How does your cat see the world?

Does he see it like you? Or does he see things differently? Can cats hypnotize with their gaze?
You are getting tired, your eyelids are heavy. You are relaxed and approaching the refrigerator. NOW open the door and take out the tuna…! And you do.
Who knows whether cats really have an hypnotic stare. But one thing is for sure: their gaze is magical!
They have fascinated humankind with it since the beginning of time.

We have compiled everything worth knowing on the topic of cat eyes here!

A cat’s eye

A round forehead, full cheeks and firm chin give cats an expressive face.

Their glowing, slightly slanted eyes top it all! These give cats their stunning and mysterious aura. Anyone in the business of tinted contact lenses or cosmetic accessories can only look on with envy: nothing comes close to the sparkle in a cat’s eye! 

Structure and appearance of a cat’s eye

A cat’s eye is perfectly designed for a hunter: lightning-fast reactions, wide spatial vision – even in dim light! A cat’s eye has three eyelids: one that moves, one that’s fixed and a very thin, protective one that lines the corner of the eye and ensures that the cat’s eye is always kept moist. This blinking membrane ensures that your cat does not have to blink like we do to keep the eye moist!

By loading the video, you accept YouTube's privacy policy.
Read more

Cat eye colours

Look into my eyes, little one! Already we’re swept away.  
Cats cast a magical spell on us with their sparkling eyes. A quick glance – but a wide spectrum of beguiling eye colours. Hues of blue, amber, green and hazel brown. Bright and expressive, clear and intense, rimmed in colour or black.

How do cats see the world?

Cats see the world differently to us.

In the dark and when it comes to moving details, cats clearly have a velvet nose ahead of us. No one can fool them in a hurry! They even see better than we do in poor visibility. However, the colour spectrum of cats’ eyes is somewhat more limited. We bipeds have a large number of cones to thank for this. The retina of the human eye has many more cones and other cone types that ensure that we can perceive a wider colour spectrum than our furry friends.

How well do cats see?

Cats have an extremely wide field of vision. While we can see a maximum of 180 degrees, cats can see up to 200 degrees, without turning their heads! They notice every movement, and miss NOTHING – no matter how fast! Like some reptiles, cats can adjust their pupilsso that they let in just the right amount of light through to the retina. The less light, the wider the pupil is open.

What colours do cats see?

We humans can see all the primary colours and their mixes. Red and blue, for example, become many different varieties of violet. Cats are not colour blind, but their world is a little greyer. Their retinas have fewer cones that perceive colours, and these cone types do not respond equally to all colours. It’s believed that cats mainly see blue, yellow and green, but they cannot perceive the colour red so well.

How do cats see at night?

The Glowfix look!
Cats’ eyes really glow when it’s dark and a light shines on them. But why do cats’ eyes sparkle so much in the dark and why can they see so well in the dark? It’s because a cat’s pupils can expand and become very large, thus more light falls on the retina. A special pigment layer, the “luminous carpet” (Latin: tapetum lucidum), also intensifies the light and makes a cat’s eyes shine brightly in the dark.

How do cats see us humans?

Move – and I’ll know who you are.

You haven’t even entered the room yet but your cat already knows that you are coming? Cats recognize you from afar: they see and sense with pinpoint accuracy and rapidly that it’s you who is coming towards them. You have a particular way of moving in everything you do: playing, running, eating… The way you move is unique to you. Only YOU do it like that! A moving shadow is enough for your cat to know. 

Here’s how to train your cat not to scratch

Read now

What can I see in my cat’s eye?

One look says more than a thousand words… “Have you forgotten me? I’m the one who desperately needs a stroke!” In addition to body language, cats’ eyes are important for non-verbal communication. You shouldn’t just guess from their eyes without looking at the combination of their gestures, facial expressions and the situation:
The eyes also show what mood your cat is in and whether s/he is perhaps “incubating” any illnesses. So, pay attention to the eyes. Are they red, are they watering or do they look different than usual?

Cat has mucus in the eye

When there’s an inflammation, the eyes are slightly red at first. The conjunctiva is swollen and the eye tears easily. At first tears are very thin, but after a while they become more viscous and slimy. The cat feels that there is something in the eye that doesn’t belong there. She blinks and wipes her paws over the inflamed eye more frequently.
It’s high time to take your cat to the vet!

Cat pinches eye together

When an eye infection becomes more painful over time, a cat tries to help itself. With an advanced inflammation, sometimes the eyelid swells so much that it covers part of the eye. The eye becomes more and more cloudy due to increased fluid. The field of vision is severely restricted. The cat blinks or squints through the affected eye. If it still doesn’t get better, it even tries to keep it completely closed.

TIP: When things get this bad, please don’t do it yourself, but get professional help as soon as possible!

Cat’s eyes are watering

Cat breeds with slightly shorter noses need more eye care than their long-nosed cousins.  As their tear duct is narrower, their eyes water more often. Small, dark rivulets form which, when dried, crust easily.

But if, out of the blue, your kitty’s eyes water a lot, are red and the discharge is not light but yellowish, you should take your cat to the vet. Maybe there a foreign body in the eye or perhaps your cat has conjunctivitis? The vet can get to the bottom of the problem and provide professional help. If you have chosen cat health insurance, it will cover the costs you incur when visiting the vet.

Give cat eye drops

If a cat’s eyes have watered, you should remove the crusty residue from the corners of the eyes. To do this, take a soft paper handkerchief or a cotton pad and moisten it slightly. There are also special cleaning wipes for sensitive cat eyes in pet shops. Make sure that you always wipe in the direction of the nose – never the other way round!
If your veterinarian has given you eye drops for the cat; here are some tips for administering eye drops:

  1. open the eye drop bottle
  2. cover the cat (except for its head)
  3. hold the head firmly
  4. pull down the lower eyelid
  5. apply the eye drops

Get well soon ????