About Cat Eyes-Structure & Function
Your cats eyes function in much the same way as human eyes and can develop many of the same problems as human eyes such as, cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye disorders. The way a cats eyes change shape indicate what state of mind the cat is in. For example, when your cats eyes have a slit shape it helps them see better to hunt in the dark. Cats can see 6 times better than people in dim light.
What Cats See Through Their Eyes
Cone cells are responsible for color vision, it is uncertain whether cats can see colors. Cats also have many rod cells, which are good at collecting dim light. In fact, cats can see 6 times better in dim light than people, giving rise to the myth that cats can see in the dark. Cats also have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which magnifies incoming light and lends a characteristic blue or greenish glint to their eyes at night.
In cats, the most sensitive area of the retina is called the area centralis. This area contains thousands of tightly packed photoreceptors that make visual images sharp. Each photoreceptor is attached to a nerve fiber. All the nerve fibers are bundled together to form the optic nerve. The photoreceptors in the retina convert the image into electrical impulses, which are carried to the brain by the optic nerve.
The upper and lower eyelids are thin folds of skin that can cover the eye and reflexively blink to protect the eye. Blinking also helps spread tears over the surface of the eye, keeping it moist and clearing away small particles. The eyes of a cat are protected not only by the same types of eyelids that people have, but also by the nictitating membrane, which is sometimes called the third eyelid. This additional eyelid is a whitish pink color, and it is found under the other eyelids in the inside corner of the eye (near the nose). The third eyelid extends up when needed to protect the eyeball from scratches (for example, while traveling through brush) or in response to inflammation" Merck Veterinary Manual. (2018).
In cats, the most sensitive area of the retina is called the area centralis. This area contains thousands of tightly packed photoreceptors that make visual images sharp. Each photoreceptor is attached to a nerve fiber. All the nerve fibers are bundled together to form the optic nerve. The photoreceptors in the retina convert the image into electrical impulses, which are carried to the brain by the optic nerve.
The upper and lower eyelids are thin folds of skin that can cover the eye and reflexively blink to protect the eye. Blinking also helps spread tears over the surface of the eye, keeping it moist and clearing away small particles. The eyes of a cat are protected not only by the same types of eyelids that people have, but also by the nictitating membrane, which is sometimes called the third eyelid. This additional eyelid is a whitish pink color, and it is found under the other eyelids in the inside corner of the eye (near the nose). The third eyelid extends up when needed to protect the eyeball from scratches (for example, while traveling through brush) or in response to inflammation" Merck Veterinary Manual. (2018).
What Makes Cat Eyes Change Shape
"Depending on the light, the shape of a domestic cat’s pupil changes from vertical slit to alluring almond to almost fully round. Like opening or closing theatre curtains, muscles on either side of the cat’s pupil open the slit wide or cause it to narrow. Overall a cat’s pupils can expand by 135-fold and can perform like built-in night vision goggles. By contrast human pupils expand by a factor of 15.The slit-shaped pupil, with its remarkable light control, is how a cat can hunt in near-darkness, and also in bright daylight, says Ron Douglas, an animal vision biologist at City University London. Banks' study shows the slit-shaped pupil is most often found in animals that hunt by day and night, and especially among predators that ambush their prey - including cats, snakes and crocodiles. Those that chase down their prey, such as cheetahs and wolves, tend to have circular pupils...a cat’s eyes face forward. Their brain compares the slightly different images relayed from the left and right eye to help estimate distance – a process called stereopsis" Cosmos. (2018).
Featured Video: How Cats See The World
Notice: As an Amazon Associate and a Google Adsense Associate. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases on this website. #CommissionsEarned
Pet Central Supply & Pet Care Tips
Hot News About Birds & Animals
Terms of Use/Disclaimer
Contact us: [email protected]
Pet Central Supply & Pet Care Tips
Hot News About Birds & Animals
Terms of Use/Disclaimer
Contact us: [email protected]
Tags: #cat eyes, #how cats see, #can cats see color, #eyes, #can cats see in the dark, #cats, #kittens, #kitten eyes, #retina, #cones, #rods, #receptors, #color, #see in the dark, #Pet Central Supply, #news about cats, #cat facts, #Rev. Penny Dean
References:
1. Image on Pixabay - Cat, Feline, Pet, White, Young. (2018). Pixabay.com. Retrieved 22 August 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/cat-feline-pet-white-young-3504008/
2. Gelatt, Kirk N. VMD, DACVO. Emeritus Distinguished Professor,Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida. Eye Structure and Function in Cats - Cat Owners - Veterinary Manual. (2018). Veterinary Manual. Retrieved 22 August 2018, from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
3. Why do cats have slit-shaped eyes? | Cosmos. (2018). Cosmosmagazine.com. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/why-do-cats-have-slit-shaped-eyes
4. Eye Structure and Function in Cats - Cat Owners - Merck Veterinary Manual. (2018). Veterinary Manual. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
5, How Cats See The World. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ujKFD3z2g
1. Image on Pixabay - Cat, Feline, Pet, White, Young. (2018). Pixabay.com. Retrieved 22 August 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/cat-feline-pet-white-young-3504008/
2. Gelatt, Kirk N. VMD, DACVO. Emeritus Distinguished Professor,Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida. Eye Structure and Function in Cats - Cat Owners - Veterinary Manual. (2018). Veterinary Manual. Retrieved 22 August 2018, from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
3. Why do cats have slit-shaped eyes? | Cosmos. (2018). Cosmosmagazine.com. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/why-do-cats-have-slit-shaped-eyes
4. Eye Structure and Function in Cats - Cat Owners - Merck Veterinary Manual. (2018). Veterinary Manual. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
5, How Cats See The World. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ujKFD3z2g