Do cats see colors?

Cats don’t see the world the way we do, whether it’s their cones, rods or even the shape of their eyes, they see very differently from us. So, do cats see colors? Here’s everything you need to know about it.

In fact, cats see colors well but in a different way from us because they only have two photo pigments where we have 3. They therefore see colors well but in different shades.

They actually have a vision similar to that of people who are color blind, for example not being able to tell the difference between red, green and yellow.

The spectrum of colors that appear to them is thus much weaker than that of humans.

Cats see colors saturated

Cats see the world a little blurrier, as if everything is saturated. Color shades are much less visible to them than to us. But shades still appear to them even when it is dark, which is why they are terrible nocturnal predators.

Cats perceive colors less well

Color is discerned by nerve cells in the eye. The cones play a fundamental role in it and are 10 times less numerous in cats than in us, so they see fewer colors and fewer shades of colors than we do.

Cats see better up close, less well from afar

Cats are considered nearsighted, so they won’t be able to see much from afar, especially colors. Their near vision is much better than ours and they can see more details and pick up much faster movements.

But why do cats see colors less well?

If cats have such poor color vision, it’s simply because it’s not what is most useful to them in the wild.

The main advantages of a cat’s eyesight are the ability to see in the dark and to pick up very fast movements with very high precision. These 2 characteristics are the ones that are fundamental to them in the wild to hunt and survive.

What this means for my cat

Stimulating your cat with colors for play is a secondary element, the movement and shape of the object will be much more important for him to stimulate himself with.

It also means that they don’t see the way you do, sometimes resulting in behaviors that at first seem inexplicable, such as relying on their sense of smell or staring at the window for several minutes when he hears a noise because i don’t know where it’s coming from.

However, the colors still have an effect on him, for example, purple has a natural tendency to calm him, unlike red which will make him more aggressive.

Fun fact, the orange color will make the cat hungrier. Along the same lines, the color yellow stimulates cats for play.

As for green, it helps the cat fall asleep.

Blue and purple are the colors the cat sees best.

Cat and color: Is this a handicap for him?

Not seeing the colors precisely is not painful for him because his sense of smell takes a very important place and his eyes allow him to do everything that is preferable and necessary to him. Everything is completely normal and your cat doesn’t need to see like us.

However, if he stumbles or bumps into things, he may have eye issues that need to be reported to the vet so he can provide him with the best solution.