Since the day I found three kittens on my door step they have utterly fascinated me.Their quirkiness, their attitude even those cat eyes have me wondering how beautiful these creatures are.
In a previous post we discussed interesting facts about calico cats that our readers loved.
This time I am going to tell you 10 facts about cat eyes, yup just their eyes that will leave you mesmerized into how beautiful nature is.
And of course how beautiful cats are.
Why This Post On Cat Eyes Is Important
What is true is the fact that all knowledge is limited.
The more we know that more we realize how much we do not know.
That means knowledge goes hand in hand with ignorance and that is true in terms of cats as well. There are so many myths out there regarding cats. I make it a point to make people as much aware about facts regarding cats as I can through this blog.
So everything that I am going to share here will be backed by scientific research and will be structured in such a way so that your knowledge is whole, comprehensive and without fragments.
Basic Information On Eye Anatomy
Before we begin let’s understand the basic anatomy of eyes biologically.
Human eyes have a lens via which light goes through a gateway known as pupil.
Light rays make their way through the pupil on to the retina where an inverted image is formed. This inverted image then gets transmitted to the brain via optic nerve.
And after all the signal conditioning by the brain the result is perception of vision.
I am telling you all this so that you have a context of how our eyes work and then you will be able to understand cat eyes facts better.
Now without any further ado let’s go ahead and look into 10 amazing facts about cat eyes.
1. Cat Eyes Are Good In Low Light But Can’t See In Absolute Darkness
Now we know how cats have evolved from their life in wilderness to our domesticated environments. This may lead us to believe that cat eyes can see in total darkness. This isn’t entirely true.
Cats can see very well in about one sixth of the light that is required by human eyes to see properly. This happens because cat retina has much more rods than our human eyes.
Which implies they can capture much more light than we can.
Another reason is cat eyes have a layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum which enhances the perception via internal reflection.
This tissue is also what makes the cat eyes shine in the dark.
2. Cats aren’t color blind, but their color perception is limited.
This is another myth that goes along as a result of limited knowledge. Cat eyes have a lot smaller number of cones than human eyes.
And they aren’t as concentrated as human eyes. Scientists say that cats perceive blue and yellows fairly well but their discrimination capacity isn’t as acute with reds and greens.
This also implies that the cats see color intensity at a much less level than the hues we perceive.
3. Those Intriguing Vertical Pupils Have A Special Function
Any animal in the animal kingdom that remain agile and active in both day and night need to have sustained perception of the environment around them.
The Pupils in Cats Eyes change in accordance with what amount of light is present in the surroundings.
When the surrounding is sufficiently lit, pupils contract. Because light abundance is there and accordingly all perception can happen with little light input.
On the other hand when the surroundings are dimly lit, more light needs to be allowed via these windows or pupils so that proper perception of the surrounding happen.
Because of the agility of these eye muscles, cats are most likely to be adapt their eyes to changing light conditions than us humans.
4. Cat’s Perception Of Details Vary With Range.
Now many people tend to believe cats have nearsightedness.
It’s not like that. Nothing in nature is out of place. It’s just that the concentration of rods and cones allow for cat eyes to see more of what is needed than what we think it should need.
They may not see leaves and text on books the way we see them but their vision is pretty clear to hunt a mouse or a fish when she needs it.
To each its own.
5. Cat Are Not Colorblind
Another myth that we need to understand. The roots of this myth is again in this fragmentary sense of understanding where cats are supposed to see things the way we do.
No. Absolutely not. That’s how people think things should be and don’t accept how things are.
Their color capacity is sufficiently adequate to allow them to live, search for food and hunt properly.
We can’t expect vision perception of an eagle similar to us now do we.
That’s the beauty and artsy nature of life and the universe.
Every single cell and atom in this cosmos is unique.
6. Cat eyes are very expressive
This is true with every animal actually. We have this ability to put in words what we feel. An ability we tend to misuse a lot.
But things are simple with animals. If you truly look at an animal which includes a cat without trying to interpret what they want to say.
Just look without labeling. We can very easily perceive what it is that the cat is trying to communicate like a living movement.
Wide pupils with a certain motion of tail may indicate heightened emotions. A constricted pupil with stiffness in body may indicate willingness to attack.
7. Cat Eyes May In Some Cases Indicate That The Cat May Be Deaf
If a cat has a white coat and blue eyes chances are that the cat maybe deaf. It is a form of genetic defect. There is also a term called heterochromia which literally means different colors.
And It is used to designate a cat that has one eye which is blue and the other maybe amber or green.
Not all the time but most of the times these cats are usually deaf on the ear that is close to the blue eyed one.
Interesting isn’t it.
- You can’t afford to miss this read : Facts about Calico cats that will amaze you.
8. Cats Peripheral Vision Is Less When Compared With Dogs
I don’t mean to start a cat lover or dog lover fight in the comments section.
We all know who is going to win the war though on this blog. Lol :D.
But anyways I think you should know this interesting fact about cat eyes.
A dog’s pupil as I am sure you might have observed are round whereas a cat’s pupils are stark slit like and has a lot more muscles controlling it.
The quick movement of a cats eyes support that sneak attack that cats are known for. That’s why cat eye movements are much quicker than that of dogs.
A cat’s perception of vision relies more on perceiving contrast and brightness levels than the dogs.
9. Cat Eyes Inherently Have Three Eyelids
That’s a weird one truth be told. But all cat eyes do have a third eyelid located between the cornea and the eyelid that is visible to provide an extra layer of protection to cat eyes.
At the root of the third eyelid tear glands are located.
10. Kitten Eyes Are Always Blue
Yup, a kitten almost always has blue eyes which obviously are not an indication of what eye color your cat is going to have.
Though vast majority of cats will have shades of hazel or amber color but that doesn’t mean that will be the only color cat eyes come in.
You will see cats having a range of eye colors ranging from green to yellow to brown.
So which among these cat eyes facts did you find amazing.
Go ahead comment it out in the comments section. Also mention the name of your cat and what color eyes does he/she have.
I will see you in the next one. Take care :).
Namaskaram 🙂 _/\_
This design is spectacular! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that,
how you presented it. Too cool!