Can cats see color or are they color blind?

When your cat stares out the window, what do you think he sees? Is it the same vibrant world full of bright greens, blues and reds that you see?

I had always assumed that cats, who are naturally exceptional hunters, had perfect eyesight, like the terrestrial falcon. But to my surprise, I was wrong. Cats are certainly great hunters, but in many ways their eyesight is undoubtedly inferior to that of humans.

Are cats color blind?

The retina of both human and cat eyes contains two types of photoreceptor cells that allow your pet to see the world: cones and rods. Cones are responsible for seeing color and recognizing shapes and details in the distance, while rods are responsible for peripheral vision (how far you can see) and seeing in low light.

So what does this mean for cats?

Cats have three types of cones (also called cone clusters) that enable them to see colors at wavelengths of 450 nm (blue), 500 nm (greenish blue), and 550 nm (yellow).¹By comparison, humans have three cone populations. So do cats see the same colors as humans? Not necessarily. While a human’s eye may have three cone populations, humans have 10 times as many cones as a cat. This means that what cats see is a dull, dull version of the colors that humans see. Cats also cannot distinguish between light and dark shades of color the way that humans can.

So, are cats color blind? No, they’re not! Cats definitely see color – they just can’t appreciate the world in all its vibrant colors in the same way that humans can.

What colors can cats see best?

1. Blue-purpleAt the lower end of the spectrum, cats can see blue-violet and indigo, but cannot perceive true purple.
2. BlueCats see blue better than most other colors.
3. greenGreen is also a color that cats can see well, but it is near the top of their range of perception.
4. yellowCats can see different shades of yellow, but not red, brown, or orange.
5. Muted SpectrumThe colors that cats see lack the richness and saturation that the human eye perceives: a cat’s color spectrum is more muted and dull.

How far can a cat see?

We explained that while the cones in a cat’s eyes play a direct role in perceiving color, they also influence visual acuity (the ability to distinguish shapes and details at a distance).

Cats have fewer cones, so they can’t see as far or as finely as humans. Beyond about 20 feet, a cat’s vision becomes blurred, but this isn’t as much of a hindrance to a cat as we might think. Cats’ vision is optimized for their natural behavior, and because they are ambush predators, they don’t need to see as far as a hawk.

Do cats have night vision?

Cats have excellent low-light vision and therefore excellent night vision, but what they see isn’t like the night-vision goggles you see in military movies.

We mentioned that cats have fewer cone cells in their retinas than humans, but they have significantly more rod cells than humans – roughly six times as many. This effectively means that cats can see six times better than humans in low light.

In the cat’s eyes, TapetumIt’s a type of reflector behind the retina. When light passes through your eye, it’s reflected off the retina, giving the rod cells a second chance to process the information. If you’ve ever looked at a cat at night and their eyes were glowing or seemed to be glowing, that’s the optic nerve ending that’s reflecting light.

As if that weren’t enough, you may have noticed that cats’ pupils become dilated and larger, sometimes to the point where they nearly take up the entire eye. Dilated pupils allow cats to absorb or maximize the amount of light passing through their eyes, further improving their night vision.

How does a cat’s vision work?

1. Color vision: As we said earlier, cats are not color blind. However, their color vision is very different from ours. Imagine looking at the world through a soft, pastel-colored filter. Cats see mostly shades of blue and green, with yellow being a distinguishable color. Reds, oranges and browns appear as muted grays or indistinct shades. So, although cats can’t experience the same vibrant spectrum as us, their visual world has its own subtle beauty.
2. Vision: Cats have poorer eyesight than humans. Their eyes lack the complex cones needed for sharp focus, so their close-up vision is not as detailed as ours. But don’t underestimate cats: they make up for it with other amazing adaptations.
3. Peripheral vision: Cats boast an incredibly wide field of vision. Their eyes are set far apart, allowing them to see about 200 degrees horizontally; humans can only see 180 degrees. This peripheral vision is important for detecting movement (a survival advantage in the wild) and figuring out where that mischievous laser pointer has gone.
4. Sensitivity to movementCats are good at detecting movement. Their retinas have Ganglion cells²It responds to movement, and this sensitivity allows it to find prey even in low light.

Do cats and dogs see the same things?

Cats can see slightly more colors than dogs because they have three types of cones and dogs only two. Also, cats have better night vision than dogs, even though they both have mirror-like structures (the lamina lucidum). Either way, both cats have better night vision than you or me.

Although dogs may not have as good night vision or color vision as cats, they do have better eyesight, can see farther and see more detail than cats, and are therefore better able to recognize faces and read facial expressions.

Why cats have the best eyesight for hunting

1. Predator AdvantageCats’ visual adaptations are well-suited to their role as ambush predators: their ability to detect movement, especially in low light, ensures a successful hunt. Whether it’s a mouse scurrying across the floor or a bird flapping its wings at dusk, cats are finely tuned to seize the moment.
2. Nighttime ProficiencyCats’ crepuscular behavior makes them most active at dawn and dusk, taking advantage of their night vision: their elongated pupils allow them to quickly adapt to changing light conditions and seamlessly transition from darkness to daylight.
3. The Art of StalkingA cat’s elongated pupils constrict into narrow slits when they focus on prey. This enhances their depth perception and allows them to judge distances more accurately. Combine this with their peripheral vision and they make excellent stalkers.