Cats can’t see in complete darkness. Even though they can handle themselves in the dark way better than any of us can, it’s not because they can see everything there. Cats need little light to see in the dark – but they still need a little bit to get a view.
If you have a cat, you know they have no problem with running around in the dark causing mayhem wherever they go. That’s one way to have fun for them! But don’t let that make you think they can see things in pitch black.
Your average cat needs little light to see things in the dark, a fraction of what a human needs. If you shut everything off, they are as blind as you would be.
What do cats see in the dark?
Cats can’t really see anything in the dark – but with little light, they can get to see everything they would during the day. In the dark, color perception changes for a cat. As its eyes adapt to less light, they perceive more greenish and yellowish, everything else stays the same.
A cat’s vision is different from a human – but not by that much. Cats are a little color blind and, oddly enough, that’s what helps them see better in the dark. The light reflects in their eyes differently than in humans, allowing them to see what we cannot see in near-pitch-darkness scenarios.
Simply put, cats can see almost anything they normally do in the dark. Their color perception changes a little bit, but shapes and depths stay the same.
Why do cats have good night vision?
A cat’s eye has multiple opportunities to perceive light, unlike humans. When light travels into a human’s eye, if it misses the rod inside the retina, it’s gone forever. In cats, when light enters the eye and misses the rod, it’s mirrored into another rod.
Cat’s eyes work more efficiently than ours. That’s the only reason why it seems they can see in the dark and we can’t.
Light has to be intercepted by a rod inside our eyes (a photoreceptor in the retina). And humans only have one chance to perceive the light – otherwise, the eye will lose it and sense nothing but darkness.
For cats, there’s no such thing as only one chance. If the light misses a rod, it bounces off into another one. Little light means little challenge for a cat in the dark.
Do cats prefer the dark or the light?
Cats can hang around in the light or the dark with no problem. Whatever they prefer depends on their mood or personality. The only thing you need to remember is you have to allow your cat to choose wherever they want to be.
Sometimes, cats like to be out in the open, in places filled with sunlight. Other times, cats like to be in secluded dark places, alone and comfortable. Either way, let your cat choose what it likes! Don’t try to force your cat into either scenario, allow them to choose one – either way, they’ll see things just fine.