We’ve read all sorts of conflicting information about how our beloved felines see the world, so we’ve decided to take a closer look at cat eyes. Your cat will be the first to tell you that she’s superior in every way to all other species, and while this is mostly true, their eyes and vision are quite different from ours.

Photoreceptive cells at the back of our eyes pick up light and relay it to our brains. These cells come in distinct shapes called cones and rods. Cones are responsible for daytime and color vision. Rods are for night vision, peripheral vision, and brightness. Both cats and humans have cones and rods, but their distribution is vastly different. Cats have about eight times more rod cells than people, which is why they see better than we do at night.

Cats also have different pupils than humans. Our pupils can dilate (get larger) by about 15 times. On the other hand, a cat’s pupils can dilate to about 135 times their usual size. This lets in far more light to the back of the eye than we get, which increases their night vision.

However, because they have fewer cones in their eyes, they don’t see color as vividly as people do. that being said, Fluffy is not color blind.

Cats have a far wider field of vision than we do. We can see about 180-degrees, whereas cats have a 200-degree field of vision. This wider field of vision makes them great hunters, allowing them to pick up very tiny movements.

Perfect vision in a human is 20/20; a cat’s vision is more like 20/100. This means that Fluffy may not see things up close very well, but she has excellent distant vision. Just what a hunter needs.

Take a long look into Fluffy’s eyes, and you can tell things about her mood and health. If she has her eyes half-closed, squinting, or blinking, that’s a sign of trust, love, and affection. If her pupils are dilated (wide) in the daytime, that could mean she’s surprised, excited, afraid, or in pain. During your regular checkups, your vet should examine her eyes as they can have glaucoma, pinkeye, or cataracts.

Fluffy’s eyes are perfect for a cat and just what she needs to bird watch out the window. Tell her you love her by looking directly into her eyes and blinking!