Can a cat's eyes see clearly at night?
Cats' ability to recognize only a few colors is also related to cats' superior night vision. Like human eyes, cat eyes have many receptors that capture light. There are two types of receptors, one is called cone cells and the other is called rod cells. These two types of cells have two functions. Cones are mainly responsible for visual activities during the day. They can sense the intensity of light and distinguish colors. They have high visual acuity and can distinguish visual details. Because of this, when you deliberately choose a colorful cat toy, you can't actually feel it in the cat's eyes.
Rod cells are mainly responsible for night vision, absorbing light at night, but do not distinguish between colors. The cat's retina has more rod cells than cone cells, about 25:1, while humans are about 4:1.
The cat's ability to see clearly at night is also related to his pupils. The cat's pupil is oval, while the human is round. The oval pupil will shrink and expand faster than the round pupil. At night, a cat's pupil can dilate up to 90% of the entire eyeball. Only a weak light source can make him see clearly. So if you find that your furniture, electrical appliances, and cat toys have been broken early the next morning, you don't have to wonder if the cat can't see clearly and accidentally touched it. He did it on purpose.
The cat's eyes light up at night is also related to the rod cells. There is a reflector on the back of the cat's retina, which is actually a layer of membrane called Tapetum. It will reflect the light passing through the rod cells to the rod cells in the opposite direction. , which is why cats' eyes glow at night.
In the wild, wild cats mostly prey on mice, and mice are rich in taurine, which is very helpful for cats' night vision, while domestic cats mostly eat cat food from cat supplies stores, and some This nutrient is not intentionally added, which deserves your attention.