The Amazing Cat Eyes
It turns out that cats have superpowers! No, it is not having nine lives. They actually only have one. We are referring to cat eyes.
The weird cat eyes
Cats have one of the most amazing eyes in the animal kingdom. Instead of being circular like humans, they are linear and vertical. This linear pupil easily and rapidly adapts to changes in lighting.
You have probably noticed that the human eye’s pupil changes in size depending on the amount of light available. During the dark, the pupil will increase in size to allow more light in and when there is a lot of light, they will shrink to prevent overstimulation.
It is the same with cats, except that they do it with more fineness. For example, the human eye can change the area of the pupil 15-fold. In cat eyes, on the other hand, the pupil will undergo a 135-t0-300-fold change in area.
The eyes of a predator
Studies have revealed that there are special types of predators that sport vertical eyes and there is a reason for that. It has been observed, since the 1940s that prey have horizontal pupils. Predators like snakes and cats are ambush predators. The slit-shaped pupil also obeys to the fact that they prey at night.
The scientific reason for this design in this type of predators is that they need to be very effective at gauging depth in order to leap over the prey. Vertical pupils are better at detecting this depth. To gauge depth, the brain compares the distance between the images perceived by each eye. This distance is known as stereopsis.
Night vision
Another interesting feature about cat eyes is that they have six or eight times as many cells for viewing objects than we humans. This allows them to be crepuscular animals, that is, capable of seeing at night. Cats have a better peripheral vision plus they can better capture motion at night.
So, yes, cats have super eyes. The day is just too bright for them, so they will rather sleep. Learn how to take better care of your feline companion with the tips and tricks here in Dogalize. Check out all the information and resources we have for you.