Cat Vision: How Do Cats See the World?
- Rachel
- Apr 16
- 11 min read
Updated: Jun 26
If I was lucky enough to possess the ability to speak to animals, there are a million questions I'd ask: one of them being, how do they see? A cat's eyes are mesmerising and mysterious at the best of times, so to receive a glimpse of how they perceive the world would be an experience for sure!
The evolution of scientific research, coupled with advances in camera hardware and software programs, has shown humans how insects and other animals experience colour, which wouldn't have been possible a decade ago.
One project I find particularly fascinating is by the artist, Nickolay Lamm, who consulted with animal eye specialists to create stunning visualisations that compare how cats see in comparison to humans.
In order to fully appreciate these images, let's dive into the special anatomy of a cat's eyes.
In this article:
Kitten Development
As you may know, kittens are born blind and don't begin to open their eyes until 7-10 days old. During this time, they rely on scent and touch to interact with their surroundings and are completely dependent on their mother; however, they develop at a very fast rate.
A kitten's eyes should be fully open by week two, but their vision is much poorer than an adult cat's. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of a kitten is their beautiful, almost opaque bluish-grey eyes. This is due to the way the light reflects out of them, but they are in fact colourless. It takes several weeks for the pigment to develop, after which they change to shades of green, yellow or orange.
Eye colour is determined by a cat's genetics, which is why some breeds have specific colours, such as Siamese who are known for their striking blue eyes. This isn't the same blue as seen in the underdeveloped eyes of a kitten.
Like all animals, a cat's eyes are adapted to their habitat and environment. What sets the domestic cat apart from other pets is that they're skilled hunters and capable of feeding themselves, if left to their own devices. Therefore, their eyes are structurally designed for tracking movement and spotting small prey animals in dim light.
We can compare this to our human eyes by looking at differences in low-light, peripheral and long-distance vision.
Anatomy of the Eyes
Cats and humans have some similarities in how their eyes are formed, as we can see from the diagram above. Just like humans, cats have a pupil, iris, cornea, lens and retina. The lens changes shape to focus light that enters the pupils onto the retina.
The retinas contain rods and cones, known as photoreceptors (light-detecting cells that send signals to the brain for processing into visual images). Rods provide low-light vision, while cones provide daytime vision and the ability to see colour.
Naturally, cats have more rods than humans but less cones. This means they see better at night but worse during the day. However, the main difference is that cats have something called the tapetum lucidum: a layer of tissue at the back of each eye.
If some light misses the retina, this reflective membrane acts like a mirror and bounces it back onto the retina. This gives the rods another chance to pick it up and enables cats to see in dim light.
The tapetum lucidum is what makes a cat's eyes glow in the dark.... and pee our pants when we're shuffling to the bathroom at 2 a.m.
As well as the regular top and bottom eyelids, cats have a third located on the inner corner of their eyes, called the nictitating membrane. This protects the eye from dirt and debris and keeps it hydrated by spreading tears horizontally over the surface, sort of like a windscreen wiper. You don't usually see the third eyelid unless cats are sleepy or there's a health issue, such as an infection.
Night Vision
Cats’ pupils are vertical with an elliptical form that changes shape and size depending on how much light there is. The darker the conditions, the bigger and rounder they are to capture more light (dilation). In bright conditions, they constrict into thin, slit-like shapes to protect the retina from light damage.
This is controlled by the iris - the coloured part of the eye surrounding the pupil - and happens almost instantly to adjust to different conditions and improve depth perception while hunting.
A human's pupils are always round and only dilate to 30% of the visible surface of the eye, whereas a cat's dilate to 80%. Their large corneas allow a greater amount of light to enter, and the lens is closer to the retina, creating brighter images at night.
The amount of rod cells in a cat's eyes allows them to see 6-8 times better than humans at night. It also means they can sense motion in darker settings, but what about their daytime vision?
To give you a mental picture, humans have 10 times more cone cells than cats, making our world appear technicoloured and garish in comparison to the less saturated, muted tones of our feline companions.
With such large pupils, they're unable to shrink into pinpricks like a human's, hence the slitted shape. It stands to reason that cats would be more comfortable hunting in darker hours, especially when we think about how they'll happily snooze the day away. In fact, it's been said that a cat's rod cells shut down in bright light.
While their night vision is superior to ours, the theory that cats can see in complete darkness is a myth, likely due to their associations with magic and the supernatural. Cats need some light to see, and this corresponds perfectly with their most active hours of dawn and dusk when they'd be hunting nocturnal wildlife.
