Kittens, as well as a number of other animal offspring, are born blind. Their eyes open around the tenth day of their life and only after another week, they are fully functional. Even though the sight in a cat belongs among the best-developed senses, cats are slightly short-sighted for their whole lives.
Kittens, as well as a number of other animal offspring, are born blind. Their eyes open around the tenth day of their life and only after another week, they are fully functional. Even though the sight in a cat belongs among the best-developed senses, cats are slightly short-sighted for their whole lives.
Cat’s sight has the greatest sharpness when observing at a distance of two to six meters. But what happens right in front of its nose, the cat recognises rather through smell or using its whiskers, same as in the first days after the birth, when it’s directly dependent on these senses. What causes that?
Cat has limited eye mobility to the sides comparing to humans and also a smaller field of view. While we have about 220 degrees, cats have 205 degrees. However, it can better focus even on the edges of the field of view, because its eye lens is more bent. It also compensates it by a greater degree of spatial vision, which is for it, as for a hunter of small rodents in uneasy terrain, a great advantage.
Cats can also see really well in the dark. How come? Their cornea is more convex, so it captures more light beams. The pupil dilates depending on the amount of light. The less there is, the larger the pupil gets. It can cover almost the entire iris and thereby it lets maximum amount of light in the eye. This again corresponds with the life rhythm of the cat. Since it often hunts at twilight or in the dark. Under direct light, we can hardly see the pupil. It pulls back into a thin strip to protect the sensitive retina.
This brings us to another difference. While people have their pupil round under every light, the cat’s pupil pulls back into an elliptical shape, a thin strip. This happens, because it is closed by two muscles from the sides.
Cat’s eye is unique since a cat, as the only animal, has one extra vascular layer behind the retina - the so-called tapetum lucidum. It is composed of layers of reflective cells, a kind of “mirror”. The beams that once pass through the retina, reflect from it on the second reflective layer and they stimulate the receptors again. You could say, that every beam of light is used twice. That’s why cats need only a minimum amount of light for seeing. This reflective layer is also responsible for the effect of shining cat eyes.
When it comes to the colour seeing of cats, we still don’t understand it completely. However, it is deemed, that cats don’t put too much weight on colours. For example, rather than by colour, the kittens choose toys depending on whether they’re moving, making a sound or because of higher temperature. So far, we’ve only found that cat eyes contain cones that react to blue, green and yellow colour, while cones for red are missing completely.
From humans, the cat differs by the fact, that its eye has also a third eyelid, a winking membrane. It is only a thin membrane that constantly moistens and cleans the eye. That’s why cats almost don’t have to blink. This applies to cats around the whole world. What distinguishes the fluffy guys between them is the shape of the eye and their colour. Particularly the eye colour, next to slight deviations from head anatomy, is one of the important characteristics of the individual breeds.
Whether you’re rearing a cat anywhere, the cat’s eyes are an incredible organ without any doubt, which surpasses human eyesight in many respects :).
Allegedly, fast is instinctively practised by both wolfs and wild dogs. This has led many people to that assumption, that our dog on the couch should, once in a while, be fasting as well. A wild animal surely knows what it is doing, nature is wise, you...
In this cycle, we will get to know interesting dog personalities. Dogs play an important role in our life, so let us take a look what they have already achieved during our life together. We should find Hachiko in the dictionary next to the phrase...
Markéta is my long-time friend. We got to know each other through a shelter, from which I took my first dog and where I then started to help out. Under this association, Markéta runs a depository for cats in Prague, where I like to go when I have a bit...
Have you ever wondered how much movement is healthy for your dog and when it can be harmful? Or that not every movement is beneficial? Most dog owners never think about this. It’s said that the more you move, the better. But this is not always true.
As I mentioned in previous articles, I occasionally help out my friend Markéta, who runs a cat shelter. I had the opportunity to take part in several humane trappings for stray cats and would like to share the experience with you today.
Did you know that even your pet dog can suffer from depression? As with people, we shouldn’t underestimate the mental state of our dogs. How to recognize it and what to do about it?
In this cycle, we shall take a look at how cats and dogs are getting along in the world. Where people nurture and spoil them, or on the contrary they suffer and their situation is critical. Today I would like to introduce you to the cats of Greece,...
The approach of warm sunny days will surely entice many people to go for long walks. Many of us take our four-legged companions on vacation. It’s during these times that we should be careful about sunstroke, both for us and our dogs. How can we prevent...
Just like with people, being overweight can have a negative impact on a dog’s health. Preparing the right diet and amount of food to give them can sometimes be, however, like pure alchemy, and so your dog can start to become obese. If this is the case...
There seems to be more and more ticks year after year. Fortunately, the ways to protect our furry friends, whether dogs or cats, against these parasites are growing. Everyone can choose what product fits best for them and their four-legged companions.
Until recently skinny guinea pigs were relatively rare in our country. Word about them is quickly spreading, however, and they have become a sudden hit among breeders. What’s it like having these guinea pigs and what do they like to eat?
The kidneys perform one of the most important functions in the body - cleaning the blood. Due to their small intake of water, cats are more burdened than other animals and therefore suffer quite often from kidney problems the older they get.
