Can cats see in the dark?

Cats are perceptive creatures, and you may have noticed yours is a bit of a night lover. Sometimes, your cat's moonlight antics may cause some issues, like late-night zoomies. Or you may just find them quietly glued to the window at nighttime. But why is this?

Well, cats like the dark, and it has a lot to do with how they see. Their vision, thanks to their ancestry, is much better than ours at night, meaning they're way more engaged at nighttime.

Here, we discuss if cats can really see in the dark, how well they can see, how this happens, and why they’ve evolved to love life when the sun goes down.

Can cats really see in the dark?

It depends what you mean by see. Can they see in pitch-black, like wearing night-vision goggles? No. But can they see very well in low-light conditions? Yes.

How well can a cat see in the dark, then?

So, cats can see in low-light conditions. But how good can cats see in the dark? Is it impressive in the natural world, or just good compared to us?

Cats can see extremely well in the dark. They cannot see in complete darkness; they still need a very small amount of light to see. For example, in a pitch-black room, a cat probably can’t see. But outside at night with moonlight as the only light source? They’d do fine.

Can house cats see in the dark?

So, can our domestic cats see in the dark?

Yes. Strong night vision isn’t only for wild cats - it’s not something that cat’s can detrain as it’s interwoven with their biology and structure of their eye.

How does a cat’s vision work exactly?

Cat vision, to us, can appear strange. For example, while their eyes excel in some environments, like the dark, they can struggle with other things we see as basic, like recognising faces.

It’s mainly because feline vision works differently to ours, and it comes back to the structure of their eyes. Here's a quick summary of how a cat's eye works:

Rods, cones, and pupil power

A cat’s eye has a high ratio of rod cells, which help with detecting motion and peripheral movement, compared to cone cells, which are for colour and detail.

This means a cat is much better at tracking fast-moving objects (and prey), but worse than us when it comes to seeing colours or detail.

Running alongside their numerous rod cells are a cat’s large, vertical pupils, which maximise their intake of light, making them very efficient in low-light conditions.

The tapetum lucidum

A key difference between a cat’s vision and the vision of other mammals is the tapetum lucidum. This is a reflective layer behind the retina (the back of the eyeball) that acts like a mirror.

This part of the eye reflects light, giving a cat’s numerous light cells a second chance to detect things in low-light conditions. It’s why a cat’s eyes can “glow in the dark”.

Other senses

While we’re just talking about cat vision here, their other senses make them excel in low light, too.

For example, their excellent hearing allows them to pinpoint where something is quickly and track small prey. Their whiskers, too, act as touch receptors to help them navigate in pitch-black conditions.

What do cats sacrifice for their night vision?

In nature, every advantage usually comes with a disadvantage; it’s how things stay balanced. So, while cats have excellent night vision, it's at the expense of other potential advantages, like:

• Colour

• Detail

• Good bright daylight vision

• Near-sighted vision

• Sharpness

Cats still have good vision, but it only really comes into its own compared to ours between dusk and dawn.

Why have cats adapted to have their vision?

It’s because their vision directly helps their hunting. In the wild, cats are crepuscular, which is a fancy way of saying they’re active at dawn or dusk.

Hunting near night is better for a cat as it allows them to take advantage of their vision; their prey can’t see as well in these conditions, and cats find that nocturnal animals are smaller and easier to catch.

It’s also self-protection for cats. Wild cats are still prey for some animals, like large birds or carnivores, so staying in low-light keeps them safe. It’s a win-win.

How you can help your cat at night

So, while cats do well at night, we reiterate that they can't see in total darkness. Little touches like adding a small nightlight can help them out.

And make sure your cat is well-stimulated and exercised throughout the day can help reduce nighttime zoomies.

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FAQs

Can cats see in the dark better than dogs?

Yes. While both of our best friends can see better than humans in the dark, cats are more well-adapted to nocturnal life.

Cats have a significant advantage due to their eyes' anatomy, including a larger pupil to capture more light and a more efficient reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum.

Do cats know humans can't see in the dark?

Probably not. At least consciously. While our cats can be pesky, secretive creatures, it’s unlikely they know we don’t see well at night, and they’re probably not actively thinking about it.

It’s why they can sometimes fail to get out of our way in dark conditions or act shocked when we rudely turn the light on when the house is dark. How dare we bother them, eh?

Can old cats see in the dark?

Old cats still have the adaptations to see better in low-light conditions. But their vision does get worse as they age, so their overall ability to see in the dark will decrease with time.