They can, however, use other senses like touch and sound to navigate in darkness. The only animals that have better hearing than cats are certain insects and bats.
Peripheral Vision
Similar to humans, cats have forward-facing eyes which gives them a good ability to judge depth and size, as is necessary for stalking and pouncing on prey. This is known as binocular vision, meaning they have overlapping images from each eye to create a three-dimensional view, hence why they're skilled predators.
Compare this to rabbits, rodents and other animals that are vulnerable to predators, whose eyes are positioned on the sides of their head. This gives them a poor depth perception but an excellent ability to see threats approaching from both sides, as well as behind. Their eyes often move independently, allowing them to see two things at the same time!
Due to the angle of a cat's eyes, they have a wide 200-degree field of vision (with 30-degrees peripheral) in comparison to our 180 degrees (20-degrees peripheral) so they can see more of their surroundings without moving their heads. This helps them to stay alert to nearby threats and hunting opportunities.
As rod cells are mostly located on the periphery of the retina, they also aid peripheral vision. However, the outer range suffers from a lack of clarity, as shown in the image below.
Cats do have a limited ability to move their eyes from side to side/up and down, which we don't often see but it looks creepy as hell. I first noticed it when my boys went through their aggressive phase and Simba would observe Drax from the corner of his eye without otherwise moving a muscle. I suspect he was trying to avoid drawing attention to himself - or possibly acting invisible!
Related post: 3 Reasons Why Your Bonded Cats Are Fighting
Long-Distance Vision
While it appears as though cats are able to spot a bird soaring through the sky, they can't see as far as a human. In fact, they're classed as near-sighted because their vision becomes blurry after about 6 metres (20 feet) while humans can see clearly up to 60 metres (or 100-200 feet).
This doesn't seem very useful - in human terms, cats are just a step up from legally blind - but their eyes are perfectly adapted for their survival and focusing on the immediate environment.
That being said, you might find it surprising that cats struggle to see what's right in front of them. Their eyes are large in proportion to their skull, and while they have a remarkable ability to control the size and shape of their pupils, it limits their ability to focus on objects up close - typically, within 25-30cm.
If you've noticed that your cat doesn't respond to a toy being dangled in front of its face - or if they're anything like Drax, swatting in the wrong direction - it doesn't necessarily mean they're going blind! Sometimes it can be frustrating to watch a cat trying to sniff out a treat that's placed right under its nose, regardless of how much you point at it. However, this could be due to a blind spot in the same area.
Cats are said to have the clearest vision between 2-6 metres, which is the optimal range for detecting movement; but this is debatable. Depending on who you ask, there are several other theories as to what and how cats see.
Some experts believe that their distance vision is similar to a human's, whereas others say it adapts to their environment. For example, outdoor cats are slightly long-sighted and indoor cats are slightly short-sighted. It might be the case that different cats or breeds have different eyesights, and some are better or worse than others.
I know with my own cats that Drax can spot something as small as a midge from across a room, while Simba is seemingly oblivious (or doesn't care - you never know with cats). On the flip side, Simba will swat a feather wand in front of his face that Drax otherwise misses; and he'll happily sit watching cat games on a mobile phone.
There are some clear differences unrelated to environment, seeing as they were raised together as indoor cats. Either way, it wouldn't surprise me if our sneaky felines were concealing a much keener vision than we're led to believe.
How Cats Use Whiskers to See
You might be wondering, if cats can't see up close, how do they not bump into things? This is because they have another set of eyes - their whiskers! We mentioned this briefly in regards to moving around in the dark, making them a very important part of a cat's anatomy.
Cats use whiskers to explore their surroundings in several ways. The long facial whiskers are the same width as a cat's body, which helps to determine if they can squeeze through gaps like doors and cat flaps. They also have shorter whiskers on the cheeks, chin, above the eyes and back of the front legs.
Whiskers are attached to nerve endings in the brain's cortex and are so sensitive that they can detect subtle shifts in air currents, allowing them to navigate around objects in front of them. The facial whiskers are even capable of moving forwards to read the outline of prey for the perfect catch!
Do Cats See Colours?
We know cats don't see as vibrantly as humans due to having more rod cells than cone cells. Rods are best for seeing on a low-light or black/grey spectrum, and it was long believed that cats were unable to see in colour. This was partly due to only having two types of cones and lacking those sensitive to red wavelengths.
