How Cats See the World: Understanding Their Vision

have you ever wondered what the world looks like through your cat's eyes Cat Vision is entirely different from ours and in result they perceive the world not like we do what colors can cats see can they tell how high to jump or when something is too far away in this video we're going to talk about all the quirks of cat vision and how you can use this knowledge to build a stronger bond with your kitty we'll even tell you how to read your cat's emotions by looking at their eyes but first can cats actually see colors cat's vision is far from being black and white cats see colors just not the same colors we do a type of cell called a cone located in the retina is responsible for color vision humans have three types of cone cells and they are called trichromats this means we can recognize three color wavelengths blue green and red cats are dichromats they only have cone cells for two two color wavelengths green and blue they have no cones for red does this mean cats are colorblind no cats see colors in the correct shade but because their retina doesn't recognize red the colors they see are more muted it's similar to how a colorblind human would see color but someone who is colorblind sees one color as another blue is seen as green for example cats mostly see a faded version of the world can cats see in the dark probably the most common misconception about how cats see is the idea that cats can see in the dark while it's true that your cat has much better night vision than you do they still can't see in complete darkness cats need approximately 15% of the light that humans do in order to see this is because Cat's eyes are built differently and are well adapted to seeing in low light conditions cats have oblong shaped pupils that control how much light enters the eye their eyes let in less light during the day to prevent damage to their retina at night when light is limited a cat's pupils dilate to let in as much light as possible The Oblong shape of their pupil can dilate to a much larger size than the round pupil humans have so it can let in a lot more light estimates suggest that a cat's night vision is 6 to8 times better than a human humans but when there's no light at all they are just as blind as we are why cats pupils change shape if you've ever surprised your cat and noticed that their pupils go from slits to saucers you may have asked this question cats pupils dilate and constrict in response to light but they are also designed to react in emotional situations so a cat's eyes dilate when they are angry the iris or pupil is controlled by the brain which tells it to let in more or less light according to the conditions however when a cat feels threatened or angry the pupil also dilates to let in as much light as possible it gives your cat an advantage in seeing their enemy better why do cat eyes glow in the dark cats have a reflective structure in their retina that amplifies light it's called a tapetum lucidum the structure's purpose is to help cats see better in dim light but the structure also reflects light that shines at the eye many animals including horses cows ferrets and dogs also have one of these structures humans don't because our eyes aren't designed to see at night interestingly different cat breeds will have different glows to their eyes most cats have a green glow but some like the Siamese will have eyes that glow yellow the variation in glow color is caused by the amount of zinc present in the pigment cells of the tapetum lucidum do cats have 2020 Vision definitely not cats don't have nearly as much distance Vision as humans their vision is generally Quantified as being between 21 hundreds and 22 hundreds this means that what a human can see well from 100 ft away a cat will have to be only 20 ft away to see it with the same level of sharpness cat eyes don't have the muscles that are required to change the shape of their lens which means they can't see details in objects that are really close to them either a cat's vision isn't designed to see Sharp details or high resolution images it's better adapted to detecting motion and seeing fast moving objects as well as seeing things in lowlight conditions this means those fancy detailed toys we sometimes get them yeah they might not be as exciting for them as we think it's all about the action for cats toys that move or can be chased are way more up their alley so next time maybe skip the intricate stuff and go for something that'll get them jumping and running around it's more their style and way more fun for them can cats see ultraviolet light yes a 2014 study done at City University in London showed that cats can see UV light that is undetectable to humans the electromagnetic spectrum ranges from radio waves to X-rays and includes all wavelengths of what scientists call visible light however humans can only see a very small segment of these wavelengths between 400 and 750 nanom anything below 400 is called ultraviolet light and humans can't see it the lens of a cat's eye however allows a small amount of UV light to be seen it's part of why they can see so well in low light environments how many eyelids do cats have cats actually have three ey eyelids two on the outside and one in between the regular eyelids and their cornea as Extra Protection for their eyes this third eyelid also contains a special gland for producing tears occasionally you can see a cat's inner eyelid while they're asleep but it's not generally visible if you can see the third eyelid while a cat's awake it's generally a sign that it's not retracting properly and a symptom of illness what is your cat saying with their eyes cats use body language to communicate their feelings while it's important to take all of their body language into account there's a lot you can learn from reading your cat's eyes the slow blink sometimes called a cat kiss or a cat smile slow blinking and staring convey love and Trust cats will relax their eyes and slowly blink and stare to tell you they love you the best response to this this message is to slowly blink back at your cat this lets them know that you love them too half closed eyelids if you notice your cat staring at you with heavy half closed eyes it's likely they are content and relaxed partially closed eyelids may be a sign they are falling asleep but some cats use it as a greeting in general it sends the message that your cat is at peace and totally relaxed the long hard stare cat staring is meant to communicate number of different things from excuse me you're not paying enough attention to me to hey human fill my food bowl the message depends on the context hard staring is meant to get your attention and it can also be a sign of aggression but extended staring without blinking usually means that your cat is uncomfortable with the situation it's best to avoid staring back in most cases giving your cat some space to calm down will relax the situation wide eyes and dilated pupils when a cat is excited and engaged their eyes say it all their eyes will appear round and be mostly black due to pupil dilation it's their brain's way of taking in as much visual information as possible saucer eyes if your cat's pupils have suddenly turned into black saucers it's a sign of anxiety and over stimulation this eye response happens under situations of stress and it's a sign your cat is going into fight ORF flight mode cats are incredibly sensitive so if you miss this cue to stop touching them you may get scratched you can avoid the situation altogether by keeping cuddling session short and listening to your cat's cues some cats have hot spots where they don't like to be petted like their tail or belly touching these spots can also trigger a reaction while you may not know why your cat is suddenly done with you touching them it always helps to give them space if your cat frequently has saucer eyes it might be time to figure out why they're feeling anxious and rule out any medical issues narrowed slits when a cat's pupil's narrow it's a sign they are ready to pounce squinting eyelids and constricted pupils mean business and it's a strong warning signal to pray to watch out this pre-combat stance can also happen during play sessions when a cat is serious about their mission to catch a toy did you know that the real reason cats show their rear end to us can actually be shocking and that they have secret whiskers not only on their face check out this video where we talk about the craziest facts about cats and be sure to subscribe to our Channel and join our feline loving community

Channel: Feline Fanatics

Views: 9,901

Keywords: How Cats See the World: Understanding Their Vision, how cats see the world, why do cats eyes glow in the dark, how do cats see in the dark, how animals see the world, cats vision at night, how cats see the world compared to humans, how do cats see the world, cat vision, how do cats perceive color, can cats see in the dark, how good can cats see in the dark, cat lovers society, cat lovers channel, cat tips and facts, cats 101, cat, cat facts mind blowing, feline fanatics

Id: E5EkB4sQ_y4

Length: 9min 51sec (591 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 17 2024