There is an opinion that cats have incredibly sharp eyesight and can see perfectly in complete darkness, but at the same time they absolutely cannot distinguish colors and see the world in black and white. However, scientists have proven that all this is nothing more than myths. How and in what color do cats see the world?
In fact, scientists have long believed that the cat world is painted in shades of gray. However, recent research in this area indicates otherwise.
What colors can cats see?
It turns out that the cats distinguish colors, albeit weak. For example, these animals do not distinguish shades of green, red and yellow well, but are well oriented in shades of gray, white and dark.
The important parts of the eye are the receptors on the retina – the sticks and cones. The former is responsible for perception of light, and the latter is responsible for color recognition. Both types of receptors are present in cats, as they are in humans. The only difference is their number: the number of cones is much less than for rods. Therefore, pets recognize colors much worse than humans, but seeing them in the dark is better.
Night vision
It cannot be said that cats are able to see in complete darkness. They also need light in order to distinguish things. But, at dusk, cats still see much better than people: their eyes’ sensitivity to light affects the ability to distinguish between many dark shades.
By the way, cats in complete darkness move easily and gracefully, which is why they seem to see the space around them. The secret is that to navigate these positions, bristles – bristles help. This is a special device for touch, thanks to which cats can feel the slightest changes in the space around them. This allows the cat to hold mice even in complete darkness.
Incidentally, another advantage of cat vision is the way it sees moving objects. It is believed that the animal can easily detect a moving victim at a distance of 700 meters. True, this is especially true for moving objects. At the same time, a cat tracks movement horizontally much better than a vertical one. So a mouse wanting to remain intact must run up from the cat, for example, along a tree.
The most obvious of all is that the cat sees objects at a distance of 60 cm to 5 meters, which is why cats sometimes hang out in amusement on the food that falls under their noses. They just don’t see it!
How to tell if a cat has vision problems?
Even an attentive owner is not always able to notice that the cat has problems with vision. Here are some of the symptoms that you should contact a veterinarian if they appear:
-Rupture
-Swelling around the eyes
-Blurred vision
-Lethargy, apathy, and depression
-Redness of the eye
-Discharge from the eyes.
-The third eyelid is visible.
It is almost impossible to independently determine the cause of the secretions from the eyes of a cat: it can be a mild allergic reaction, cataracts, and infectious diseases.
Therefore, the first thing to do if you notice problems with your cat’s eyes is to take your pet to the veterinary clinic. Only a specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
