In all breeds of cat, the eyes are one of the most attractive and appealing features. Cats' eyes are incredibly beautiful and quite unique. The unusualness and mysticism of cats' eyes, coupled with their incredibly night-vision led the Ancient Egyptians to believe that when the sun set, it was placed into cats' eyes for the night.
Although they appear very different from human eyes, cat's eyes are basically the same as our eyes, in that they have all the same components. However, a cat's eyes work very differently to ours and allow them to be efficient hunters in both broad daylight and the pitch-black night.
A Cat's Distance Vision
Like many animals, cats are thought to be fairly myopic (short or near sighted). In other words, they are unable to focus on objects in the distance, unless they are moving. Of course, in reality a cat has very little need to be able to focus on stationary objects in the distance. As a hunter, it is the perception of movement that is important for a cat. Therefore, it is the facets of a cat's vision that are necessary to its hunting skills that have become highly evolved. The less important aspects of vision, on the other hand, are less well developed.
Cats' Incredible Night-Vision
One aspect of the cat's vision that is incredibly advanced is the ability to see at night. Of course, this comes from the necessity to hunt at night when prey is less wary of predators or, in the case of nocturnal prey, when they are active.
The ability to see well in the dark is made possible by the rods that make up the retina. The retina also contains cones, which are used in the identification and differentiation of colors. Consisting of rods and cones, the retina of a cat is exactly the same as a human retina. However, cats have many more times the amount of rods as us humans. Moreover, cats have an added advantage with the addition of a light-reflecting membrane behind the retina, which is called the tapetum lucidum.
With these weapons in their arsenal, it is little wonder that the cat is able to see incredibly well at night.
Color Blindness in Cats
It is a common misconception that cats are color blind. In fact, they are able to identify and differentiate many colors. However, it is known that cats cannot identify colors as well as humans, because they do not have the same number of cones in the retina. Here again, we see in instance where nature has enhanced the necessary aspect of vision, the ability to see at night, at the expense of the less necessary facet of color differentiation. Of course, it is difficult to be precise about which colors a cat can and cannot see, but it is believed that cats see red as a gray and are not able to identify between certain hues of orange and brown. So, bright red food bowls and toys are wasted on your kitty!
How to Care for a Cat's Eyes
As incredible as they are, cats' eyes are at risk from a number of health issues. Therefore, it is advisable that owners report any changes or concerns to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Indications of potential problems include discharge, redness, clouding, sunken or bulging eyes and squinting. Often, as cats age, they can begin to lose their sight, so in older cats symptoms are likely to indicate degenerative issues.
It is important to ensure that your cat has his, or her, annual veterinary check-up, because eye examinations will be carried out and problems can hopefully be caught early. However, it is always wise to act on any changes to your cat's eyes or vision, as they may be secondary symptoms of a more serious health risk.
Cat's eyes are both beautiful and deadly. The way in which cats' eyes have evolved to allow them to become proficient and prolific hunters is quite extraordinary. Cat owners should do their utmost to care for these marvellous examples of evolutionary sophistication.
Although they appear very different from human eyes, cat's eyes are basically the same as our eyes, in that they have all the same components. However, a cat's eyes work very differently to ours and allow them to be efficient hunters in both broad daylight and the pitch-black night.
A Cat's Distance Vision
Like many animals, cats are thought to be fairly myopic (short or near sighted). In other words, they are unable to focus on objects in the distance, unless they are moving. Of course, in reality a cat has very little need to be able to focus on stationary objects in the distance. As a hunter, it is the perception of movement that is important for a cat. Therefore, it is the facets of a cat's vision that are necessary to its hunting skills that have become highly evolved. The less important aspects of vision, on the other hand, are less well developed.
Cats' Incredible Night-Vision
One aspect of the cat's vision that is incredibly advanced is the ability to see at night. Of course, this comes from the necessity to hunt at night when prey is less wary of predators or, in the case of nocturnal prey, when they are active.
The ability to see well in the dark is made possible by the rods that make up the retina. The retina also contains cones, which are used in the identification and differentiation of colors. Consisting of rods and cones, the retina of a cat is exactly the same as a human retina. However, cats have many more times the amount of rods as us humans. Moreover, cats have an added advantage with the addition of a light-reflecting membrane behind the retina, which is called the tapetum lucidum.
With these weapons in their arsenal, it is little wonder that the cat is able to see incredibly well at night.
Color Blindness in Cats
It is a common misconception that cats are color blind. In fact, they are able to identify and differentiate many colors. However, it is known that cats cannot identify colors as well as humans, because they do not have the same number of cones in the retina. Here again, we see in instance where nature has enhanced the necessary aspect of vision, the ability to see at night, at the expense of the less necessary facet of color differentiation. Of course, it is difficult to be precise about which colors a cat can and cannot see, but it is believed that cats see red as a gray and are not able to identify between certain hues of orange and brown. So, bright red food bowls and toys are wasted on your kitty!
How to Care for a Cat's Eyes
As incredible as they are, cats' eyes are at risk from a number of health issues. Therefore, it is advisable that owners report any changes or concerns to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Indications of potential problems include discharge, redness, clouding, sunken or bulging eyes and squinting. Often, as cats age, they can begin to lose their sight, so in older cats symptoms are likely to indicate degenerative issues.
It is important to ensure that your cat has his, or her, annual veterinary check-up, because eye examinations will be carried out and problems can hopefully be caught early. However, it is always wise to act on any changes to your cat's eyes or vision, as they may be secondary symptoms of a more serious health risk.
Cat's eyes are both beautiful and deadly. The way in which cats' eyes have evolved to allow them to become proficient and prolific hunters is quite extraordinary. Cat owners should do their utmost to care for these marvellous examples of evolutionary sophistication.
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