A cat is seen in the hotel which offers various services such as personal care and accommodation for cats and dogs in Erbil, Iraq on October 18, 2022.
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.Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Humans and cats have different vision levels in the eye.

  • Humans can see as far as they can, but cats can't.

  • Cats are better at seeing in the dark than humans.

Cats have reflective eyes.

A decade ago, artist Nickolay Lamm consulted animal vision experts to create a representation of how cats view the world.

The most important difference between human and cat vision is in the back of the eye called the retina. Light rays are converted into electrical signals which are sent to the brain and translated into images.

There are two types of cells in the eye. Rods are used for vision. They can tell the difference between gray and brightness. Cones are used for day vision.

Cats and dogs have different concentrations of rod and cone. Humans can see colors better at night than we can at day time.

Lamm wanted people to be able to see the world through the eyes of their pet.

Visual field 

When looking at a single point, the visual field is the area that can be seen. It also includes what can be seen to the side. The average human visual field is 180 degrees, while the cats' is 200 degrees.

Cat vision
Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Visual acuity

The clarity of vision is referred to as visual acuity. Humans have a visual acuity of 20. A cat needs to be at least 20 feet away from a human to see what a human can see. The picture is blurry because of this.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Color vision

Cats can see the world through shades of gray, but there is a misconception that they can't see any colors. Humans have three types of cones that let them see red, green, and blue. Humans are trichromats, but cats are not. A cat has the same vision as a human. They can see shades of blue and green, but not red and pink. These may look more green than purple.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Cats don't see the same amount of colors as we do.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Distance

Cats can't see far objects because they're nearsighted, according to experts. They are well-suited for hunting and capturing prey.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Night vision

Cats have a high number of rods in their retina that make them able to see in the dark. The amount of light that people need can be seen by cats.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Cats have a structure behind their eyes 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, giving them another chance to pick up light at night. Cats can see in the dark.

Nickolay Lamm/MyDeals.com

Nickolay Lamm consulted with a number of people for this project.

The article was first published in October of last year.

Business Insider has an article on it.