You can see the colors of violet, red, orange, yellow, and green when you look up at a rainbow in the sky. Ever wonder what your cat sees in a rainbow? Is your feline friend able to see the same ranges of colors as you? what colors do cats see? Is he able to see white and black? Are the colors blurred?
The long-standing question of how cats perceive color has been a subject of extensive research. The results are quite amazing. Although cats are unable to appreciate all the colors humans see, they do not live in a black-and-white world. Cats live in an interesting world.
The nerve cells of the eye are able to distinguish color. There are two types of cells in the retina: rods and cones. The presence of special color-sensitive cells called “cones” determines the ability to distinguish colors. Both feline and human eyes have three types that are capable of identifying combinations of red, green, and blue. Humans have 10 times the number of cones as cats, so they can appreciate more color combinations than cats. According to scientific research, cats don’t seem to be able to see the full spectrum of colors humans can. Scientists believe cats only see blue and gray. Others think they also see yellow, just like canines.
1. What is it that makes a color “colorful?”
2. How does a cat’s vision compare with human vision?
Cats may not be able to see all the colors that humans see, but that doesn’t mean they can’t perceive other colors. Cats may not be able to see the true color of an object. They also are less sensitive to brightness changes, so they may not be able to see color in rich, vibrant colors like we do.
Cats and humans also have different visual perceptions. Feline vision may not be as sharp as a human vision in some ways. Cats are closer-sighted than humans. Cats may perceive an object as crisp from a distance that is the same distance to us. However, it might appear blurry to them. A cat will see an object blurry if it is 100 feet away from the human eye. The object won’t appear sharp until the cat is closer to it, around 20 feet.
3. What are visual differences between cats and humans?
These minor visual deficiencies can be compensated for by felines who have other advantages. Cats have more peripheral vision than humans because their eyes are located on the sides of their heads. Cats have a narrower range of visual acuity, so they don’t have depth perception as we do.
Cats also have elliptical pupils, which dilate maximally to allow them to capture the lightest possible. The tapetum is also formed by reflective cells beneath the retina. The tapetum gives cats the appearance of a “shiny eye”, and improves a cat’s vision in dim light.
“Cats see more clearly in dim light (dusk or dawn) than humans and can detect motion better than humans.”
The retina of cats also has more rod cells than that of their human counterparts. The rods are responsible for detecting motion at great distances, even tiny movements. When compared to humans cats can see in dim light (dusk or dawn) more clearly and detect motion better.
4. What colors do cats see?
Cats have the ability to see well enough to live in the wild and be successful. The cat’s ability to hunt is enhanced by being able to see in dim lighting and picking up small movements in the forest from a great distance. These attributes help cats know when they are prey and need to flee.
You can make the right choices for your cat by knowing his visual abilities. When shopping for toys, remember to keep your cat in mind. Yellow toys will be more appealing to him than red. You’ll be able to see why he suddenly becomes alert when he looks at a bird 50 yards away from him. It will also be obvious that he is most attentive when you are directly in front of him.
“Your cat will love yellow and blue toys better than red ones.”
You can be sure that your cat will enjoy the rainbow when it appears next time you’re lucky enough to see one. Although he won’t be able to see all the colors, he might see some yellow and blue. He will accept that!
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