Cat's Eyes: Do Cats See in Color?

So can cats see in color? The short answer to this question is: Yes, cats have some degree of color vision. Cat's eyes, however, cannot see as broad a range of colors as humans do. The reason for this can be found in the cells that are used to convert light in the eye. There are two kinds of photo receptors, and they are found on the retina, the lining on the back of the eye.

The first type of cell is a cone cell. These are for turning light into color. The more cones in the eye, the more color it will see. Since cats only have a few cones compared to humans, they can see colors but can't distinguish colors that are close in value. For instance, they can distinguish between blue and red but not red versus orange.

The second type of cell is a rod. These help the cat see in dim light. Cats have more rods in the eye than humans do. According to Drs. Foster and Smith, four of out five cells in the retina are rod cells. In cat's eyes there are 25 out of 26. That is why the cat can see extremely well in dim light. Also aiding that ability is the tapetum lucidum. In simple terms, it is a structure that acts like a mirror and will reflect the light back. This enables the cat to see in light eight times dimmer than a human can. You can see the effect when you take a picture of your cat and the cat looks directly at the flash. What you see instead of eyes are two glowing orbs.

Speaking of these beautiful orbs, it is essential for a cat to get an adequate amount of the amino acid taurine for the health of the eye. If you are feeding your cat a good quality brand of cat food, the proper amount has already been added. The amount is usually listed on the label. An inadequate amount of taurine, however, can result in PRA, or Progressive Retinal Atrophy. As the cat ages, the photo receptors, talked about above, start to degenerate, causing blindness. Since the appearance of the eye at the onset is usually normal, the only way a cat owner could tell if something is wrong is a change in behavior of the cat. Does the cat stick to more familiar surroundings? Does the cat seem afraid to walk around in the dark? Although there is no cure for this disease, cats are remarkably adaptable creatures, especially in familiar surroundings.

So, even though a cat can't see color well, does that affect the cat's ability to hunt? Whether the cat is an outdoor cat hunting for food, or an indoor cat hunting its favorite toy, it will be able to perform its task far better than any human. The cat's ability to see in dim light is much more important that seeing what color his prey is. And if you have ever watched a cat, you know that a cat can also detect even the slightest movement.

If you would like to see pictures of how much color a cat can see, please visit the Kitty Show.

Sources:

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2124&aid=342

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2174&aid=1116

www.cathealth.com/CatEyes.htm