dark. In fact, cats need one-sixth of the light that humans need to see.

    Color

    • In low lights, cats do not perceive color. Instead, they see in shades of gray and black and white. During the day, however, cats use cones in their retinas to process color information and can see colors, though not as well as humans. Nonetheless, cats respond to the colors in the purple, blue and yellow ranges. They cannot see orange, red and brown, so these colors are likely to be perceived by cats as mid to dark shades of grey. Cats do not see color saturation in the same way as humans, seeing colors less vividly.

    Eyesight Problems

    • Cats' eyes are not adept at seeing details and they are slightly nearsighted because their vision is tailored to seeing close objects, such as prey. While cats have very few primary eye disorders, they are susceptible to systemic illness, such as fungal and viral infections and high blood pressure. If your cat's eyes change in appearance, take your pet to the vet. Without treatment, eye conditions may lead to blindness and visual impairment.