However, recent studies suggest that cats, like humans, have three types of cones. Since there are less of them, it's likely that cats can see a limited range of colours in a similar manner to someone who's colour blind. Experts believe they mostly see blue-violet hues, yellow and grey; but are unable to differentiate red from green.
We get a sense of this in the above image, where the rusty-coloured roof of the house appears almost yellow. Again, this may not be a perfectly accurate representation of a cat's world in colour. The biggest question seems to be whether cats are able to see red, especially since they go crazy for laser pointers.
Additionally, cats are thought to perceive the ultraviolet light spectrum, allowing them to see trails of urine and other markings that humans cannot. This would give them even more of an advantage in the wild.
A Cat's Vision in Motion
As mentioned previously, rod cells are important for tracking movement in darkness, but this happens a little differently in cats. They swivel their eyes in jerking motions rather than smoothly, capturing "snapshots" of each image for processing.
You could compare it to the old flip books that have a series of images that gradually change on each page. When viewed in quick succession by flipping the pages, it tricks the eye into seeing a moving animation.
This means that cats are best at spotting fast or erratic motion, such as the flapping wings of a bird or scurrying mouse. You'll notice that they spend a long time observing and stalking their prey before going in for a perfectly-timed pounce.
A slow-moving object may appear stationary which, as you can imagine, can be very confusing. Perhaps this explains Simba's instinct to swat a misplaced object on the floor - is it just an inanimate thing or something more sinister?
Yet it's humans that have the upper hand during the day, when they're at least 10 times better at detecting movement due to the higher amount of cone cells.
In knowing this, you can turn offering treats into a fun game by tossing them across the room for cats to track and hunt. This not only utilises their natural instincts but provides exercise as well as a reward. Drax loves me flicking elastic bands and hair bobbles across the room, although it's less fun for me clearing up afterwards.
Eyes and Behaviour
As many parents will know, a cat's eyes aren't just for seeing but for communicating a wide range of emotions and social cues. Here are some common ones to look out for.
Slow blinking is a gesture of trust and affection when exchanged with humans or other cats. A form of communication you can take advantage of by relaxing the gaze and letting your eyelids drop for a second, telling them that you love them too!
While a soft gaze will put your cat at ease, a direct and unblinking stare is likely to be seen as a threat. Cats use many forms of body language to signal that they're unhappy, and the stare down is something that all owners should be aware of.
Just like the baring of teeth or a swishing tail, a cat's eyes can tell us a lot about their mood. Wide eyes or large, dilated pupils can indicate fear, excitement, pain, pleasure (such as from petting) and other forms of arousal.
Narrow, slitted pupils are usually angrier, particularly if accompanied by squinted eyes. This could be in response to a threat or aggression, as a squinting cat is getting ready to defend itself from injury (similar to pinned back or flattened ears).
Half-closed eyes and normal, oval-shaped pupils usually mean your cat is relaxed and comfortable. They may be wider if they've spotted something of interest.
It's important to observe the rest of a cat's behaviour and body language, as well as the situation, to determine if there's a problem or they're simply reacting to the amount of light in the area.
Summary
We may never truly know the extent of a cat's vision - or any animal, for that matter. As with most cat-related studies, there's much debate about what they can and can't see. More research is needed in many respects.
Texture is another "fuzzy" area, with some claiming that they pick up on the finest details, allowing them to adapt to different environments and hunting grounds. Others will say that a lot of those details are missed and cats rely on motion for catching prey.
Referring back to the comparison images, a small rodent or bird is likely to get lost amongst the bright colours and busy textures. Since these animals are typically shades of grey or brown and cats hunt in dim conditions, it further leans towards the theory that they have little need for details. Not to mention how attuned their other senses are for navigating the environment.
Much of the behaviour and psychology of our feline friends remains a mystery, and vision is one of the most intriguing to me. Even scientists will admit that it's a challenge to test the responses of animals who, for the most part, are only interested in what they want to do!
One thing for sure is that cats are built for stealth. For this reason, we expect them to have excellent vision - and indeed they do, by cat standards. Besides, their ability to track a fly buzzing around the house or spot a spider scuttling out of the skirting boards far surpasses a human.
How many times has your cat shot across the room or stared fixatedly at the ceiling, yet you can't see a damn thing? Unless you have a visitor of a more ghostly kind, but that's another topic!
Would you love the chance to see through the eyes of a cat? Does your kitty respond better to some colours than others?
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