Unlike humans, cats see better at night. This animal also has a stronger developed peripheral vision, but fluffy creatures are inferior to humans in the perception of the color spectrum and clarity of forms.
Nocturnal predators
Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are more active during the evening and morning twilight. This explains the fact that they can see much better than people in the dark. In the retina of a cat's eye, 6-8 times more rods, which are sensitive to dim light, compared to the human organ of vision. This vision in cats has evolved due to their lifestyle and the need to survive in the wild.
Another feature of feline vision is the ability of the pupil to contract and dilate strongly. In bright light, the cat's eye shrinks to the size of a thin filament, and in low light it expands, almost completely covering the cornea. At dusk, a cat's dilated pupil is better able to absorb light.
In addition, the elliptical shape of the cat's eye, the enlarged cornea, and the lining on the back of the eyeball that reflects light back to the retina collect more light. Because of this feature of the structure of the organ of vision in cats, eyes glow strongly in the dark.
A cat's eye mirror can change the wavelength of light perceived by a cat, so that the animal can see prey and other objects more clearly against the background of the night sky. Light sticks also allow cats to see moving objects better in the dark.
Vision in humans and cats
Cats have a wider field of view than humans. While in humans it is 180 degrees, in these predators it is 200 degrees. The peripheral vision in cats is also much better developed than in humans. It is important for them to notice a mouse or toy in the corner of the room.
Unlike humans, cats do not see objects in the distance so clearly. For example, a person with normal vision in daylight clearly sees large objects at a distance of 70 meters. The cat will see these objects blurry. Her vision allows her to see them clearly at a distance of up to 7 meters. There are more receptors for the perception of color and details, cones, in the human organ of vision than in cats. The same applies to the perception of movement in daylight, which is much better developed in humans than in smaller brothers.
Cats perceive colors differently. Scientists used to think that cats are dichromats, that is, they do not perceive red and green shades. As it turned out later, they still see some green tones.
But the night vision of cats, where rods are the main receptors, is not affected by the small number of cones compared to humans. And although cats cannot see in complete darkness, they only need a sixth of the light that humans need to clearly distinguish objects.
Cats have difficulty seeing objects under their noses. In this sense, they are farsighted creatures. They will smell the food laid next to the muzzle, but it will take them some time to find it.
