Can cats see well in the dark?

Although humans domesticated cats almost 12 years ago, furry beauties still remain a mystery. The current belief that cats have night vision adds an aura of mystery to them. But is it true that cats can see in the dark? And if so, how well?

Can cats see in the dark?

Do cats have night vision? Not really. However, they can see very well in dim light, a skill that gave the ancestors of domestic cats an advantage over their prey. As the American Veterinarian explains, cats’ large corneas and pupils, which are about 50% larger than humans’, let more light into the eye. This extra light helps them see in the dark.

There is rarely complete darkness in people’s dwellings – there is always a little light coming from somewhere. Therefore, it seems that cats have “night vision goggles”. They don’t have such glasses, but it really can seem so when a fluffy pet wakes up in the middle of the night with a request to give her a refreshment. 

In fact, cats are not nocturnal animals, but crepuscular: they hunt at dusk and dawn, that is, at the time of day when many of their victims become more active. This is the perfect time to hunt.

The evolution of night vision in cats

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that the vertical shape of the pupil in animals, including cats, distinguishes ambush predators. Unlike animals that scientists call “active foragers,” ambush predators are active both during the day and at night.

The ancestors of the cat were solitary hunters. Not much has changed since then, except that pets do not have to work hard to provide for themselves. 

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley also found that animals with slit-like pupils tend to be lower to the ground than those with round ones. They concluded that vertical pupils help smaller animals judge the distance to their prey, an advantage that larger cats like tigers and lions don’t need.

Cats versus humans

How do cats see in the dark? Much better than their favorite owners. Round human pupils cannot compare with vertical slit pupils. A cat’s pupils constrict in bright sunlight and then dilate in the dark. The vision of felines is very powerful due to the strategic shape and movement of their eyes. They also see the world mostly in shades of gray, which is perfect for dim light.

“Cats have the ability to magnify the intensity of light entering the retina by a factor of 135, compared to only a tenfold increase in a human with a round pupil,” explains Dr. York, New York Times. 

In other words, in terms of night vision, slit pupils give cats a great advantage over their owners, as they respond much more efficiently to light hitting the retina. Can cats see in total darkness? No.

However, humans do have one visual advantage over their furry friends: Humans have better visual acuity, or clarity, than cats, according to Business Insider. 

Humans can see more clearly than their pets, but cats win in terms of night vision. The combination of the visual abilities of the owner and his cat makes them the perfect team.