The popular opinion is that cats are exclusively nocturnal animals. This is, however, untrue as the biological makeup of cats places them as Crepuscular, which means that they are most active (especially to hunt) at dawn and dusk and get their rest during the day, hence their multiple daytime naps.
But like many nocturnal animals, felines do have amazing night vision, and this is why unlike you, your cat can see much more clearly under very dim light.
Want to know about cat night vision? Here are five amazing facts about cats’ vision in the nighttime:
Seeing in the dark
As already mentioned, cats have great eyesight for nighttime. This, however, does not necessarily mean that they have a supernatural nighttime vision that works even in total blackout. It means that their biology favours the prowess of seeing in dim lights, unlike humans. This they owe to their large corneas and pupils that expand at night to admit more light than normal.
Peripheral vision
Due to the high concentration of rod receptors in their retinas, moggies have a higher tendency to clearly see objects peripherally than humans and this also applies during twilight. It helps them detect prey and predators that are within their peripheral vision field.
Colour blind at night?
Unlike humans with more cone receptors in their retinas, cats have more rod density than humans which is not only responsible for their great peripheral vision but also makes it much more difficult to detect colours even at night. Experts say moggies are built to see colours in grey and cannot appreciate the richness and saturation of the hues of colours.
Myopia and Hypermetropia
Yes, it is usual for cats to have difficulties seeing objects very near to them and also objects at a distance. This is because moggies have quite large pupils, and so cannot focus on objects closer than 12 inches and farther than 6 meters from them and are usually referred to as mid-sighted animals.
They, however, make up for this by being able to detect the slightest movement from the sensitivity of their under paws, which they use to detect vibrations from the ground and also their whiskers to guess objects they can’t properly see. They also sense objects near them by their scent.
Glowing in the dark
You might have noticed the richness of the blue or copper, or brown of your Moggie’s pupil, which seems to make it glow, especially in the dark. This is due to the tissue behind the retina (tapetum) of a cat that reflects light that passes through their rod and cone receptors, magnifying what little light is available at nighttime which ultimately allows them to see clearly in darker surroundings.
From their grooming habits and nutrition, which you can find on sites like Mellowed Cats, to their behavioural characteristics and vision, felines are known for their uniqueness. However, they make great furry companions the more you learn about them. What fact on the list made you go, “Blimey!”?