Cats can hunt at dusk, dawn and at night because they only need about 17% of the amount of light we need to see clearly. — Photo: Jason Leung on Unsplash
Cats aren’t just good looking animals; they have some amazing skills thanks to their biology. In particular, the way cat eyes work gives this small animal top predator status.
Our human round pupils offer a terrifically wide field of vision and we are brilliant at seeing in daylight but our eyes don’t do well in low light.
Cats can hunt at dusk, dawn and at night because they only need about 17% of the amount of light we need to see clearly.
So in conditions where we humans grope about and fall over the furniture, cats can stalk their prey.
Cats have this skill because their eyes are not constructed like ours.
Precise eye control
First, cats have vertical slit pupils that gives them extremely precise control over how much light enters the eye. This boosts their ability to judge depth and distance, crucial traits for stalking and catching prey.
Second, they have more rods, special cells that detect light.
Third, they also have a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer behind their retinas that allows any light to pass through the eye twice.
These extras work together. In low light, the reflective layer gives light an extra bounce through the eye, which gives the extra rods a second chance to catch information.
Interestingly, if you have ever taken a photo of your pet in low light and seen that weird glow, it is the cat’s tapetum lucidum reflecting back at you.
For most cats that glow will be green, yellow and white. However, cats with blue eyes often reflect red light – which can startle if you’re not expecting it.
