Your cat see better in partial darkness than most animals. However, she cannot see in complete darkness. The eyes of cats in the wild evolved to gather even tiny amounts of light to see better to help them hunt at peak times such as the dawn and dusk hours. Your domestic cat has this advantage too. Her eyes are large compared to her head and her iris opens wide to aid in light gathering. Light-sensitive cells on the retina called rods magnify light. Your cat has a higher proportion of rods than most animals, even humans. Your cat has a highly reflective area in the back of her eyes called a tapetum lucidum. This area is found in animals who need to see better at night such as deer or raccoon. This reflective area is evident when an animal’s eyes glow when caught in a car’s headlights. For more information, contact your veterinarian Jacksonville, FL.
