How do cats see? Well, they use the images produced by their eyes to judge distance and ambush their prey. The cat’s brain compares the images from both eyes to determine the exact distance of their prey. To answer the question, cats have specialized eyes. The photosensitized retina is composed of rods and cones. It is not clear why cats use their eyes for these purposes, but they do.
Rods
If you’re wondering how cats see objects, consider this: their retinas are equipped with many rods, a structure meant to detect motion and dim light. These cells are capable of picking up very fast movements. That means a cat could pick up a fast-moving laser dot and follow it as it whizzed past. Cats have more rods than cones, which helps them distinguish light and motion.
Cones
The reason why humans and other mammals see color is through their retinal cells called cones. Cats’ cones are made up of different colors. These cells are responsible for identifying reds, greens, and blues. As such, cats’ eyes are very similar to our own, although they do differ slightly in their color vision. Read on to discover how these cells work in cats. And don’t forget to try this fun experiment.
Tapetum lucidum
A cat’s vision is largely based on its tapetum lucidum. This iridescent tissue contains crystals that reflect light back to the retina, giving it a second chance to absorb it. This tissue also has unique properties, making it a more sensitive vision organ than the retina. Cats have this iridescent tissue because it allows them to see light that is imperceptible to humans.
Photoreceptor cells
PRA, or progressive retinal atrophy, is a group of diseases that affect the photoreceptor cells in the retina. The affected cells gradually deteriorate, eventually resulting in blindness. Cats are at higher risk than dogs of developing PRA. In addition to environmental toxins, cats can also develop PRA through nutrient deficiencies. Photoreceptor cells are responsible for absorbing light and converting it into nerve or electrical impulses. As cats get older, the loss of their photoreceptor cells may accelerate, causing them to eventually degenerate.
Field of vision
Cats’ eyeballs have a wide field of view, and their eyesight enables them to catch objects and people moving quickly. Cats’ peripheral vision is also much wider than that of a human. An artist from Pittsburgh, Nickolay Lamm, used the images to explain the differences between human and feline vision. Cats’ vision appears limited in colour compared to human eyes, because they see mainly blue, green, and pink shades.
Eye infection
If your cat has eye infections, you should seek medical attention immediately. This condition can cause pain and affect your cat’s eyesight. To treat eye infections in cats, you can use the following methods. Ensure you have all the necessary materials at hand. To soothe your cat’s eyes, moisten a clean piece of cotton and place it over the affected eye. Gently pass the cotton over the infected area without rubbing it.
Eye muscles
Cats have special vision systems that make their pupils slit-shaped, allowing them to hunt in bright daylight and near darkness. The lenses of cats’ eyes are located closer to the optic nerve, which results in a small but brighter image. While the reduced resolution and brightness of the image result in lower overall resolution, the increased brightness amplifies the signal in low-light conditions. Cats also have wide ranges of pupil dilation – they can increase their pupil size to cover the entire cornea, or decrease it to allow them to hunt during daytime. The cornea of a cat is large compared to other animals, which increases the amount of light that enters the eye. The cat’s eye muscles are closely linked to its flight and fight responses.
Eye structure
The eye structure of cats is similar to humans. Cats have two eyes located on each side of the face. Their eye structures vary slightly among species, but are generally very similar. This variation in eye structure results from different refracting indices in the lens and retina. A cat’s visual streak, or area centralis, is slit-shaped and contains the greatest density of rod and cone photoreceptors. This pattern allows cats to distinguish finer shades of gray, while allowing them to track a moving target.
