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You are here: Home / Animals / Are Cats Color Blind Like Dogs and Do They Only See Black and White?

Are Cats Color Blind Like Dogs and Do They Only See Black and White?

July 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

Humans actually have better vision than cats, except in dim light. But we digress.

cats are color blind

Domestic cats have rather poor color vision and can only see two colors: blue and green, and are less able to distinguish between red and green, although they can do so in some conditions.

Animals and humans have rods and cones in their eyes. Rods are sensitive to dim light, and for daylight, you need cells called cones.

These cones in the eyes enable animals to see color. Humans have three kinds of cones that allow them to see blue, red and green which means full color vision.

Cats as well as dogs have only two kinds of cones sensitive to blue and green light, which means they can see some colors, but not all.

Cats see well enough to perceive a movement that’s within their pouncing range and beat us handily in their hearing and sense of smell, both of which are especially useful in hunting.

Related Facts

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  • History of Cats
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  • Does the Moon Ever Really Turn Blue?
  • How Do Scientists Figure Out Whether Animals Can See Color Or If They Are Color Blind?

Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Can Cats See in the Dark and Do Cats have Night Vision in Complete Darkness?
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