Are Cats Colorblind?

Cats' eyes come in a wide range of colors from emerald green to glowing yellow-orange and just about any color in between. Designed by nature to serve them well in hunting, a cat's eye has the remarkable ability to capture and use light far more efficiently than the human eye, allowing them to see in dim lighting what they human eye can not. But what exactly does the world look like to your cat?

  1. Function

    • Cats are able to detect color but do not see the intensity of color that humans see. Blue, green, purple and yellow are all within the range of sight for a cat. Red, orange and brown are seen as tones of gray. Cats' eyes have both rods and cones. Unlike human eyes, however, cats' eyes have a high percentage of rods, the portion of the eye that is used for night vision and detecting motion. With a lower percentage of cones that are used for the perception of color, cat vision is more equipped to see in low light and to detect motion than it is to detect color.

    Misconceptions

    • Many people believe that cats are able to see in complete darkness.Cats have an elliptical pupil that is able to open and close rapidly. It can close to a mere slit under high light intensity or open to cover up to 90 percent of the eye in low light conditions. The back of the eye is equipped with a mirror like substance, the tapetum, which reflects light that has passed through rods back through the rod a second time. You may have noticed that your cat's eyes glow in the dark when a light is shined into them. This is a result of the reflective nature of the tapetum. This allows cats to see well in very dimly lit areas. They cannot, however, see in complete darkness.

    Size

    • In relationship to their body, cats have the largest eyes of any mammal. If human eyes were in the same proportion to their body as cat's eyes are, our eyes would be 8 inches across.

    Features

    • Cats are nearsighted and can see things close up clearly; once the field of vision reaches 30 feet, cats are not able to see well.

    Significance

    • Sensitive hearing and directional movement of the ear assist in locating prey, but cats rely on their keen eyesight for capturing prey. The ability to see in dim conditions and to detect the slightest motion makes cats expert nocturnal predators.