Artist Nickolay Lamm consulted three animal vision experts nearly a decade ago to hypothesize and visually represent how cats view the world compared to humans.
The biggest difference between human vision and cat vision is in the retina, a layer of tissue at the back of the eye that contains cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors convert light rays into electrical signals, which are processed by nerve cells, sent to the brain, and translated into the images we see.
The two types of photoreceptor cells are known as rods and cones. Rods are responsible for peripheral and night vision. They detect brightness and shades of gray. Cones are responsible for day vision and color perception.
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Both cats and dogs have a high concentration of rod receptors and a low concentration of cone receptors. Humans have the opposite, which why we can't see as well at night but can detect colors better.
But Lamm wanted to give humans the chance to see the world through their favorite pet's eyes.In the following pictures, the human view is on top and the cat view is below.
Visual field
The visual field refers to the area that can be seen when the eyes focus on a single point. It includes what can be seen straight ahead, as well as above, below, and to the side. Cats have a slighter wider visual field of 200 degrees compared to the average human visual field of 180 degrees.
Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com
Visual acuity
Visual acuity refers to the clearness of vision. The average human has a visual acuity of 20/20. A cat's visual acuity is anywhere from 20/100 to 20/200, which means a cat has to be at 20 feet to see what an average human can see at 100 or 200 feet. This is why the bottom picture is so blurry.
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Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com
Color vision
There's a common misconception that cats can't see any colors, and only view the world through shades of gray. Humans are known as trichromats, meaning they have three kinds of cones that allow them to see red, green, and blue. Cats are also thought to be trichromats, but not in the same way humans are. A cat's vision is similar to a human who is color blind. They can see shades of blue and green, but reds and pinks can be confusing. These may appear more green, while purple can look like another shade of blue.
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Cats also don't see the same richness of hues and saturation of colors that we can.
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Distance
Experts believe cats to be nearsighted, which means they can't see far objects as well. Their ability to see close objects, however, is well-suited for hunting and capturing prey.
Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com
Night vision
Cats can't see fine detail or rich color, but they do have a superior ability to see in the dark because of the high number of rods in their retina that are sensitive to dim light. As a result, cats can see using roughly one-sixth the amount light that people need.
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Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com
Cats also have a structure behind the retina, called the tapetum, that is thought to improve night vision. Cells in the tapetum act like a mirror, reflecting light that passes between the rods and the cones back to the photoreceptors and giving them another chance to pick up the small amount of light available at night. This is what makes cats' eyes glow in the dark.
If you want to see color, you've got to have cone cells in your retina. Because cats have a mere fifth the cone cells humans do, they mostly see in black and white. They can also see blue and yellow, but they don't see saturated colors. As we said before, they depend on movement and contrast to identify objects.
To your cat, you are much more than just a food supplier and a scratcher of itches. You're part of their family, their pride. However, remember that they view you as a non-hostile cat, not a human. Yes, you're a tall, weird-looking, non-meowing cat in their eyes.
Cats have a tapetum lucidum, while humans do not. This reflects light back to the retina a second time, increasing sensitivity to light. Cats have more rod photoreceptors than humans, but fewer cones. A cat's lens is located closer to the retina, creating a brighter image.
LiveScience reports some animals' lenses permitted some UV light to pass through, indicating they can detect UV. As for what they're privy to that we're not, it's both appetizing and not: patterns on flowers that reveal the presence of nectar, and a urine-marked landscape.
Yes, cats can recognize their owners' faces, voices, and scents. Even though cats don't have the same eyesight as humans, but they can still distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces. They may also use body language and tone of voice to recognize their owners.
Primarily as we found out, cats think about their needs as hunger, thirst, need for love and attention, and desire for playing and sleeping. Cats are pretty straightforward in their thinking process, but still, they have memory, and they, like us, have dreams. Cat's mind is still a mystery.
Cats are able to recognise their own name and can even be trained to respond to it. Although cats can't understand the meaning of words like we can, they do recognise the sound of specific words and their connection with particular scenarios.
Cats will stare at their owners for all kinds of reasons. This can be because they are being nosey, showing affection, showing they are angry, or because they feel anxious. So, next time you think your cat is trying to challenge you to a staring contest, consider the reasons why.
And the answer is a resounding yes! Cats often feel love quite strongly for their owners and other companions. They're just sometimes a little more subtle about it than dogs. Have you ever asked yourself, "What do cats think about their owners?" The answer is that they think pretty highly of us.
Can Cats Sense That You're Sad? Yes, cats can sense when their human is sad. While they may not understand sadness as we do, cats can recognize the behavioral shifts that come with our mood changes.
According to cat behaviorist John Bradshaw, cats don't actually realize that we are a completely different species. They know we are bigger than them, but they haven't adapted much of their social behaviors when it comes to how they interact with us. So, it's likely that they think we are the same as them.
Cats likely don't have the same social concepts as humans do. For instance, a cat probably doesn't know what a toxic person is. Instead, it's probably more simplified than that. Cats probably know when they don't like someone, for instance.
Cats can see colours, but they don't see quite as many different shades as humans can. Due to the construction of their eyes, it's thought that the colours cats can see best are blue and yellow, while red and green appear to them as shades of grey, similar to people who are red-green colourblind.
Squinted or half-closed eyes are a sign of affection, relaxation and trust. If a cat looks like they're about to fall asleep, they're relaxed and they trust you.
Cats can find direct eye contact quite threatening. They wouldn't look another cat straight in the face unless they were fixing for a fight. When your cat's relaxed, they might look at you with a peaceful gaze or half closed eyes. A “slow blink” is your cat's way of saying they love you.
Eagles have the best eyesight in the animal kingdom and can spot and focus on prey up to 2 miles away. Although eagles weigh only around 10 pounds, eagle eyes are roughly the same size as human eyes. Humans with healthy eyes have 20/20 vision, but hawks have 20/4 or 20/5 vision.
Introduction: My name is Aracelis Kilback, I am a nice, gentle, agreeable, joyous, attractive, combative, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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