Cats have a different vision system from humans, and as a result, their ability to perceive colors, including red, is more limited. While humans have trichromatic vision (meaning we can see three primary colors: red, green, and blue), cats have dichromatic vision, which means they see primarily two colors. This difference in color perception is due to the number and types of photoreceptor cells in their eyes.
How Do Cats See Colors?
Cats' vision is adapted for low-light conditions, as they are crepuscular animals (meaning they are most active during dawn and dusk). Their eyes are optimized for seeing well in dim light, which is essential for hunting prey during those hours. However, their color vision is limited compared to humans.
Cats mainly perceive the following colors:
- Blue
- Green
These colors are within the visible spectrum that their eyes can detect due to the two types of cone cells they possess (compared to humans, who have three). They can distinguish shades of blue and green, but colors outside of this range are harder for them to distinguish.
What Happens to Red in Cats' Vision?
Since cats have dichromatic vision, they are unable to perceive the color red in the same way humans do. Instead, red appears as a shade of gray or dark brown to them. For example, if you were to hold up a red object, such as a red ball, your cat would likely perceive it as a more muted or dull color that doesn’t resemble its true red hue.
This is similar to how someone with red-green color blindness might perceive the world. While the red object itself would still be visible to a cat, it would likely blend in with other objects in the environment, making it harder for the cat to differentiate it from its surroundings.
Why Do Cats Have Limited Color Vision?
The reason cats (and many other animals) have limited color vision has to do with their evolutionary needs. As predators, cats rely more on their ability to detect movement and see well in low light rather than distinguishing a wide range of colors. In fact, night vision is more important for cats than seeing colors like red or orange.
Their retina has a high concentration of rod cells (the cells responsible for low-light vision) compared to cone cells (which are responsible for color vision). This adaptation helps them hunt effectively during twilight hours, where they rely more on shapes, patterns, and movement than on the exact color of objects.
How Cats See the World Compared to Humans
To help visualize how cats perceive the world, imagine that their vision is mostly limited to shades of blue and green, with red and other colors appearing as more dull, muted tones. Here's a rough comparison of how humans and cats perceive colors:
- Humans: Can distinguish a wide range of colors, including reds, greens, blues, yellows, etc.
- Cats: Can distinguish primarily blue and green. Other colors, like red, orange, yellow, and violet, appear as muted shades or shades of gray or brown.
Can Cats See Other Colors, Like Yellow or Orange?
While cats can't see red as we do, they can distinguish between some other colors like blue, green, and possibly some shades of yellow or gray. However, they will not see yellow or orange in the same vibrant, distinct way that humans do. Instead, these colors may appear more washed out or brownish-gray.
How Does This Affect Cats' Behavior?
While cats might not perceive colors in the same way humans do, this doesn't significantly impact their ability to navigate their environment or perform daily activities. Cats rely more on their other senses, especially sight (in low light), hearing, and smell, to detect prey and assess their surroundings.
Interestingly, some studies suggest that cats may be more attracted to certain colors, like blue and green, because these are the colors they can distinguish most clearly. For example, a cat might show more interest in a blue or green toy than a red one, though it would depend on the individual cat.
Can Cats See in the Dark?
Cats are often thought to have "night vision" due to their ability to see well in low-light conditions. While they can't see in complete darkness, they are highly adept at seeing in dim light, much better than humans. This ability is due to the high number of rod cells in their retinas, which are sensitive to low light and help them detect motion in dark environments.
Conclusion
In summary, cats cannot see red in the way that humans can. Their vision is primarily dichromatic, meaning they can see shades of blue and green, but red appears as a dull or grayish color to them. This limitation in color perception is not a disadvantage for cats, as their vision is adapted to detect movement and see well in low light, which is essential for their crepuscular hunting habits.
Although cats' color vision is limited compared to humans, their other senses—such as their excellent sense of hearing and smell—compensate for these differences, making them incredibly skilled hunters in their environment.