Last updated on February 8th, 2023 at 05:26 am
Cats are known to be fascinating pets to human beings, but have you ever wondered what cats see, especially when there is a mixture of colors in a room? Human beings can see different colors and differentiate the various colors, but this is not the case with cats. It is said that cats mainly see black and grey colors, but they cannot differentiate the various colors as humans do.
This mainly concerns the nature of a cat’s eye, which is different from human beings. Naturally, cats and humans have photo pigments in the cone of the vision. These photo pigments form the eye’s photoreceptor cells, whose primary function is to turn the light into signals. The main difference between humans and cats is that cats have two photo pigments, while humans have three photo pigments. This tends to explain why human beings see colors better than cats. Cats can be considered color-blind since they can’t seem to differentiate colors.
What is color blindness?
Color blindness is the inability to differentiate colors. Most people who are color blind find it hard to tell the difference between bright colors like red and purple or yellow and orange. Color blindness should not be mistaken for an eyesight problem because it is not.
Cats are said to be color-blind because they cannot differentiate bright colors. It is assumed that the cones in the cat’s eyes enable them to see dull colors like black, grey, or dark brown and a spectrum of light.
How different are cats’ visions from human beings?
Cats, unlike humans, are said to be less sensitive to changes in brightness. For a human being, bright light can affect you, but brightness is never a problem for a cat. This also explains why human beings tend to see things differently from cats.
Research has shown that cats recognize a particular color through the color wavelength. It is said that cats tend to see blue-black colors wavelength more easily than see a yellow-red color. The color wavelength mainly caused by the beam of light tends to cause this. This is not the same with humans since the color wavelength does not affect how we see colors.
Humans and cats also tend to see colors differently because of sight. Humans can see things at a short or long distance without much struggle, but cats tend to be short-sighted. This means that if a colorful object is at a distance, the cat might be unable to tell what the thing’s color is. Human beings can be able to say the color of an object even at 100m.
Cat’s eyes are mostly set at the side of the head, unlike humans, which gives them a broader area of vision. Their pupils also dilate, thus allowing them to capture light easily. This explains why a cat can easily see in very dim or dark light, unlike humans.
What colors do cats see?
By now, you already know that cats have different sight from humans, and you already know what makes the difference in vision. But the question is, what colors do they see? This is mainly attributed to cones and rods found in the eye. As earlier stated, cones enable vision during the day and see colors differently, while rods are responsible for night vision.
Research has shown that cats have more rods than cones receptors. Thus, making it hard for the cats to perceive various colors. Also, the photoreceptors cells convert light rays into signals sent to the brain, which then translates which color the object is. In general, cats are said to see more blue and grey rays than any other color.
Which are the best colored toys for cats?
Your cats are well known to be very playful creatures. Therefore, when choosing a toy for your cat, always go for toys with bright colors to stimulate the cat’s vision. Promoting the vision of the cat helps make their cats have a better sight.
Bright yellow toys with feathers or soft surfaces can help your cat have a better time when playing in the house or compound. Also, the bright yellow color can help improve the cat’s vision.
When buying toys for cats, buy toys of different shapes and those that can be easy for you to clean later. You can also purchase shiny toys to give the cat a better playing experience. Also, shiny toys are very eye-catching. Hence your cat will just want to play with the toys now and then.
How do cats see human beings?
Cats are sensory creatures, just like dogs. They mainly recognize their human friends through their sensory organs that let them detect and memorize smell, touch, voices, and many other things. You might think your cat knows what you look or dress like, but they do not. As earlier stated, their poor vision makes them see the world and everything around them as grey, black, or dark blue. This makes it hard for them to memorize the face of their friend.
At the same time, cats consider humans their allies, and one way of interacting with humans is by licking their keeper’s faces or arms. This helps the cat to create a bond with the person. At the same time, they also interact with humans by laying on their laps or curling on the human’s hands. All these gestures are ways for the cats to connect with the keeper and recognize the person in the future.
Can cats see in darkness?
Cats naturally have more rod cells in the retina than cones. The rod cells are responsible for night vision. Cats can see more clearly in the dark than in the light. This is the complete opposite in humans since humans have fewer cones responsible for daylight vision and fewer rod cells. This explains why human beings have a hard time seeing in the dark.
It is also known that cats have a tapetum Lucidum, like many other animals. Tapetum Lucidum is a thin layer located behind the retina of the eye. The layer works by passing, reflecting the light passing through the retina towards the eye. This helps increase the light level in the rod cells.
The reflection of the light on the rod cells helps increase the cat’s vision in the dark. This layer also makes the cat have shiny eyes at night. You might think that cats have shiny eyes, but it’s just the reflection of the available light in the dark on the rod cells.
How to increase your cat’s vision
It is already clear that it is difficult for the cat to get eye problems, but it’s also good that you take care of your cat and ensure that the cat gets to have a proper and healthy eye for easy movement and many other things. You can help improve your cat’s vision by doing the following.
- Vet checkup
Many people tend to ignore this, but taking your cat to the vet regularly can help the vet detect an underlying problem that can cause an eye problem which might lead to a vision problem. Many vets today are well-specialized and equipped to handle pets, and paying vets visit leads to the long-term better health of your cat.
- Cleaning the pets
Cats are very playful and tend to play with almost everything, such as soil, ash, wood ash, and many other dusty things. It can be hard sometimes to control where your pet will play, and during playing, dust can enter into the pet’s eye and cause some underlying problems. Therefore, you should clean your pet daily by brushing their hair and cleaning it around their eyes gently to remove any dirt surrounding the eye.
- Nutritious food
The essential thing about improving your cat’s vision and ability to see better is healthy food. Foods rich in nutrients that pet doctors suggest will help improve your cat’s daylight and nighttime vision. Regular feeding of the cat with balanced food rich in Vitamin A can help improve the cat’s sight.
Conclusion
If you are wondering if cats can see colors, the simple answer is yes. They tend to see a wave of lights of different colors, such as blue, grey, or black. For yellow green, it is hard for the cat to know since they have more rods than cones in their eyes, which prevents them from having good color vision. Take care of your cat’s vision today by visiting the veterinarian for a checkup.
