The natural hunting instinct in cats allows them to see in very low light for all night adventures but in the case of absolute darkness, cats cannot see. Cats are crepuscular animals, meaning they’re active during the twilight hours like dusk and dawn.
Can Cats See in the Dark?
Do cats have night vision? Not exactly. They can see very well in low light, however — a skill that gave domestic cats ancestors an advantage over their prey. As American Veterinarian explains, cats large corneas and pupils, which are about 50% larger than humans, allow more light into their eyes. This extra light helps them to see in the dark.
Because there is usually some light coming from somewhere in peoples’ homes, people mistakenly believe that cats have night vision goggles. They don’t, but when your cat wakes you up for a midnight snack, it can seem like they do. In actuality, cats are crepuscular animals that hunt during the hours of dusk and dawn, when many other animals (i.e., e. , prey) become more active. Talk about perfect timing.
Do Cats Have Night Vision?
Since cats are crepuscular animals, twilight is when they are most active. If they live indoors, outdoor cats will likely roam the house or prowl the neighborhood, which raises the question: Do cats see well at night?
“Cats can see very well in low-light conditions, but this does not mean that they have night vision like the one we can get from night-vision goggles,” says Dr. Paola Cuevas, a Mexico-based veterinarian, MVZ and behaviorist with Hepper.com. “This means that in conditions where it is too dark for us to see, cats can see very well.”
It’s a common misconception that cats can see in complete darkness. However, Ceuvas says that’s not true. Cats can see better at night than the average human (and possibly even the average dog), but their eyes need light to see.
“Cats have several specific adaptations within their eyes to help them have enhanced night vision,” explains Dr. Kristin Fischer, DAVCO, a veterinary ophthalmologist at Animal Eye Country of the Lowcountry, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
According to Fischer, these adaptations include:
- More rod photoreceptors: The primary cause of vision in low light is the retina’s greater quantity of rod photoreceptors. Your cat sees better in the dark than you do because it has more rods in its eyes than you do.
- The retina’s supporting reflective structure, known as the taceum lucidum, serves as a mirror or reflective layer to reflect light back into the eye. To improve vision in low-light or dim conditions, more photoreceptors are stimulated by light reflection within the eye. Additionally, it is the reason behind what is known as “eyeshine” in cats (and dogs, too).
- Cats’ vertical, slit-shaped pupils dilate greatly at night, producing a sizable aperture through which light can pass.
According to Fischer, “all of these things work together to help cats see well in the dark.” iStock. com/nico_blue.
Can Cats See Better Than Dogs at Night?
In low light, both dogs and cats have better vision, especially when compared to human vision. But most veterinary ophthalmologists concur that cats do better than dogs at night.
Both dogs and cats have good low-light vision, but cats have an even greater advantage over dogs because of the anatomical features of their eyes, which enable them to maximize the amount of available light, according to Cuevas
According to Fischer, “because of the larger size of their eyes compared to the size of their skulls, cats have better night vision than dogs.” The cat’s tapetum lucidum is more effective at reflecting light, and their pupils let in more light. ”.
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