Do cats see in black and white? Here is what the experts say

Have you ever wondered how your pet feline sees the world? Some people may have already guessed that these furry enigmas see it a little different from us, but how different? This is all you need to know.

Cats' vision is blurrier than ours

Wired writes that though cats' visual fields are broader than ours, spanning roughly 200 degrees instead of 180 degrees, their visual acuity isn't as good. The things humans can sharply distinguish at distances of 100-200 feet look blurry to cats. Our pets can see these objects at approximately 20 feet.

But unlike humans, they see well in dim light

So, the vision of cats is not sharp but it has some added bonus. Because of the various photoreceptors in cats' retinas, they can see in dim light. It is great for the fluff-balls as they are crepuscular, meaning they are really active at dawn and dusk.

Instead of the colour-resolving, detail-oriented cells that populate the centre of human retinas, cats have many more rod cells that excel in dim light and are responsible for night-vision capability. The rod cells also refresh more quickly, which lets cats pick up very rapid movements.

Do cats see in black & white?

The quick answer is NO. Cats indeed can see colours, though they see them differently from us. The cat version of the world is less vibrant than ours.

Pet felines' two colour-detecting cones let them detect blue-violet and yellow-green wavelengths of light, but not red-orange. The shades that are available to a cat's eye are yellow, grey, and blue. Some researchers think that they may also notice some shades of green.

A laser pointer is a great example of how poorly we understand our furry enigmas. Your cat likely does not pick up on how bright that red is, and instead sees just the fast, bouncing movement of the light. It must be incredibly frustrating for them to endlessly chase an uncatchable target.

What does partial colour blindness mean for my cat?

In conclusion, playthings that are rich in bright colours won’t impress your cat. But if you insist on picking a hue, go for shades of yellow, blue, and maybe green. If you decide to shop for cat toys, keep in mind that felines prefer to focus on movements as it stimulates their natural predator instincts, Daily Paws writes.

Sources used:

- Wired: 'This Is How Cats See the World'

- Daily Paws: 'Can Cats See Color?'

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