Can cats see colour? How cat vision works

Cats are incredibly sharp. Whether we’re close or far away, they seem to sense us and anything else nearby.

While their keen senses have a lot to do with their hearing and smell, their vision is also highly adapted to specific conditions. But you might be surprised to learn that their eyesight isn’t as strong as you may think.

Here, we answer whether cats can see colour and which colours cats can see the most. We also explain the ins and outs of feline vision.

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Do cats only see in black-and-white?

So, can cats see colours or only in black and white?

No, black-and-white vision is a common myth. It isn’t true for dogs, either. They see in a different spectrum of light compared to us humans, meaning they can only see some of the colours we do. But how many colours can a cat see, and what colours can cats see best?

They aren't totally colourblind. They’re dichromats, which means they only have two types of colour receptors in their eyes.

They see shades of blue and yellow. We humans are trichromats, meaning we have three types of colour receptors. That means reds and greens will look grey or brown to cats, much like green-blue colour blindness in humans.

What colour can cats see?

Cats, as mentioned, can’t see the spectrum we do, but they can see shades of blue and yellow. Other colours, like shades of green and red, will appear as brown or grey.

The science behind cat vision

Cat vision primarily relies on tracking movement in low-light conditions. They don’t need to see lots of colours; it doesn’t give them a biological advantage.

We can see this in the structure of a cat’s eye. Their eyes have a high proportion of rod cells in their retina. These cells help the eye work in low-light conditions. Since cats have so many of them, it makes their vision highly sensitive to dim light.

They also have a reflective layer behind their retina, called a tapetum lucidum. This bounces light back into the retina. Both of these, alongside their large pupils, improve their night vision (and it's also why their eyes glow in the dark).

Cats gain more benefit from seeing movement, especially at night, since they’re traditionally nocturnal hunters. Their brain effectively uses their eyes to make them more sensitive to motion than us; colour isn’t as important.

A cat's vision has some other interesting features, like:

• A third eyelid, to provide extra protection.

• Nearsightedness, since they usually focus on distant objects.

• Strong peripheral vision.

• Vertical, slit-like pupils that narrow in bright light. This means their retina works better at night time, but will need protection in the day.

These all benefit a cat’s hunting in low-light, dark conditions.

Why, and how, did cats sacrifice colour for better night vision?

They gained an evolutionary advantage from seeing in the dark. Over time, they evolved to have rods and types of cones that allowed them to see in low-light conditions.

Cats that could hunt at dawn, dusk and night likely had a greater chance of survival, meaning that cats eventually evolved to favour those who could see in the dark instead of cats that could see colour.

Cat vision vs. human vision: how they compare

When comparing a cat’s vision to ours, there are different strengths and weaknesses.

Low-light conditions

Cats excel in low-light conditions, while we typically struggle or it takes a while for our eyes to adjust.

Colours

As we mentioned earlier, humans can see colours and distant objects better, while cats only see blue and yellow shades.

Visual clarity

Cats have a lower visual clarity (known as visual acuity) than us. This means their vision is less detail-orientated. While we have better visual clarity overall, a cat's other senses, like their hearing and smell, are far more advanced, hence why they're so much sharper than us.

Peripheral vision

Cats have a wider field of vision than us, which gives them better peripheral vision. This helps them be sensitive to movement and catch prey.

Depth perception

Our depth perception is similar to cats.

What does this all mean for your cat?

Now that we understand how cat vision works, it may help you understand some parts of your cat’s behaviour. For example, when getting them a toy, it’s probably better to pick a blue or yellow. It'll catch their eye more.

It also explains why some cats like to stare out of the window at night and their need to chase fast-moving, small animals or bugs.

If you can, keep an eye on your cat (if possible) in low-light conditions, particularly if they pop outside during dusk or nighttime. They’re much more likely to engage in hunting or wandering at this time.

You may wonder how much cats rely on their vision, since the usages we explained above are relatively narrow. Well, it just means your cat probably relies on scent and touch more than their vision. This doesn’t mean they can’t recognise you, it’s just that they rely on other senses more.

It also means they don’t rely on their vision much to work out where they are. Our article on how cats find their way home discusses more, like how cats can use scent and other senses to orientate themselves. No wonder they don’t rely on their vision all that much...

Frequently asked questions

Do cats see in the dark, or do they see better in low light?

They can't see in complete darkness. But they do have exceptional vision in low-light conditions. We wouldn't go as far to say it's night vision, but it is very strong, and adapts to low-light quickly.

What about my cat's eye colour? Does that affect their vision?

No, there's no link between a cat's eye colour and the quality of their vision.

Do cats have a blind spot?

So, while cats have superb peripheral vision, they do have a blind spot. How can that be? Well, it's their nose. All cats have a small blind spot right in front of their face due to that cute nose of theirs.

Why do cats stare at nothing?

We covered this in greater depth in our article on why cats stare at walls. But to summarise, it's very rarely "nothing". It's usually things we can't see, like small bugs, dust, shadows, things like that.

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