Similar to dogs, cats only have two types of receptors in their eyes, and they can only see shades of gray, blue, and yellow. Also similar to dogs, cats are limited to a range of 10,000 shades of those specific colors, which means they have a hard time focusing on objects that are red, orange, and green.
Previously, it was believed that animals, such as dogs and cats, could only see in black and white. However, scientists have proven this to be a myth. Cone photoreceptor cells are the cells in the eye that determine color perception in all animals, including humans. Dogs and cats have cones that are sensitive to green and blue light. This means they have a useful level of colour vision. Other animals’ ability to see color depends on the kinds and quantity of cones in their bodies.
Dogs and cats have developed to be incredibly well-suited for hunting at night. Rods, the cells in the eyes that are sensitive to low light, are highly concentrated in their eyes. This indicates that they can see normally with as little light as 2015% of what humans would require. Additionally, when they need to take in more light, their pupils dilate dramatically, much like a camera’s aperture does. Particularly cats have remarkable night vision and remarkably large pupils for their body size. But the idea that dogs and cats can see in the dark is untrue. The eyes of all animals need light in order to function properly.
Red, blue, and green cones are used by humans to see in full color. However cats and dogs only have blue and green cones. This indicates that their perception of color is far more subdued, similar to human color blindness. Cats and dogs have trouble telling some colors apart because they are not sensitive to red light. Dog behavioral tests, for instance, indicate that they can tell the difference between red and blue, but frequently confuse it with green. Similarly, they often perceive green as grey.
Compared to human eyes, the vision of our furry friends is lacking in some ways, but so much better in others. Are dogs and cats colorblind?
(Credit: otsphoto/Shutterstock)
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If social media is anything to go by, dog and cat vision are certainly having a moment, especially on TikTok, where it seems like practically every pet-owning user has accessed the platform’s wildly popular dog- and cat-vision filters.
Anyone who owns a dog or cat will eventually want to know how their pet perceives the outside world. So are apps and filters really a good representation of what we can see? Let’s compare what our furry friends can see to what we can see.
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