How Do a Cat's Eyes Work?

Cat's eyes are often thought of as mysterious or even magical. They glow in the dark and provide night vision which is far superior to human vision in the dark. Anyone who owns a cat knows that a cat's eyes are one of its most fascinating features. Ever wonder how the eyes of a cat work? Read on for some interesting details about the cat, his eyes and his vision.

Cats are mainly nocturnal. This is unsurprising to any cat owner who sees their pet spending endless hours sleeping during the day! This might be followed by the sounds of crashing and banging around 2 a.m. as your cat becomes active during the night.

However, cats are also active during the day. The pupil of a cat's eyes, just like a humans, lets in light. The wider the pupil, the more light is let in. A cat's pupils can expand to be very wide in proportion to the eye. This allows a cat to have excellent night vision. In the dark, a cat's extremely wide pupils allow him to take in more light and have better night vision than a human. The 'cat eye' look of wide pupils has a scientific explanation - a cat needs his wide eyes to get the best night vision.

However, you probably won't see a wide eyed cat during the day. For, in bright conditions a cat's eyes contract to small slits. This helps the cat to protect his sensitive retinas from bright light. The way that cat's pupils 'grow' according to light conditions is one of the most amazing things about cats. Human eyes only have one muscle to control this function, while cats have two. This explains why the eyes of the cat are so adept when it comes to vision in a variety of light conditions.

It is clear that even a house cat has inherited this trait from the big cats - lions and tigers who need excellent night vision to help them to hunt at night. You might notice about your cat that nothing seems to escape his eye - whether it's a leaf blown in from outside, a bird in the window, a bug on the floor or even a new picture on the wall. A cat's eyes are one his greatest strengths, and he relies on his adept vision to navigate the world. The mysterious look in the eyes of a cat has a scientific explanation.