Eye Facts About Your Cat

These 5 facts about how fascinating your cat's eyes are will blow your mind. Yes, it is well known that your cats have incredible senses but sight is no different. So who's sense of sight is better: humans or cats? Let’s find out!

1. Night Vision

Similar to humans, a cat’s vision is limited when light doesn’t exist. Nonetheless, in low light or moonlight, unlike us, they definitely have sharper vision. Their big pupils allow for more light to enter the eye. Also, due to them having a greater amount of receptors in their eyes that are sensitive to light, also known as rods, they see about six to eight times better.

2. Color Blindness

Believe it or not, cats are color blind to two colors: red and green. While we have three color receptors allowing us to see the whole rainbow, cats have fewer cones and only have two types. Therefore, green and red show up as gray through their lens. They often depend just on brightness rather than color and can see blue and yellow more distinctly than humans.

3. Sensitivity to movement

Ever wondered why cats are so interested in the laser pointer or the toy mouse that moves? It is because they are much more sensitive to movement, making them great hunters. They can see movement at up to four millimeters a second. 

4. Mid-sightedness

The phrase “it is right in front of your nose” might not apply to cats. Cats struggle to see when objects are near and they may appear blurry. They lack the ability to change the shape of their eyes so they use their whiskers to sense it. Furthermore, their vision of seeing far is also particularly not so great. Their sharpest vision is when they are 20 feet from it, making them “mid-sighted.”

5. Peripheral vision

While they may be mid-sighted, cats have a strong peripheral vision. They have a wider lens and field to see things approaching from the sides. Compared to our ability to see 180 degrees on each side, cats can see up to 200 degrees!